The news of Ozzy Osbourne‘s deathspread across the music world on Tuesday, July 22, reaching some artists at the most unexpected moments. For Machine Head, the devastating announcement came just 20 minutes before they were slated to kick off their European tour in Linz, Austria, at Posthof.
Upon learning of Ozzy‘s passing via Sky News, Machine Head, a band heavily influenced by the “Prince of Darkness,” made an immediate and profound decision. Frontman Robb Flynn revealed the band’s spontaneous change of plans: “In a state of sadness and shock we made the decision to forgo our usual opening setlist.”
Rather than proceeding with their planned opening, Machine Head opted for a direct musical tribute. Following their customary intro, Ozzy‘s “Diary Of A Madman” (a staple opening for Machine Head for over three decades), the band launched into two Black Sabbath classics: “War Pigs” and “Children Of The Grave.” The impact was immediate and palpable. “Everyone sang, everyone knew tonight meant something, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Flynn shared. He concluded: “There’s so much more to say about the power of Ozzy‘s songs, but for now, we’ll let his music do the talking. Our deepest condolences to Black Sabbath, Ozzy‘s band, and the Osbournes.”
Machine Head Live – July 22 Setlist
- “War Pigs” (Black Sabbath cover)
- “Children of the Grave” (Black Sabbath cover)
- “Imperium”
- “Ten Ton Hammer”
- “CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE”
- “Now We Die”
- “NØ GØDS, NØ MASTERS”
- “Aesthetics of Hate”
- “Old”
- “ØUTSIDER”
- “Locust”
- “BØNESCRAPER”
- “BLEEDING ME DRY”
- “Darkness Within”
- “Bulldozer”
- “From This Day”
- “Davidian”
Encore:
- “Halo“
The profound impact of Black Sabbath’s music on Robb Flynn traces back to his teenage years. In a 2015 interview with Metal Talk, Flynn recalled being 13 years old when he first encountered Sabbath. After a period of personal upheaval, a friend introduced him to the band’s compilation album, We Sold Our Souls For Rock ‘N’ Roll. “It had this creepy picture of this dead girl in a coffin and she’s got this huge chrome cross laying on her chest,” Flynn described. “I just remember being h*gh as f**k and terrified of the music that was coming out of the speakers. I had never heard anything so terrifying and dark and evil. It was a revelation. I wanted to make the sound that was coming out of the speakers. And play the darkest, heaviest, most extreme stuff that I could get my hands on.”
Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday morning, July 22, with his family by his side. His family’s statement read: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.” While an official cause of death has not been released, Osbourne had battled Parkinson’s disease (specifically Parkin 2, a rare genetic form, diagnosed in 2003) and lingering complications from a severe fall in 2019 that required multiple surgeries. These health issues, including a bout with COVID-19 three years prior, had forced him to cancel previous tours.
Ozzy‘s death occurred just over two weeks after his final performance with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in Birmingham, the band’s original hometown. They played four songs for an audience exceeding 40,000 in the stadium, with an additional 5.8 million watching via a livestream. Ozzy also performed a five-song solo set from a bat-adorned throne, delivering a powerful farewell to his devoted fans.
