The legends of heavy metal, the godfathers of riff, and the original harbingers of doom – Black bloody Sabbath – are reuniting for one final gig. And it’s happening in Birmingham.
If that sentence alone didn’t shake your soul, let me hit you with this: Ozzy Osbourne’s last-ever performance will be at Villa Park on July 5th as part of a colossal event called Back to the Beginning. It will be the first time in 20 years that the full original lineup – Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward – will share the stage, and it’s a moment in metal history we never thought we’d see again.
Birmingham Forever
Ozzy himself summed it up best: “It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning…. time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”
Damn right, Ozzy.
The Lineup? Utterly Ridiculous.
The entire event is a metalhead’s dream, featuring sets from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, and Mastodon. That’s enough sonic carnage to melt your entire skeleton.
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s a supergroup of absolute legends showing up to tear the place down. We’re talking Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan & Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Jonathan Davis (Korn), KK Downing (Judas Priest), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Wolfgang Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, and a heap more.
I don’t know what kind of madness they’re planning, but if Tom Morello is calling this “the greatest heavy metal show ever,” you know it’s about to get biblical.
Metal With a Mission
And get this. They’re donating all profits from the event to charity.
That’s right – it’s all going to support Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. A show like this could have easily been a cash grab, but instead, Sabbath is making sure it gives back in the most meaningful way possible.
How to Get Tickets
You already know this is going to sell out faster than you can say, War Pigs, so set your alarms for 10 am GMT on Friday, February 14th (how romantic), when tickets drop via LiveNation.co.uk.
This is a historic moment in metal. One last ride with the original Sabbath. One final bow from Ozzy. And a lineup so stacked it might actually tear a hole in the fabric of reality.
If you’ve ever loved metal, you need to be there. Birmingham, this one’s for you.
Stay unruly.
