Lichfield, Birthplace of Heavy Metal?

As the metal world reels from the death of Ozzy Osbourne, startling news emerges from Lichfield. It seems the birthplace of Samuel Johnson, David Garrick and Elias Ashmole also has a claim to be the birthplace of heavy metal – or at least Black Sabbath, or perhaps the name 'Black Sabbath'... Here's the story, as told on the excellent Lichfield Discovered website:

'Lichfield was the birthplace of heavy metal. No, we wouldn't have believed it ourselves until a couple of messages we received told us that the now demolished Robin Hood pub, one time home of The Pokey Hole Club, was where on 1st August 1969 a band called Earth decided to debut a song they'd written that morning called 'Black Sabbath'.

As Norman Hood of The Pokey Hole Club told us,

"The band - then called Earth - arrived to play one of their regular gigs at the club, which at that time was held at The Robin Hood pub on the corner of Frog Lane and St John's Street. They had recently been working on a number of their own, called 'Black Sabbath' and decided to try it out. As both Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler have mentioned in print, the reception to this was astonishing, and hardened their resolve to do more original material. During the usual curry (at The Star Of Bengal!) and kick around (Woolworths car park) Tony mentioned that they were going to have to change their name, due to an American band also being called Earth. They did not say – at that time – it would change to Black Sabbath. That presumably was decided later. Workington undoubtedly saw the name change, but Lichfield saw the birth of Heavy Metal."

The Star of Bengal is now The Bengal but still going strong on Bore Street. The Old Pokey Hole Club, still run by Norman and others is now based at Lichfield Sports Club on Eastern Avenue. And that band that blew the audience away on an August night in 1969. Well, they did OK for themselves...'