“Sharon’s idea was to stage a farewell show, for charity, in Ozzy’s home town of #Birmingham, featuring not just a reformation of the original lineup of #BlackSabbath, but a litany of #artists they influenced. It says something about the respect the band are held in, about the sheer length of the shadow Sabbath cast over hard rock that, as #Ozzy characteristically puts it, “everyone and their fucking mate started jumping on board”.
The lineup for the gig is genuinely extraordinary: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon, Tool; members of Judas Priest, Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Van Halen, Ghost and Faith No More. Moreover, the bill appears to be growing all the time: when I speak to Sharon, she informs me that Soundgarden and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler are the latest additions.
The show’s musical director, Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello, says, “There’s some pretty great surprises that are not posted anywhere.” It’s hard to argue with Morello’s assessment that the gig, called Back to the Beginning, might represent “the greatest day in the history of #HeavyMetal”. Equally, it seems fraught with potential issues.”
#Music / #TheMetal / #loud / 1970s / #death / #gloom / #black / #PrinceOfDarkness <https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/may/02/i-dont-want-to-die-in-a-hotel-room-somewhere-black-sabbath-on-reconciling-for-their-final-gig-and-how-ozzy-is-living-through-hell>
