Ozzy Osbourne’s all-star farewell concert on Saturday, dubbed Back to the Beginning, featured Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, who paid tribute to Osbourne and the original Black Sabbath at what was billed as their final show in Birmingham, England at Villa Park.
Metallica was the penultimate band to perform before the Osbourne/Black Sabbath finale performances. Metallica kicked off their set by covering Black Sabbath’s “Hole in the Sky” from 1975’s Sabotage and they also covered “Johnny Blade” from 1978’s Never Say Die!, as fan footage captured.
Guns N’ Roses performed four Black Sabbath renditions, including opening with Technical Ecstasy’s “It’s Alright” before launching into “Never Say Die.”
Guns N’ Roses also performed “Junior’s Eyes” from Never Say Die! along with the title track to 1973’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.
The charity gig featuring the four original Black Sabbath members — Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward — also included performances from Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, and more, with Tom Morello serving as the musical director. The event featured all-star jams that included Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Morello, Sammy Hagar, and more, including a team-up for a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”
“It’s my time to go back to the beginning … time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne, who in recent years has been battling Parkinson’s disease and underwent several spinal surgeries, said of his “final” concert in a statement from February. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham for ever.”
Proceeds from Back to the Beginning will benefit Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and the Birmingham-based Acorns Children’s Hospice.
