“Let the madness start!” Calls a Schelmischer Ozzy Osbourne from his throne decorated with bats and skulls in front of a sold -out Villa Park. The prince of darkness has finally entered the stage After a parade of legendary metal bands previously paid tribute to his life and work.
The summer of the Sabbath in Birmingham
The “Summer of Sabbath” has been in full swing in Birmingham for weeks. The proud hometown of the Heavy Metal has rolled out the purple carpet for the return of its most famous sons. Pubs are adorned with purple balloons and flags. Wall paintings emerge everywhere. People wear ozzy costumes while tattered T-shirts and jeans jackets flood the streets. It feels like a World Cup final for metal fans who have traveled from all corners of the world.
The festive mood begins directly when leaving the New Street station, where fans gather around the nearby Black Sabbath Bridge-Mural, signed the Ozzy and the band at the beginning of the week. We meet a fan from London who says he is on a Sabbath pilgrimage before the gates open later a day. “I go to all places in the city, like The Crown, where you played your very first concert, the various exhibitions and Ozzy the Bull!”
A return to the origin
Of course, that’s all before you even arrive in Villa Park – the historic football stadium in the workers’ district, which was once the home of the four band members.
On arrival we greet distorted guitar riffs and a huge inflatable ozzy who watches over his people. Arrived in the stadium, the fan Cody Holl from Pennsylvania, USA, is completely out of the house: “It is Sabbath’s last Sabbath, I have never seen her before and after the tour in 2017 I swore to myself that I didn’t care what happened next time – I just had to go here.”
A metal nobility full of awe
The metal sizes that take the day over the stage are noticeably awesome-no wonder, after all, Black Sabbath shaped them all. From the openers mastodon to the Thrash veterans Anthrax and Lamb of God, which provide the first goosebump moment with a cover of “Children of the Grave”-a huge circle of pit forms in the middle of the lawn.
The day is peppered with such highlights. For the lucky ones who were able to get a ticket for the sold -out spectacle, the biggest challenge is to process all the impressions.
Yungblud stirs to tears
Despite the top-class line-up, there is space for surprises: Yungblud joins the first supergroup set of the day for a cover of “Changes”. He enters the stage with spit and anger and dedicates the most soulful song of the band to the late Diogo Jota. “We would like to dedicate this song Diogo Jotmen. God Bless Black Sabbath and God Bless Ozzy Osbourne,” he explains before a moving performance that makes the stadium pause.
Drum battle and guitar fire
There is also room for absurd between the noticeable emotionality: Travis Barker (Blink-182), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Danny Carey (tool) are a drum-off, led by Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine). Then Billy Corgan and Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing enter the stage and tear “Breaking the Law”.
The spectacle continues with other legends such as Alice in Chains, Gojira, Pantera and Tool, who enjoy their respective 30-minute slots with full force. When the sun goes down, Slayer entered the stage and unleash the greatest mosh pit of the day to date, while classics such as “Reign in Blood” and “Angel of Death” Shredden.
Metallica and an emotional Hetfield
Guns n ‘Roses ring in the last section – towards Metallica, Ozzy and Sabbath. After they had the same stage a week earlier, the rock giants show themselves in top form and covers “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” before they get in the mood for the iconic reef of “Welcome to the Jungle”.
One of the most moving tributes at Sabbath comes from Metallicas James Hetfield, who looks over the crowd: “Without Sabbath there would be no metallica. Thank you, boys that you have given us meaning in life,” he says, before playing through a number of the largest metallica hymns.
Ozzy at the destination of his trip
After a twitching review of his heydays, Ozzy takes the stage and immediately starts: “It is so cool to be back on this damn stage again, you have no idea,” he says, asks: “Did you have a good day today?” Before the threatening organ intro sounds “Mr Crowley”.
In the ballad “Mama I’m Coming Home”, Osbourne trembles with emotion – the moment is hardly too overly overwhelming because it is back in the place where everything began over fifty years ago.
The last Sabbath
After a wild version of “Crazy Train”, he leaves the stage just to return with Black Sabbath for a compressed set that appear in the rain to the bell strikes of “War Pigs”. It is pure theatrics when Osbourne is holding on the microphone stand with “Ozzy” tattoo on the ankles and sings the first line that is still just as relevant today: “General Gathered in Their Mass …”
Even if he is tied to his chair, Ozzy winds and turns like a man who conjures up the last spark of his rebellious spirit, while he sets the final with “Iron Man” and “Paranoid”. “Turn it through, it’s the last song!” He calls before the last track – and the masses are enthusiastic about.
For all the wrong farewells and comebacks of his career, this moment has something final that gives the evening an overwhelming tragedy.
The great tragedy is that many legends never experience this moment because they die beforehand – but through a miracle or divine intervention, Ozzy can experience this last curtain with his own people.