Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH are reuniting for a final performance at a charity concert in Birmingham on July 5th.
BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler, a die-hard Aston Villa fan, has posted a video message for fans about the band’s upcoming “Back to the Beginning” reunion concert at Villa Park.
In an Instagram video message to fans, Butler explained his absence from Wednesday’s Villa Park launch with Tony Iommi and Sharon Osbourne, citing “a commitment with my granddaughter.”
“Hi, Geezer Butler here. Looking forward to seeing you all on July the 5th at Villa Park,” he said in a video (watch below). “It’ll be the first time the original SABBATH has played in Aston since we used to live there. And where we wrote most of our first album at places like Aston Community Centre and Burlington Hall down the high street.
“So, it’s a return home for us where it all started, and it will be a very special occasion for us all. See you there.”
The legendary heavy metal band will headline a special one-day festival at Villa Park, showcasing numerous bands they influenced, such as METALLICA, PANTERA, SLAYER, GOJIRA, and ANTHRAX.
This event will also be a historic reunion for BLACK SABBATH’s original lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—playing together for the first time in two decades.
Ozzy Osbourne, who has postponed his “No More Tours 2” shows several times due to illness, the pandemic, and logistical issues, and who paused touring in 2023 after spinal surgery, will perform his last concert ever at Villa Park, according to Sharon.
“Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s no been no full stop,” she said. “This is his full stop.”
“It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning, time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Ozzy said in a statement. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love.
“Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham forever.”
Tom Morello, guitarist for RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and the event’s musical director, described it as “the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
The concert will also showcase a “supergroup” featuring stars such as Billy Corgan, Slash, Fred Durst, Wolfgang Van Halen, and Tom Morello.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.