Over the past weekend, while the United States celebrated its independence with barbecues and trips to the beach, England was hosting its own party built around one of its greatest exports: Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath The iconic hard rock pioneer brought together some of the genre’s most beloved musicians for the Back to the Beginning festival, a celebration of Black Sabbath limitless reach of their influence. The celebration doubled as a farewell to Ozzy as his performances marked the last of his career. Back to the Beginning marks the end of Ozzy’s decades-long tenure as a dominant force in rock music, and along with Black Sabbath and a cast of rock’s most iconic performers, the end of Ozzy’s career ended the same way it earned its longevity: through pure artistic and personal expression along with being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
The festival brought together the likes of Tool, Slayer, Tom Morello, and Metallica, to name a few, each of which paid tribute to Ozzy’s legendary status for one of the most memorable and star-studded nights the rock world has seen in years. Back to the Beginning took place on July 5 at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham. If you’re one of the millions of Ozzy’s fans who didn’t have the opportunity to see it all happen in person, Glide and the power of the internet have got you covered. Below is a compilation of some of the night’s most legendary performances. You can check out our full Back to the Beginning video recap below.
Anthrax was one of the first bands to appear on the Back to the Beginning stage, and they set the tone perfectly. During their set, the band performed Sabbath’s “Into The Void” with a thunderous passion, reminding the packed stadium exactly who brought them all together.
Halestorm reached into Ozzy’s solo catalog for a fiery performance of “Perry Mason,” the opener from Ozzy’s 1995 album, Ozzmosis. The hit from the icon’s solo catalog echoed from Halestorm’s prowess as they captured the essence of the cinematic hit and used it to fill Villa Park with searing guitars and passionate vocals.
Rival Sons have always championed Ozzy and Sabbath, so it was only fitting that the band performed a song from one of Sabbath’s most groundbreaking releases. The band delivered a hauntingly beautiful performance of “Electric Funeral” that captures the eerie yet stunning essence of the original.
One of the most aggressive covers of the night comes from Lamb of God as their gurgling vocals and head-spinning hard rock add an extra layer of twisted sonics to “Children of the Grave.”
Yungblud had big shoes to fill being one of the younger members of the lineup, but to say the performance didn’t disappoint would be an understatement. The artist’s moving rendition of the Sabbath classic, “Changes,” is a powerful example of just how far Ozzy and Sabbath’s influence reaches. This cover went down during one of the supergroup performances, as Yungblud was joined on stage by Lzzy Hale, Jake E. Lee, Adam Wakeman, and more.
Some of the night’s performances were pre-recorded videos, and one of the most memorable of those was Jack Black’s rendition of “Mr. Crowley.” The video miraculously captures the energy of a live performance with Black and the band tearing through the 1980 hit.
Fellow genre-pushing rockers Alice in Chains pulled out a Sabbath’s powerful “Fairies Wear Boots” for the celebration of the band’s legacy, as they put on a moving performance as an ode to Ozzy and Sabbath complete with the powerful drum fills.
For their Sabbath or Ozzy cover, Gojira performed the closing tune from Sabbath’s Vol. 4. The band’s performance of “Under The Sun” is as twisted and immersive as the original.
Another supergroup assembled in honor of Ozzy consisted of Billy Corgan, K.K. Downing, Rudy Sarzo, Tom Morello, and Chad Smith, among others. This performance of “Snowblind” highlights the prowess that was on display as these rock titans combine forces for the love of Sabbath.
Metal icons Pantera put together a poetic performance of Sabbath’s slow-burning tune “Planet Caravan,” a song the covered on their 1994 album Far Beyond Driven, adding an emotional performance to a night of headbanging.
Tool is another band that employed a tune off Sabbath’s Paranoid LP for their cover. The band’s version of “Hand Of Doom” is chugging and infectious, while showcasing the timeless songwriting of Ozzy and his band.
Slayer did something interesting when it came time for their turn to put a spin on Sabbath’s catalog. The band performed “Wicked World” and blended with their own “South of Heaven,” highlighting Ozzy’s influence on yet another legendary rock band.
Fellow rock and roll legends Guns N’ Roses performed the title track from Sabbath’s 1973 LP, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. The performance is a beautiful marriage of two rock worlds colliding, resulting in an incredibly heartfelt performance.
Yet another undeniable force of hard rock tackled a 1975 hit from Sabbath as Metallica put on a blunt yet nuanced performance of “Hole In The Sky” to honor their rock peers.
Ozzy’s iconic yell that starts “Crazy Train” is still mighty and palpable all these years later, and it is proven with this performance of the hit.
After seeing Jack Black cover this classic Ozzy tune, the man himself added it to his setlist, allowing fans to hear two versions of the illustrious tune.
Black Sabbath brought one of their most iconic songs for one last explosive performance. On his black, demonic throne, Ozzy’s vocals carry throughout the massive arena as Sabbath rips through a classic.
Yet another classic within the legendary Sabbath catalog got brought out as the band put on an electrifying performance of “Paranoid.” The searing guitars are just as palpable as when the song was released back in 1970.
