Back To The Beginning (2025) | lacavernadecorvan

BACK TO THE BEGINNING

Villa Park, Birmingham, Inglaterra

July 5th 2025

Initially, I thought of writing this post as an editorial, but I think it's worth going into more detail than just a couple of paragraphs, not only because of what it became a couple of weeks later, but because of the event itself. So, I'll do it as a concert review. I wasn't there at the Aston Villa with the more than 40,000 lucky people who got tickets, but it ended up becoming the most viral and most-watched live concert in history. In a way, for all of us on this side of the pond, it was like being there, celebrating Rock, Metal, the myth, the legend of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, along with the multitude of bands and legends in their own right who were paying tribute. If there was any doubt about which band was the most influential, and who was the most relevant figure in the history of metal, that Saturday made it crystal clear.

The Back to the Beginning concert on July 5, 2025, was much more than a festival: it was the final farewell of Ozzy Osbourne and the original Black Sabbath lineup in their hometown of Birmingham, the city where, as a teenager, Ozzy used to wander around with an Elush Puppy shoe he'd found in a ditch and tied to a leash, like a dog. It was a return to the place where Tony Iommi severed the fingers of his right hand in an industrial accident at the age of 17, an event that would prove crucial to the sound he would later develop. It was a return to the place where those four lads began rehearsing under the name Earth... Many media outlets described it as the metal equivalent of Live Aid, given the number of stars involved and the historical significance of the moment. It's truly incredible how many metal and rock figures were eager to pay their respects, and I have no doubt that many others were left wanting, although there were also rumors of those who wanted to take advantage of the situation and charge a fortune for their "participation."

The reunion marked the first performance by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward together since Ozz Fest 2005, considering that Bill Ward was not on the 2012 tour. All proceeds were supposedly donated to charity, including support for Parkinson's research, which we all know afflicted the Prince of Darkness. Ozzy had somehow become a global icon. Was it seeing him eat burritos and fight with his dogs in The Osbournes? Was it seeing that a mythical figure was also a clueless human being whom his children didn't respect? Was it the influence of a sound that made thousands of artists pick up a guitar, bass, or drums and want to make dark sounds? We can question many things in the history of rock, but that day, every guest artist made it clear that they owed everything they were to Black Sabbath.

The gates of Aston Villa's stadium opened at 11:00 a.m. local time and the music started around 1:00 p.m., continuing until nearly 11:00 p.m.

Concert Chronicle

1:00 PM – Mastodon

Actor Jason Momoa appeared as master of ceremonies and introduced the first band. Mastodon opened the concert with their powerful sound, paying homage to Sabbath from the very first minute, in an already packed stadium. They launched enormous beach balls that the crowd tossed around as the Atlanta band performed their tribute. Troy Sanders was the first to thank Black Sabbath for inventing Heavy Metal: "Thank you to the mighty Black Sabbath for inventing this genre that we call home." For "Supernaut," they invited Danny Carey from Tool, Eloy Casagrande from Sepultura, and Mario Duplantier from Gojira for a brutal four-drum rendition of the classic. With this powerful entrance, they made it clear that the setlist would consist of one or two of their own songs and a Black Sabbath cover as a tribute.

Setlist

• Black Tongue

• Blood and Thunder

• Supernaut (Black Sabbath)

Rival Sons

Next up was Rival Sons, with a cleaner, bluesier sound. Jay Buchanan joked that he hoped it was okay to play Rock & Roll considering it was a Metal show. Although they were perhaps the band that stood out the most in the double bass drum and full-throttle distortion atmosphere, it's worth remembering that they were the opening act for Sabbath's 2017 tour, so there was already a strong connection between the two groups.

Setlist

• Do Your Worst

• Electric Funeral (Black Sabbath)

• Secret

Anthrax gave a short but very intense performance, lasting just 15 minutes. As a side note, Scott Ian and company wore matching "Sabbath Bloody Anthrax" t-shirts. Before launching into their version of “Into the Void,” Scott told the audience, “We’re not here to say goodbye, we’re here to say thank you,” in another touching moment.

Setlist

• Indians

• Into the Void (Black Sabbath)

Halestorm continued the afternoon. Lzzy Hale asked, “Where are the women of Heavy Metal?” before starting, to which the women in the crowd raised their hands. This time, the tribute wasn’t to a Sabbath song, but to an Ozzy Osbourne solo track, “Perry Mason,” from Ozzmosis ’95.

Setlist

• Love Bites (So Do I)

• Rain Your Blood on Me

• Perry Mason (Ozzy Osbourne)

Lamb of God followed, a band I must be honest, I wasn’t familiar with, but they delivered a phenomenal version of “Children of the Grave,” complete with double bass drums that gave it a brutal power. Randy Blythe would say before starting the cover: “We all came here to celebrate one band, Black Sabbath,” before getting the entire stadium to chant the name of the band being honored.

