Ozzy Osbourne has said his farewell show in Birmingham with Black Sabbath “means everything” to him, as he views the massive Villa Park gig as his “final encore”.
The Prince of Darkness will say goodbye to his fans with the original Black Sabbath lineup on Saturday (5 July). The band will be joined by a number of other heavy metal legends, including Metallica, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, and Tom Morello.
In a Q&A with communications agency Premier Comms, Osbourne, 76, said the show, titled Back to the Beginning, was a chance to “say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me”.
“I couldn't have done my final show anywhere else,” he said of playing the gig in his hometown of Birmingham. “I had to go back to the beginning.”
Osbourne also said that he was surprised by how many people had contacted him about livestreaming the concert, which had not been in the original plan.
“It seemed a great chance for people who didn't have the opportunity to get a ticket to be able to see the show,” he said.
The livestream of Back to the Beginning will be delayed by two hours from the in-arena start time, and will begin at 3pm BST. The stream will open 30 minutes prior to launching. Tickets are available to purchase here.
Playing at Villa Park is particularly significant for him, Osbourne said, as he used to go to the venue with his friends on Saturdays when a football match was being hosted and ask people “for a shilling to watch their car”.
Asked about what the formidable lineup meant to him, the musician remarked: “It means everything, I am forever in their debt for showing up for me and the fans. I can’t quite put it into words, but I feel very emotional and blessed.”
He concluded: “It’s a goodbye as far as my live performances go, and what a way to go out.”
Speaking to The Independent this week, Alice in Chains’ bassist Mike Inez spoke of how hearing Black Sabbath for the first time “changed his life”, as he recalled auditioning to be in Osbourne’s solo band.
“It was all surreal to me,” he said. “I remember showing up – I was wearing a ratty LA Kings hockey jersey and jeans, and everyone else in there was in leather. So in my head I was thinking, ‘OK, I’m never getting this f***ing gig, so I’m just gonna have a good time with it, and be able to say I got to play ‘Crazy Train’ with Ozzy one time.’
“Little did I know I was going to get it, and then my whole life trajectory was going to change.”
Metallica’s Rob Trujillo added: “I’m so excited to be part of this, to be able to show my love and respect for Black Sabbath, because it’s safe to say a lot of us wouldn’t be playing the music that we play if it wasn’t for that band.
“To be sharing this stage with Ozzy, thinking back to the days when I played backyard parties and barbecues, and to still be friends with them, it’s a blessing. This is a huge, historical, monumental experience that we’re going to have on this day in Birmingham.”
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