It’s getting close to the iconic July 5 event, where the heavy metal world will witness a historic moment as Ozzy Osbourne takes the stage for what is expected to be his last-ever solo performance. The event will now be available as a global live-streamed event, Back to the Beginning, will also mark the first full reunion of Black Sabbath’s original lineup, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, in two decades, and their final performance together.
Held at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK, Ozzy’s hometown, the sold-out event will feature a lineup of legendary acts, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Rival Sons. Fans who missed out on tickets can tune in worldwide via livestream at this location, beginning at 3:00 p.m. BST on July 5, with a 48-hour replay window.
In addition to band performances, a massive Sabbath/Ozzy jam session, curated by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, will feature appearances by a slew of artists such as Slash, Steven Tyler, Billy Corgan, Duff McKagan, Lzzy Hale, Chad Smith, Jonathan Davis, KK Downing, Wolfgang Van Halen, and many more.
The event also supports charities close to Ozzy’s heart and was created to celebrate his legacy and final goodbye to fans. Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager, explained the idea was born out of Ozzy’s regret over never getting a proper farewell due to years of illness. Rather than a lengthy solo set, the show will feature a collective tribute from the bands and artists he’s inspired and collaborated with over the years.
While the official lineup is stacked, Sharon revealed in an interview with Metal Hammer that a dispute with a manager led to the quiet removal of one act. While speculation circulated that Tool may have been dropped, the band remains on the bill. Sharon confirmed it was not Iron Maiden, and the removed artist remains unnamed, possibly having never been publicly announced.
Sharon expressed:
“I had a huge, huge to-do with a manager over this celebration for Ozzy and Sabbath. And it was probably the worst way I’ve felt in years. And I don’t care what this person says about me, thinks about it, because he doesn’t know me. And he’s now going around making up bullshit lies because I threw his band off the bill. I don’t care what people say. Because do you know what? I don’t love them. I care about people who love me, what they say about me. You can’t care what an industry says, because you don’t love them, so how can it hurt you? It doesn’t.”
On Iron Maiden, Sharon added:
“Oh god, no. Ozzy only has respect for the guys in Maiden. And he didn’t even know what Bruce was doing. I never told him, until the night that it happened when it was the last show, and he just looked at me and goes, ‘You’re terrible.'”
In a separate interview with Music Business Worldwide, Sharon revealed two iconic acts, Judas Priest and Angus Young of AC/DC, were invited but unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
She revealed:
“There are two bands that we would have loved to have been there, but they couldn’t because they’re working that day. And that was Judas Priest, a local band, and Angus [Young] from AC/DC, because he’s always been a huge supporter of Ozzy’s.”
