Back to the Beginning wasn’t just any show. It was a spectacle featuring some of the biggest metal and rock bands in the world, all in one place to pay their respects to the legacy of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. 

People from around the world who were lucky enough to get tickets flocked to Villa Park in Birmingham to witness heavy metal history. I was one of the lucky 40,000 who were there that day.

Any fan of heavy metal or adjacent genres knows that without Black Sabbath, there is no heavy metal. I’m sure whoever reads this article knows this, but I don’t think it can ever be overstated, and it’s at the Back to the Beginning event where these legends got the send-off into the sunset (or darkness) that they deserved.

The event raised over £140 million for charity, hosting over 45,000 fans and nearly 6 million live stream viewers.

Supporting Acts

The atmosphere had already begun to build outside the stadium, with fans walking all around the perimeter, getting themselves ready for the day to come. There were smiles, laughs, nothing but positivity. Seeing the stadium set up was something in itself. It hit me that this was going to be a hell of a day.

Pints in hand, finding a spot ready for Mastodon to hit the stage, DJ Starscream, otherwise known as Slipknot’s Sid Wilson, played a bunch of rock classics in his own unique way. Then the live music began. 

Starting us off was Mastodon, blazing through the heavy one-two of ‘Black Tongue’ and ‘Blood and Thunder’, before ending with a killer version of ‘Supernaut’. Rival Sons took to the stage shortly after and threw down a rock-tastic groove while showcasing some beautiful moustaches. They did a hell of a job on their cover of ‘Electric Funeral’.

Anthrax have always been one of my favourite bands, particularly live, and I was a bit gutted that they only got to play one of their songs, followed by a smashing cover of ‘Into the Void’. They may have only played 2 songs, but they nailed it as they always do.

Throughout the day, video messages were played featuring some of the biggest names in music. Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Elton John. All were wonderful to see. Alongside these were hilarious skits featuring Ozzy, where he had been edited into different scenes from films, music videos and adverts. From Pulp Fiction to the Beatles, Madonna to Avatar. They kept the audience laughing their socks off.

At this point, it was time for another drink, so we didn’t see rock sensations Halestorm. The queues were insane to get to the bars, meaning we also missed Lamb of God. I decided to enjoy what I could hear while stuck in the queue. 

It was then time for the first supergroup of the day, playing a mix of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne favourites, featuring a stellar alternating lineup of Lzzy Hale, Nuno Bettencourt, Jake E Lee, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin, Adam Wakeman, David Draiman, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, II of Sleep Token and Yungblud.

Yungblud’s performance stirred the first tears of the day. If you’ve not seen the video of his performance, go watch it (after you’ve read this article, obviously). His version of ‘Changes’ has just been released as a single, with all proceeds being split between Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice. 

Next up were Alice in Chains. They were incredible. We couldn’t help but sing our hearts out to ‘Man in the Box’ and ‘Would?’. They capped off their set with ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ and left us wanting more. Time for my second lot of teary eyes as Gojira stormed the stage and began to crush the audience with ‘Stranded’ and ‘Silvera’. The person who introduced me to Gojira 20 years ago stood right next to me as they finished with a cover of Sabbath’s ‘Under the Sun’.

It was then time for the drum off. As Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello and Rudy Sarzo chugged through ‘Symptom of the Universe’, you had Travis Barker, Chad Smith and Danny Carey all on stage before each had the opportunity to go ballistic with solos. What a scene.

After a short breather, and as the day’s compère, Jason Mamoa, climbed off the stage towards the pit, Pantera walked on, followed by the band blasting straight into ‘Cowboys From Hell’. Then came true musicians, Tool, who finished with ‘Ænema’.

And then Slayer happened. My favourite band for the past 24 years, returning following their ‘disbanding’ in 2019. We knew they’d be back, of course. I was in my element as the intro ‘Darkness of Christ’ played through the speakers, leading to the inevitable ‘Disciple’. Slayer is back. 

The legends that are Guns N’ Roses were next, starting with the triple Sabbath combo of ‘Never Say Die’, ‘Junior’s Eyes’ and ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’, before they complete their set with what we all know best, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ and ‘Paradise City’. 

When do you ever see Metallica support anyone? Well, it happened here. Performing 6 tracks of excellence, Metallica always know how to own their audience. My third bout of teariness arrived with ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, while thinking about how much I had wished my other best friend could have been there with us to share this moment. 

Ozzy’s Goodbye

Finally, it was time for the Prince of Darkness to appear. As he rose out of the stage on his bat throne, the crowd erupted with applause and admiration for Ozzy. With all his recent health battles, the fact that he was here in front of us was outstanding. 

He told the crowd, “It’s so good to be on this stage…You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” You could feel his warmth, his love, his appreciation. 

The keyboards then sound for the arrival of ‘Mr Crowley’, with Ozzy leading the crowd to wave their hands from side to side, pulling some classic Ozzy poses. Several times through his set, you can see his desire to get up from his throne. You cannot doubt an ounce of his passion as a musician.

With Zakk Wylde firmly back at his side and helping Ozzy through difficult moments, they go through ‘Suicide Solution’, followed by the most emotional moment I’ve been a part of at any live show with ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’. The emotional rendition, the crowd singing along; there were tears from many. Closing out with ‘Crazy Train’, Ozzy Osbourne showed that he is still the quintessential heavy metal master of the world.

Ozzy wasn’t done though. I couldnt believe he had just performed 5 songs, and was going to be back out with the godfathers of metal, Black Sabbath. 

Tony, Geezer, Ozzy and the returning Bill Ward, the original four playing one final time. This was historic. The sirens sounded and ‘War Pigs’ blasted through the airwaves, a call to arms for every person in that stadium. We were witnessing history. Sadly, the event had to come to an end. Ozzy announcing it was their ‘last song ever’ really hit home. 

In typical Ozzy style, he yells, ”Go fucking crazy!” as ‘Paranoid’ is played one final time. Fireworks go off to mark the end of the day, a symbol of the end of an era. 

Back to the Beginning was as close to a religious experience as I’ll ever get to. There are moments I witnessed there that will stay with me forever.

Long live Ozzy Osbourne, Long live Black Sabbath. 

Featured Image Credits: Anonymous