24/07/2026
Another proud chapter in Cannock Sound Hire history: providing the audio production for the official opening of Black Sabbath Bridge on Broad Street, Birmingham.
On 26 June 2019, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler arrived by narrowboat for the naming ceremony of the bridge that now carries the name of Birmingham’s legendary heavy metal pioneers. The bridge, which crosses the canal near Symphony Hall, was renamed in recognition of Black Sabbath’s enormous contribution to music and the city that formed them.
The brief came with some unique technical challenges. A Black Sabbath tribute band performed on a small island in the middle of the canal — a location where no electrical power was permitted. We ran a 100 m, 24-channel analogue multicore from the island, taking clean line-level signals back to our control desk and amplification, safely positioned away from the water.
Carefully placed line-array points delivered clear, even coverage around the waterway.
We also installed a 100 V line system on the narrowboat itself, allowing Tony and Geezer to address the crowd.
We’re still extremely proud to have played a part in this special occasion. Huge thanks once again to the team at Westside BID for inviting us to support the event.