As the global rock community turns its gaze towards Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom, this Saturday, July 5th, the legendary Ozzy Osbourne is poised for what he describes as his “final encore.” In a candid new interview, the Prince of Darkness shared deeply personal insights into the monumental “Back To The Beginning” concert, which will see the original Black Sabbath lineup reunite for the first time in two decades.
Q: What does this show mean to you personally?
Ozzy: “It’s my final encore; it’s my chance to say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me.”
Q: How does it feel to be playing your final show in Birmingham?
Ozzy: “I couldn’t have done my final show anywhere else. I had to go back to the beginning.”
Q: What do you hope fans take away from Back to the Beginning?
Ozzy: “I hope they feel appreciated for how much they mean to me.”
Q: Why was a livestream important for this performance?
Ozzy: “We never meant to have a livestream; it wasn’t in our plan. I was just surprised how many people we were contacted by to do one, and so it seemed a great chance for people who didn’t have the opportunity to get a ticket to be able to see the show.”
Q: Can you share any memories about Villa Park or performing in your hometown?
Ozzy: “My memories of Villa Park when I was growing up were: Every Saturday when there was a match, I would go out with my friends and stand outside the Villa asking people for a shilling to watch their car.”
Q: What does this lineup of legends mean to you?
Ozzy: “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.”
Q: Do you see this as a goodbye or the beginning of something else?
Ozzy: “It’s a goodbye as far as my live performances go, and what a way to go out.”
The sold-out “Back To The Beginning” event promises to be a capstone moment in rock history. For the first time in two decades, the original Black Sabbath lineup – Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward – will grace the stage together. This monumental reunion will be complemented by a staggering roster of iconic and influential acts, transforming Villa Park into a veritable Hall of Fame for heavy music. The star-studded bill includes Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Rival Sons. American actor Jason Momoa is set to host and compere the all-day event, which will also feature a “supergroup of musicians” including Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan & Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jonathan Davis (Korn), K.K. Downing (Judas Priest), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), and Wolfgang Van Halen, among others.
Recognizing the overwhelming international demand from fans who missed out on tickets, the “Back To The Beginning” concert has been confirmed for a global livestream. This crucial decision, as Ozzy‘s wife and manager Sharon Osbourne revealed, was driven by legions of fans pleading on social media for the opportunity to witness this historic event.
“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,” Sharon Osbourne stated. “Being this is such a historic event, we just couldn’t let them down.”
Fans worldwide can access the raw livestream from 3:00 p.m. on July 5th via www.backtothebeginning.com, with the added benefit of rewatching the entire concert for an additional 48 hours. The production is being handled by Mercury Studios, known for their premium music-driven storytelling, in partnership with Kiswe, a global D2C streaming partner with a track record of delivering record-breaking concert livestreams.