Setlist

• Laid to Rest

• Redneck

• Children of the Grave (Black Sabbath)

Following this came the first Supergroup ("All-Star Jam"), led by Tom Morello, who organized several special lineups throughout the day. Musicians from Tool, Anthrax, Van Halen, Faith No More, Disturbed, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest, Smashing Pumpkins, and Red Hot Chili Peppers participated, demonstrating two things: first, that perhaps even two or three days wouldn't have been enough for the number of bands eager to contribute to the tribute, so these jams had to be organized to accommodate more people; and second, that Sabbath's musical influence and the affection for Ozzy and the rest of the band goes far beyond heavy metal. Among the musicians were Jake E. Lee (Ozzy's guitarist), Scott Ian, and Nuno Bettencourt on guitars; David Ellefson and Frank Bello on bass; Mike Bordin and Sleep Token II on drums; and Adam Wakeman on keyboards. The singers were Lzzy Hale, David Draiman, Whitfield Crane, and Yungblud.

The songs performed were:

"The Ultimate Sin" (Ozzy Osbourne cover, led by Lzzy Hale)

"Shot in the Dark" (Ozzy Osbourne cover, led by David Draiman, who received some boos for his Zionist stance)

"Sweet Leaf" (Black Sabbath cover, led by David Draiman)

"Believer" (Ozzy Osbourne cover, led by Whitfield Crane)

"Changes" (Black Sabbath cover, led by Yungblud, who delivered one of the most moving moments with his rendition of the ballad)

Following this first set of Supergroups or Jams, a pre-recorded performance of Jack Black singing "Mr. Crowley" was shown on the screens, creating another emotional moment of the afternoon. He made a brilliant reference to School of Rock by having kids in his band, including Roman Morello (Tom's son) and Ravel Ian (Scott's son). That detail earned him a standing ovation from the stadium.

Alice in Chains returned to the band format, playing their own songs and a cover, but started with some microphone problems. Jerry Cantrell recalled how Sabbath directly influenced the Seattle sound, and this performance marked Sean Kinney's return on drums after some health issues he experienced in May.

Setlist

• Man in the Box

• Would?

• Fairies Wear Boots (Black Sabbath)

By the time Gojira took the stage, the audio problems had been resolved. The French band gave a spectacular performance, especially with "Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)", the song with which they had stolen the show at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. For this occasion, Marina Viotti once again joined them on vocals. One of the most celebrated moments by fans and critics.

Setlist

Stranded
Silvera
Mea Culpa
Under The Sun (Black Sabbath)

Then came the Second Supergroup. Tom Morello led the way with his experimental guitar, and he was joined by Nuno Bettencourt, bassist Rudy Sarzo, and three tremendous drummers: Danny Carey of Tool, Travis Barker of Blink-182, and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, each with their moment to shine. I don't like Blink-182 at all, but that wouldn't stop me from recognizing Travis as one of the best drummers on the planet, and in fact, he won the drum battle against Danny and Chad during the performance of:

• Symptom of the Universe

After this drum battle, came the Third Supergroup, with a rotating lineup once again: Billy Corgan, Adam Jones of Tool, K.K. Downing of Judas Priest, Sammy Hagar, Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Papa V Perpetua of Ghost, Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and Andrew Watt.

Setlist:

Among the songs:

"Breaking the Law" (Judas Priest cover, fronted by Billy Corgan)

"Snowblind" (Black Sabbath cover, fronted by Billy Corgan)

"Flying High Again" (Ozzy cover, fronted by Sammy Hagar)

"Rock Candy" (Montrose cover, fronted by Sammy Hagar)

"Bark at the Moon" (Ozzy cover, fronted by Papa V Perpetua)

"The Train Kept A-Rollin'" (Tiny Bradshaw cover, fronted by Steven Tyler)

"Walk This Way/Whole Lotta Love" (Aerosmith/Led Zeppelin cover, fronted by Steven Tyler)

Jason Momoa introduced Pantera, but in an unexpected moment, he said he was going to make a very short introduction because he had to join the mosh pit, after which he jumped off the stage onto the barricade and started the riot with the opening riff of "Cowboys From Hell". Phil Anselmo publicly thanked Sabbath for inspiring a whole generation of metalheads.

Setlist

Cowboys From Hell
Walk
Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath)
Electric Funeral (Black Sabbath)

After being scattered across various supergroups, Tool finally reunited as a band on stage for one of the most anticipated performances from the prog metal geniuses. Danny Carey received one of the biggest ovations of the day.

Setlist

Forty Six & 2
Ænema
Hand of Doom (Black Sabbath)

The concert had already been going on for over five and a half hours when Slayer took the stage, one of the longest sets. Despite the crowd's fatigue, multiple mosh pits erupted at Aston Villa within the first few seconds. Tom Araya delivered a heartfelt thank you to Black Sabbath for laying the foundations of an entire genre. Although they had played a few times in 2024 since their 2019 breakup, their performance was one of the most anticipated, and they did not disappoint.

