JUDAS PRIEST‘s Rob Halford has expressed his deep disappointment at having to miss the final BLACK SABBATH concert this summer, a performance he says he is “absolutely gutted” to miss.
The iconic frontman had initially planned to perform with PRIEST at the 60th-anniversary show of German hard rock legends SCORPIONS on July 5. However, this date coincides with BLACK SABBATH‘s highly anticipated final concert, “Back To The Beginning,” at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Halford shared the news with Metal Hammer, revealing that he had no prior knowledge of the SABBATH show being scheduled. Soon after, Halford received a call from Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and manager. “Robbie, I know you’ve got this gig with SCORPIONS, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys? He’d love to see you,” Sharon asked.
Despite the tempting offer, Halford admitted that trying to attend both events would be incredibly difficult — and potentially dangerous. “Even with a private plane, there’s a word called ‘technical,’ where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems,” he explained. “I was absolutely gutted.”
While Halford won’t be able to attend, he acknowledged that K.K. Downing, founding guitarist of JUDAS PRIEST, will be stepping in for the event, calling it a fitting tribute to the band’s legacy. “K.K. will be representing the spirit of the band,” he said.
Halford also expressed his admiration for the significance of the event, even from afar. “All my mates are going to be there though, great bands and artists. It’s a wonderful and epic moment for SABBATH and heavy metal — it re-emphasizes that Birmingham is where metal came from,” he added.
The concert will feature the original lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—reuniting for a once-in-a-lifetime show. The performance will also include a star-studded lineup, with appearances from METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, GUNS N’ ROSES, TOOL, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, MASTODON and more.
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.