As anticipation builds for the monumental “Back To The Beginning” concert in Birmingham, England on July 5th, guitarist Jake E. Lee has voiced concerns about his ability to perform his signature Ozzy Osbourne track, “Bark At The Moon.” The highly anticipated event will mark the final live performances for both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, featuring an array of special guest artists each tackling classic Ozzy songs.
Lee, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds last year, revealed to Phil Weller of GuitarWorld.com that physical limitations, including arthritis in his wrist, may prevent him from delivering his most famous contribution to Ozzy‘s catalog. “I know people are expecting ‘Bark At The Moon‘, but I don’t know. Right now, with my wrist, the arthritis and everything, that would be very challenging… I’ll practice it just in case that’s the one,” Lee stated. He candidly added, “But that’s going to be pretty challenging for me physically. I’m shooting for ‘Ultimate Sin’ [the title track from his second and final Ozzy album]. It’s heavy, and I like the solo in it.”
The “Back To The Beginning” concert, a global celebration of heavy metal, sold out Birmingham’s Villa Park in under 16 minutes. Now, fans worldwide who missed out on tickets will have the opportunity to witness this historic farewell via a global livestream.
On July 5, Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, will take the stage for his final ever live performance. He will be joined by the original Black Sabbath lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—reuniting for the first time in two decades to headline the event. The lineup for this monumental occasion reads like a heavy metal hall of fame, with confirmed performances from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Rival Sons. Ozzy is slated to perform a short solo set before his historic reunion with Black Sabbath for their ultimate live bow.
The concert proudly supports charities close to Ozzy‘s heart. For fans globally, the livestream offers a front-row seat to this once-in-a-lifetime event. Viewers will gain access to the live broadcast starting at 3 PM CEST on July 5 and will also have exclusive access to rewatch the entire concert for an additional 48 hours.
Sharon Osbourne commented on the decision to stream the event, citing overwhelming fan demand: “We had such an overwhelming demand from fans from around the globe, who couldn’t get tickets to the show, and they took to social media, pleading with us to broadcast a livestream of the show. Being this is such a historic event, we just couldn’t let them down.”
The “Back To The Beginning” livestream will be captured, produced, and distributed by Mercury Studios, known for premium music-driven storytelling in film and television, including projects like “One to One: John & Yoko“, “American Symphony“, and “Metallica Saved My Life“. Mercury Studios has partnered with Kiswe, a global direct-to-consumer streaming leader recognized for delivering record-breaking concert livestreams, to ensure a seamless experience for fans worldwide. Livestream tickets are available now at backtothebeginning.com.
