Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi ‘Extremely Nervous’ Before Birmingham Gig

Tony Iommi has gone through plenty over this past year, but it was all smiles after Black Sabbath's performance this past Saturday in Birmingham, England.

The group returned to the stage in their hometown as part of a warm-up for their Download Festival headlining spot. Iommi, who has been undergoing treatment for lymphoma, headed online after the show to express his feelings about returning to the stage.

He wrote, "I was extremely nervous beforehand about playing a long set, not knowing whether I'd be able to last. It turned out to be no problem whatsoever because Ozzy, Geezer, and Tommy were nailing everything. No chance to feel tired! I'm really pleased with how it turned out, fantastic crowd and I want to say thank you to all of them for giving me such an amazing reception. On our way again at last! Finally, a special thanks to Tommy. We invited him to play and he was brilliant."

The "Tommy" in question is Ozzy Osbourne drummer Tommy Clufetos, who came aboard after the band failed to reach a contract with original drummer Bill Ward. Check out video footage from the Birmingham show here.

Black Sabbath will cross the pond to headline Lollapalooza in Chicago this August.