BLACK SABBATH’s July 5 farewell performance at the “Back to the Beginning” concert was a night that fans will never forget — not just for its historic significance, but also for the emotional reunion of the original lineup and the massive $190 million raised for charity. But according to guitarist Tony Iommi, there were even more surprises in store — had time allowed.
In a new interview on the July 8 episode of SiriusXM‘s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Iommi reflected on the monumental night at Villa Park in Birmingham, which marked the first full performance by the original BLACK SABBATH lineup since 2005 — and likely their final one ever. While the band delivered powerful performances of “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “N.I.B.,” and “Paranoid,” Iommi revealed that SABBATH had actually rehearsed several more songs that didn’t make the final setlist.
“We started with ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ and then we’d done ‘Black Sabbath,’” Iommi shared (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “It was a little difficult for Bill [Ward] ’cause he hadn’t played them for so long. Geezer [Butler] and I had played them on the last tour, but Bill hadn’t toured in years.”
Iommi said the band initially rehearsed up to seven songs, but the final number was trimmed to six, and ultimately only four were performed due to time constraints and Ozzy Osbourne‘s stamina. “It was really a case of how long Ozzy could do it,” Iommi noted. “He had just done his own solo set before coming on with us, and I wasn’t sure if he’d make it through. But he did — and did great.”
Originally, there were plans for a dramatic curtain reveal to kick off the set, but high winds forced the crew to abandon the idea during soundcheck. “We had to figure out how we were gonna get on stage, which was a revolving stage,” Iommi explained. “It was mainly getting Ozzy on, because he’s in his throne. And then Geezer and I walked on. Bill was already on. So it was making it up as we went, really.”
The “Back to the Beginning” concert, curated by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE’s Tom Morello, was a massive success by all metrics. More than 40,000 fans packed into the stadium, with over 5 million more watching via global livestream. The night raised a staggering $190 million for Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice — making it one of the most successful charity events in heavy metal history.
Ozzy, performing for the first time in years due to ongoing health issues, opened the evening with a powerful five-song solo set backed by Zakk Wylde, Mike Inez, Adam Wakeman, and Tommy Clufetos. Despite sitting on a black throne for the entire set, the Prince of Darkness roared through classics like “Crazy Train” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home” before returning to the stage one final time with Iommi, Butler, and Ward.
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