Setlist

Disciple
War Ensemble
Wicked World (Black Sabbath)
South of Heaven
Raining Blood
Angel of Death

After Slayer's devastating performance, Fred Durst of Limp Biskit (another band I just can't stand) dedicated a few words via video and a minimalist version of "Changes", with just guitar and cello, demonstrating that when he's not barking like a rabid dog, he can actually sing well.

After this moment of calm, the intensity of Guns N' Roses arrived. Axl took a moment to thank Ozzy and Sharon for inviting them, momentarily losing his train of thought. In any case, they didn't disappoint, delivering another relatively long set of six songs, four of them covers, surprising everyone with their less common Sabbath material.

Setlist

• It's Alright (Black Sabbath)

• Never Say Die (Black Sabbath)

• Junior's Eyes (Black Sabbath)

• Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath)

• Welcome to the Jungle

• Paradise City

Metallica kicked off the pre-headline, being the last band to perform in the tribute. After playing “Hole In The Sky,” James shouted, “Look at all of this love for heavy metal!”, after which he thanked Black Sabbath for making Metallica possible.

Setlist

Hole in the Sky (Black Sabbath)
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Johnny Blade (Black Sabbath)
Battery
Master of Puppets

Sometime that afternoon, possibly during Guns N' Roses or Metallica's performances, something very symbolic happened backstage. Slipknot's Sid Wilson met Kelly Osbourne at Ozzfest in 1999. Over time, they began seeing each other frequently, became a couple, and in 2022 welcomed their son, Sidney. Well, the Slipknot DJ decided to stand backstage in front of the entire Osbourne clan and announce that he had something to say: "Kelly, you know I love you more than anything in the world." Ozzy, being Ozzy, said, "Fuck off, you're not marrying my daughter," to which a flustered Sid handed Kelly the ring and proposed, amidst applause from Sharon, Jack, Ozzy, and the camera that captured the moment, which went viral. The moment becomes even more poignant, as Ozzy managed to give his approval to Sid's unique style before he passed away.

The historic moment: Ozzy Osbourne

After a long eight hours, past 9 p.m., Ozzy, the Prince of Darkness, appeared on a massive black throne that rose from the floor on a platform, creating an incredible effect. The stadium erupted, and I think we all felt a lump in our throats. I mean, we all knew about his fragile health, that he was struggling during rehearsals with Black Sabbath and couldn't stand. And I think we all thought the same thing when he struggled to his feet and thanked the crowd: This guy organized his own funeral. He's a damn genius. And we weren't wrong; what we didn't know was that his passing was only two weeks away. Visibly affected by his health problems, but emotional and grateful, he delivered a five-song set. Many attendees considered it the most moving moment of the entire event, and only God knows the effort it took for him to perform five of his best solo songs, accompanied by Zakk Wylde, Mike Inez, Adam Wakeman, and Tommy Clufetos.

Ozzy’s Setlist

I Don't Know
Mr. Crowley
Suicide Solution
Mama, I'm Coming Home
Crazy Train

I think I wasn't the only one; "Mama, I'm Coming Home" broke me. It hit me then that this wasn't "just" a concert; it was a funeral that Ozzy had arranged while he was still alive, to celebrate with his friends, his family, and his fans. A long ovation followed as Ozzy tried in vain to stand, clearly frustrated. I would have loved to hear "No More Tears," my favorite song from his solo career, especially since Mike Inez was there.

The definitive end: Black Sabbath

After a video reviewing the band's entire history, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward (who managed to smooth things over), and Geezer Butler (in enviable form) appeared for the last time. And the magic happened. If Ozzy seemed fragile during his solo set, he somehow found strength for his swan song.

The reunion closed the night with just four songs, but they were the four that practically invented heavy metal.

Black Sabbath’s final Setlist

War Pigs
N.I.B.
Iron Man
Paranoid

Ward at one point took off his shirt, unashamed to show the passage of time. When “Paranoid” ended, Villa Park erupted in fireworks as the four musicians waved together for the last time, embracing Ozzy. Black Sabbath reminded the world that Rock and Metal don't die, they transform, branch out, and expand, and even today, 56 years after releasing those songs, they sounded just as powerful and glorious.

For rock and metal fans, Back to the Beginning remains one of the most important concerts in history: a monumental farewell to the band that created an entire genre, and which, incidentally, showed that the Rock and Metal family can still unite in a massive event.

The concert had over 40,000 attendees at Villa Park. Millions more followed the online broadcast. Around £140 million was raised for charity. It was the last performance by the original Black Sabbath lineup.

And it was Ozzy Osbourne's last public performance before his death on July 22, 2025. He died peacefully, surrounded by his family, at his home in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, England. Ozzy did what he wanted, and he left as he wanted. He had nothing left to prove to anyone. And yet, he organized this concert, which will become legendary in time, if it isn't already. The world of rock and metal thanked him that day, but I firmly believe that Ozzy organized everything to thank himself: his bandmates, Sharon, his family, his friends, the metal court he helped create and which surrounded him that day, his fans… and death, which granted him permission to indulge in that final pleasure.

By Corvan

Jul/22/2026

The Cavern

Rock & Words