Black Sabbath Shares First Rehearsal Photo Ahead of Final Show
In a little more than a week’s time, the sun will once and for all set on one of the most iconic metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath. The ‘Back To The Beginning‘ show taking place at Villa Park in Birmingham, U.K. on July 5 will also serve as the finale for Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary career, effectively ending an era in one fell swoop.
With so much on the line for that show and each performer now in their 70s, it only makes sense that the guys are busy rehearsing for the big day. Earlier today, three of the four members of Black Sabbath took a photograph together to share on social media. Ozzy, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward, who was recently welcomed back into the fold, were seen chumming it up on a couch, as you can see below. Guitarist Tony Iommi, who I can only imagine was taking the image or busy doing something else, will also be part of the finale.
As it stands, Ozzy’s apparently only going to be able to perform a couple of songs, given his ongoing health issues. Still, it will be a momentous occasion that will see the music world as a whole sending off the four living legends that gave us such iconic songs like “Children of the Grave”, “Iron Man”, “Paranoid”, and a whole fuckton more.
In addition to Ozzy and Black Sabbath’s final performances, ‘Back To The Beginning’ will feature a number of today’s biggest rock and metal acts paying tribute to the retirees. The following acts perform now only original sets, but some covers of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne tunes:
- Metallica
- Guns N’ Roses
- Slayer
- Tool
- Pantera
- Gojira
- Halestorm
- Alice In Chains
- Lamb Of God
- Anthrax
- Mastodon
- Rival Sons
Additionally, many performers are slated to take part in a huge jam session that’s supposed to serve as an homage to that day’s dignitaries. Some of the additional artists slated for that include the following:
- Andrew Watt
- Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins)
- Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- Danny Carey (Tool)
- David Draiman (Disturbed)
- David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth)
- Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses)
- Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit)
- Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)
- Jake E. Lee (Red Dragon Cartel, ex-Ozzy Osbourne)
- Jonathan Davis (Korn)
- KK Downing (KK’s Priest, ex-Judas Priest)
- Mike Bordin (Faith No More/Ozzy Osbourne)
- Papa V Perpetua (Ghost)
- Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, etc.)
- Sammy Hagar (ex-Van Halen)
- Slash (Guns N’ Roses)
- Soundgarden
- Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
- II (Sleep Token)
- Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
- Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
- Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe)
- Wolfgang Van Halen (Mammoth WVH, ex-Van Halen)
Tickets for the event have long been sold out, but if you would like to watch the goings on live, you can do so by ordering a digital ticket to the livestream. Tickets to livestream the event are available right now and cost $29.99 plus applicable taxes and fees. If you’d like to get an exclusive livestream shirt with the ticket, that’s gonna set you back $65 dollars.
