Tony Iommi reveals the gruesome truth of what happens if he plays guitar without his finger prosthetics: “I fretted a string and it sliced right through my finger”
Despite chopping his fingertips off in 1965, Tony Iommi has never let his handicap get in his way of playing guitar. With a pair of prosthetic fingers, Iommi has carved out an entire legacy in Black Sabbath, and he’s even dropping his first solo record in 21 years, From the Dark, later this month. However, take away the prosthetics, and things would turn sour pretty quickly.
In a new interview with Guitar World, Iommi admits that he “couldn’t get through a gig” if he ever lost his prosthetic fingertips before going on stage. “I couldn’t touch the strings with those fingers – the bone is right under the skin,” he explains. “One time, years ago, when it did come off, I fretted a string and it sliced right through my finger.”
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This slice was no normal cut, however… instead, it was like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath up on stage. “There was blood all over the place!” Iommi recalls.
Over the years, Iommi has refined his fingertip regime – explaining that he puts tape on his chopped fingers, adds glue, then pushes his prosthetic finger into place – however, accidents can happen. “They used to fall off, and it was a bloody pain,” he says.
And he doesn’t just mean the aforementioned bloodbaths; when you’re in a messy green room, looking for a pair of tiny fingertips can feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. “Trying to find them… ‘Where is it? It’s on the floor somewhere!’” he laughingly remembers.
Of course, he has prepared himself if he ever loses his fingertips and has no spares. “I can play with the two other fingers,” he explains. “I learned to use my little finger in the early days because I had to.”
He also reveals that he has to “keep the fingertips in shape” while on the road. “I chance the leather parts every couple of weeks, and it’s a bit of a hassle, but I’ve got used to it,” he says.
Speaking to Classic Rock last month, Iommi also revealed that his fingertips are sent to him as part of an entire rubber arm. “I’ve asked them: ‘Why not just send a hand?’ But apparently they can’t do that,” he revealed.
“They sometimes send me five arms at a time. So I chop the fingers off and throw the arms in the bin,” he admits. “The dustmen must be thinking: ‘What the bloody hell’s going on here? Has he bumped someone off?’”
From the Dark is out 23 October, and is available to pre-order.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
