Jason Momoa has looked back at the moment he jumped into the moshpit during Black Sabbath’s final concert.
Shortly before Pantera took the stage at the concert, which was held on July 5 at Villa Park in Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, the Aquaman, Game Of Thrones and A Minecraft Movie actor briefly abandoned his duties of emceeing the event to jump into the crowd.
In a new interview with The Independent (filmed before the death of Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne last week), he likens the experience in the pit to surfing. He adds that he wanted to experience the frenzy with his son, who was also in attendance.
“Moshing at the Black Sabbath finale, it felt like being in big surf,” Momoa reflects. “It’s like a gigantic undertow. You can’t keep your feet up and you’re getting tossed everywhere and you’re laughing and you’re having the time of your life and you’re literally falling over and people are pulling you up. You know, it’s very hot in England right now, so you’re wet with other people’s sweat.”
He continues: “And I wanted to get my son out there. You want to experience things with your family members and so, for my boy, it was a memorable moment to get out there and do it to Pantera.
“Ultimately, I’d rather be in the pit with everybody, also because I’m a huge fan. Why the hell do you guys get to have all the fun?”
Pantera were one band in a huge lineup who took the stage to pay tribute to Sabbath at their final show, which was officially titled Back To The Beginning. Metallica, Gojira, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer and more also performed that day.
Pantera, who initially disbanded in 2003, reunited in 2022, with returning members Phil Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) being joined by newcomers Zakk Wylde (guitar) and Charlie Benante (drums).
The comeback has proven controversial for multiple reasons, including the absence of the Abbott brothers: guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul, who founded Pantera in 1981 and died in 2004 and 2018, respectively.
Furthermore, in 2016, Anselmo incited widespread controversy when footage of him raising his right hand and screaming “white power!” at a Dimebag Darrell tribute concert went viral.
Back To The Beginning preceded Osbourne’s death by just 17 days. The singer died of undisclosed causes at the age of 76 last Tuesday, July 22. The show was promoted as his last time ever onstage, following his retirement from touring in 2023 due to a number of health issues.
