So, apparently, geriatric drumming sensation 🥁 Bill Ward, bless his cotton socks, is still alive and kicking (or at least tapping a snare) and has a new show on some obscure radio station 📻 no one’s ever heard of. It’s called LA Radio Sessions, which airs Sundays at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time) on 99.1 KLBP-FM in Long Beach and also online at KLBP.org.
Because, you know, everyone’s just clamoring for more Bill Ward content in 2024. But wait, there’s more! He’s been “living in the studio” 🏠 (probably napping between takes) and has TWO albums “nearly finished.” I use quotes because, let’s be real, “nearly finished” could mean anything from “we recorded some farts” to “we have a semi-coherent drum track.” But fear not, loyal Wardians (do those exist?), they’ll be unleashed upon the unsuspecting public soon enough. And he has four days left to finish our final overdubs for the newest album that’ll be coming out. Which is nice.
Bill “I Don’t Give an ‘F'” Ward (his words, not mine, though I’m thinking it 💭) has apparently had a creative epiphany. He’s just “let everything go,” which I can only assume means he’s stopped brushing his teeth and started wearing Crocs everywhere. He doesn’t “have anything to swagger about,” which is probably the most accurate statement he’s made in years. Instead, he wants to “play something that plays in my heart and then comes out of my soul.” Translation: expect a lot of meandering piano solos 🎹 and drum fills that go on for days. He’s even trying to “grow more as a pianist and grow more as a drummer and grow more as a bass player.” Bless his heart. At his age, most people are just trying to grow more hair, not musical talent. But hey, you do you, Bill. And he is swearing a lot and using a lot of profanity. Which is a bit shocking for someone who looks like everyone’s grandpa.
He’s “abandoned his critical self” 🙈, which, frankly, is terrifying. Imagine Bill Ward unleashed, unfiltered, and uncensored. The man’s a menace! He’s “taken a lot more risks,” like maybe trying to eat solid food again. One track is about when he spent time playing in the graveyards at Aston Church. Which sounds like a banger. I wanted to write it because I’ve been spending some time thinking about my childhood years in Aston, and I’ve been going back there. And so one of the songs is about being a child and playing in and around the graveyards. And I’ve tried to capsulize that, and I think it’s a pretty good song. And it’s still like a metal thing. Because nothing screams “metal” like reminiscing about childhood graveyard escapades. But wait, it gets better! The legendary Dave Lombardo from Slayer is playing on the track! 🤘 Because apparently, Bill realized he couldn’t keep up and needed a real drummer to bail him out. I play drums on pretty much — I don’t know — 80 percent of all these records I’m making, but I I love working with guest players, guest people, guest drummers, guest players, bass players, guitar players. I love that. I love being interactive with different musicians. So it’s been a blessing for me.
When asked if it’s the BILL WARD BAND, he said no, it’s just Bill Ward. But don’t worry, there’s still unreleased BILL WARD BAND stuff! 🎉 Because everyone’s been clamoring for that, right? Right? Okay, moving on. So we still have BILL WARD BAND stuff that is still unreleased. And one day we’ll get it released.
Oh, and in case you forgot, there’s that little reunion gig with the original Black Sabbath lineup. Dubbed “Back To The Beginning” 🙄, because subtlety is for losers. It’s a charity show at Villa Park in Birmingham, because apparently, even charity can’t escape the clutches of nostalgia. Support will come from METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, and many more. Which is nice of them.
He’s “looking forward to seeing everybody, shaking hands, giving them a nice big hug. And just sitting down and maybe having a cup of tea.” Because nothing says “metal reunion” like a polite tea party. And he’s “gonna be getting some sleep, ’cause that’s a nighttime gig. I think we are on at nighttime, so I’m gonna be getting some sleep, ’cause I gotta come out and kick ass. So that’s my job.” Oh, Bill, bless your heart. You go take that nap, grandpa.😴
His last solo album, “Accountable Beasts,” came out in 2015. I bet you didn’t even know he released a solo album in 2015. It featured his drumming on seven of the album’s nine tracks, as well as contributions from Bill’s longtime collaborators Keith Lynch (guitar, keyboards),Paul Ill (bass) and Ronnie Ciago (drums),alongside drummer Walter Earl and an array of session singers, including Ward’s daughter Emily.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
