Back to the Beginning, the heavy metal event of the decade, is set to take place at Villa Park in Birmingham this weekend. With iconic vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath ready to take their final bow on Saturday night. Backed up by a who’s who of artists and special guests. Including Metallica, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Tool, Pantera, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Gojira, Halestorm and many, many more.
Starting his legendary career in the humble surroundings of The Crown pub in central Birmingham. Back when the band was known simply as Earth. John “Ozzy” Osbourne and Black Sabbath went on to play an integral role in the formation of the heavy metal genre as a whole. Permanently etching themselves into the history of both heavy music and Birmingham itself.
With the event now being live streamed to millions of fans worldwide and the bands curtain call fast approaching. The man himself sat down for a brief interview with the team at Premier Comms, to answer a handful of questions about what his final performance and Birmingham means to him-
What does this show mean to you personally?
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.
How does it feel to be playing your final show in Birmingham?
I couldn’t have done my final show anywhere else. I had to go back to the beginning.
What do you hope fans take away from Back to the Beginning?
I hope they feel appreciated for how much they mean to me.
Why was a live stream important for this performance?
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.
Can you share any memories about Villa Park or performing in your hometown?
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.
What does this line-up of legends mean to you?
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.
Do you see this as a goodbye or the beginning of something else?
It’s a goodbye as far as my live performances go, and what a way to go out.
Back To The Beginning is now completely sold out. However, the event is set to be broadcast live worldwide thanks to Mercury Productions and global streaming service provider Kiswe. You can grab your tickets to the day long livestream here. With the stream scheduled to begin at 3pm on July 5th. On a two hour delay from the events start time at Villa Park.
Exclusive Back To The Beginning merch is also now available. So even if you can’t make it to Birmingham for the big day, you can still grab a memento while you watch all the action live from the comfort of your sofa! In the meantime, for more information on Back To The Beginning and the history of Black Sabbath you can head over to their official website.
If you’re heading into Birmingham for Back To The Beginning. You can also check out our guide to all the Black Sabbath events, tributes and landmarks the UK’s second city has to offer here.
