Mac Sabbath: Ventura Music Hall - Ventura, CA - 6/21/24
Mac Sabbath is a Black Sabbath/McDonald’s parody metal band. They are the forefathers of Drive-Thru metal. This year, they are celebrating their 10th anniversary and are currently on tour for the occasion. A Black Sabbath and McDonald’s crossover band might some a bit silly at first, but a quick YouTube search or even going to see them live and you’ll see it works out perfectly and will end up being one of the most entertaining bands you’ll see live. This current stop was at the Ventura Music Hall in Ventura, California. A show like this on a Friday was the perfect way to end the work week and the venue was nice and packed by the time Mac Sabbath was ready to hit the stage.
A curtain covered the stage as Mac Sabbath hit the stage. The curtain came down to reveal most of the members on stage. The members were Slayer MacCheeze (guitar), The Catburglar (drums) and Grimalice (bass). They started the show with “Organic Funeral” (“Electric Funeral”). The last member to come was vocalist Ronald Osbourne and he was in a straitjacket that came off in the middle of the song. The band was now in full effect, and it was time for Mac Sabbath to show why they’re one of the most fun live bands. The next was “Sweet Beef” (“Sweet Leaf”) and it was started when Osbourne ate some beef patties and puked them into a bucket. For the next song, Osbourne introduced the lizard, which was fitting for the next song, “The Lizard” (“The Wizard”). The lizard happily played his harmonica during the song. Other songs included in their fast food setlist included “Chicken for the Slaves” (“Children of the Grave”), “Drive-Thru the Void” (“Into the Void”) and a KISS cover of “Love Gun” re-titled to “Love Buns.” In between songs, Osbourne would tell stories about bands he’s been on tour with and would combine other band names with other restaurants and food items. One of the best songs played was when they played an Iron Maiden cover of “The Trooper,” but it was re-titled as “The Grouper.” To match the song, a character dressed up as a grouper fish came out with a sword and had a sword fight with Osbourne. Nearing the end of the song, Osbourne brought out a frying pan and started cooking beef patties in it. The last song of the night would be “Frying Pan” (“Iron Man”). Mac Sabbath left the stage, and all seemed quiet. After a quick break, Mac Sabbath came out to deliver more greasy tunes to the audience. Up first was a cover of punk rock legends The Vandals song, “Anarchy Burger.” It drove the fans wild with mosh pits. The last song of the night was “Pair-a-Buns” (“Paranoid”) and it featured Osbourne getting on a burger float and going clown surfing on top of the audience. Mac Sabbath played the classic McDonald’s tune of “I’m Lovin’ It” before bowing to the audience, thanking them, then leaving the stage once again. Mac Sabbath has continuously proven that they are one of the most fun bands to see live and anyone who has seen them will tell you that they are great performers. If you get a chance to see them, do so as you will not regret it.
