Given that it is now closed and comparatively nondescript, you may have driven or walked past it several times without giving it a second glance, but in its time, the Orpheum Theatre in Gzira had some truly historic moments in local entertainment.

The history enthusiast Ernest Ferrante has recently reshared some information and photos of the building, erected all the way back in 1932, on the group MALTA - Through the ages.

Included in these photos was a poster taking us a more recent 1995, when one of the world’s greatest heavy metal bands, Black Sabbath, actually came to Malta and performed in the theatre!

Although it was originally designed to be a cinema, from the 1950s onwards, the Orpheum Theatre became a popular music venue, welcoming acts from the Italian Tenor Tito Schipa to the singer Domenico Modugno.

The Black Sabbath concert, however, was undoubtedly one of the most memorable events the Orpheum’s walls saw. The heavy metal band, often referred to as pioneers of the genre, was in its heyday back then, although they’d already lost one of their more famous members – the legendary singer Ozzy Osbourne.

This concert, that took place on 25th August 1995, was part of their ‘Forbidden’ tour, featuring Tony Martin (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Neil Murray (bass), and Cozy Powell (drums). It’s remembered as a significant event in Malta's music history, marking one of the rare occasions when a band of such international acclaim performed on the island – before Isle of MTV was even dreamed of! The setlist included classic tracks like ‘Children of the Grave’, ‘Neon Knights’, ‘War Pigs’, and ‘Paranoid’.

Someone luckily captured this historic moment on camera – you can see the entire concert in all its nostalgic 90s glory – and quality – here:

Do you know anyone who attended the historic concert?