Black Sabbath murals mark city's heavy metal heritage

National World - LocalTV

As Black Sabbath prepare to bow out with their final show, Birmingham is stepping up to honour its heavy metal roots. From towering murals and renamed trams to a mechanical bull reborn as Ozzy, the city has become a living monument to the godfathers of metal. We trace the trail from Hill Street to Broad Street to find out how Brum is embracing its cultural spine - loud, proud, and forged in steel.

Transcript

00:00You don't need a ticket to Villa Park to feel Black Sabbath's presence in Birmingham.

00:06The band's final show might be the headline but the real story is how the city has quietly transformed itself into a living museum.

00:14Lied with murals, monuments and memories forged in metal.

00:18It starts here on Hill Street where four lads from Aston played their first gig back in 1968.

00:24The Crown pub is sealed off now, its insides gathering dust but its exterior has become a kind of altar.

00:30Giant portraits of the band stare out over the street turning a boarded up building into something sacred.

00:36Around the corner on Navigation Street a 40 metre mural charts the band's rise across seven decades.

00:42You can't miss it and that's the point. Black Sabbath never asked permission and neither does this artwork.

00:47It's Brum broadcasting its cultural DNA loud and proud.

00:51Inside New Street Station the 10 metre mechanical bull from the Commonwealth Games has been renamed Aussie.

00:58It nods every hour and swishes its tail like it's clocking in.

01:01Originally cast in metal it's been rebuilt to last, much like the band's legacy.

01:06The trail continues, Digbeth Street Art, a tram named Aussie, the Old Odeon, the Town Hall.

01:12It all ends at the Black Sabbath Bridge and Bench on Broad Street, a low key landmark turned pilgrimage site.

01:19Touring bands pass through and pay respect. Fans come to sit, pose and reflect.

01:23This isn't just a nostalgia trip, it's a declaration.

01:26A city not known for shouting about itself is finally embracing what it gave to the world.

01:31In a time of empty units and hollow slogans, this heavy metal heritage feels solid.

01:36It's more than a tribute, it's part of Birmingham's cultural spine.

01:40Hardwired into the streets, walls and stations.

01:43Hardwired into the Metro pleads of Monreal

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