Ozzy Osbourne has confirmed that Black Sabbath’s look at his upcoming Again To The Starting farewell present will probably be their final.
This isn’t the primary time Sabbath have introduced a farewell gig. The band performed what was billed as their closing present on February 4, 2017 on the Birmingham NEC on the fruits of The Finish tour. Earlier than that, there have been ‘farewell’ exhibits in 1999, and 2005.
However talking completely within the model new problem of Traditional Rock, Ozzy says that the all-star Again To The Starting present, which takes place at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2005, will definitively convey the curtain down on his personal profession as a performer, in addition to that of Sabbath.
“It’s essential,” says Ozzy of the Again To The Starting present. “The unique Sabbath won’t ever be on stage collectively once more. From the late 60s, we’re in all probability one of many solely bands the place the unique members are nonetheless alive and talking with each other.”
The Again To The Starting present is headlined by Ozzy, who will play a brief set earlier than becoming a member of Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Invoice Ward for a brief set of their very own. It will likely be the primary time the band’s authentic line-up has performed collectively in virtually 20 years, with Ward stepping again from a 2012 reunion following a contract dispute.
The shock information of the Again To The Starting gig earlier in 2025 got here two years after Ozzy introduced that he was retiring performing stay following a number of years of well being points and bodily accidents. The invoice for the present additionally options Metallica, Weapons N’ Roses, Instrument, Slayer, Alice In Chains and several other extra big-name bands.
Talking within the new problem of Traditional Rock, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi admits he was reluctant to play one other Sabbath present seven years after The Finish tour.
“I’d already closed the door on it,” he says. “I believed that [The End tour] was it.”
Iommi he was satisfied to do it by the truth that income could be going to a few charities, Remedy Parkinson’s, Birmingham Kids’s Hospital and Acorn Kids’s Hospice, plus the presence of Invoice Ward, whose place was taken by drummer Tommy Clufetos on Sabbath’s final two excursions.
“There’d be no level [doing it without Ward],” says Iommi. “As a result of it’s the unique line-up, that makes it extra correct. So no, I wouldn’t have executed it with out the unique line-up.”
Talking to Traditional Rock, Ward himself says he’s overjoyed to be reuniting along with his previous bandmates. “My job is to play my ass off,” he says. “That’s what I do. No slight on different folks, however I’m the drummer with Black Sabbath. At all times have been, at all times will probably be.”
Learn the total interview within the model new problem of Traditional Rock, onsale on Might 23.
