Tony Iommi, the legendary guitarist for Black Sabbath, has shared his candid thoughts on the band’s upcoming “Back To The Beginning” concert. Speaking with Music Week, Iommi conveyed a mix of anticipation and apprehension for the historic event, which is set to reunite the original Black Sabbath lineup for the first time in two decades.
“This would be a big, monumental thing if it all comes good,” Iommi stated, acknowledging the sheer scale of the concert. His primary concern, however, lies in the unpredictable nature of such a large-scale undertaking. “The worrying thing for me is the unknown. We don’t know what’s going to happen.” He contrasted it with previous tours, explaining, “Normally, when we’d tour, we’d rehearse and run through the thing for a while, and it’s just us. But with this event there are so many other moving parts.”
A significant factor contributing to this uncertainty is frontman Ozzy Osbourne‘s ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease, which affects his mobility. Iommi acknowledged this, noting, “You’re used to Ozzy running around, but he certainly won’t be doing that for this show. I don’t know if he’s going to be standing or sitting on a throne or what.” Despite these challenges, Iommi confirmed his overall feeling about the event as “excitement mixed with fear.” He maintained a pragmatic outlook: “Once we start playing, then we’ll know we’re doing it. It’s always a worry, even when we did tours before, there’s always that build-up, and then it gets to the point that we do it and it’s okay.”
The “Back To The Beginning” concert, scheduled for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom, will see Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward grace the stage together for a final time in their hometown. This event marks Ozzy Osbourne‘s last scheduled performance, as he steps back from touring due to his health.
The all-day event will be a celebration of heavy metal, featuring an impressive roster of supporting acts including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and many more. All profits from the show will be equally divided among three charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
Demand for tickets was extraordinary, with the event selling out in a mere 16 minutes. Recognizing the global interest, Black Sabbath has confirmed that “Back To The Beginning” will be streamed worldwide. The raw livestream will commence at 3:00 p.m. on July 5, offering fans exclusive 48-hour rewatch access. The broadcast is being produced and distributed by Mercury Studios, in collaboration with Kiswe. The entire event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, will be compered and hosted by American actor Jason Momoa, with a supergroup of musicians also performing throughout the day.
