07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
After decades of tension, Axl Rose and James Hetfield meet again at Black Sabbath's final show
Metallica's James Hetfield and Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose shared a quiet reunion backstage at Black Sabbath's farewell concert over the weekend — a rare moment for two metal giants whose infamous 1992 tour ended in conflict and chaos.
'Back to the Beginning' at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on Saturday, July 5, marked the final performance of Black Sabbath and its frontman, Ozzy Osbourne. The sold-out show, hosted by 'Aquaman' star Jason Momoa, drew more than 40,000 fans and a jaw-dropping lineup of rock royalty, including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Steven Tyler, Ronnie Wood, Billy Corgan, Sammy Hagar, Fred Durst and others.
— Axl Rose (@axlrose) July 6, 2025
The two hadn't been known to share much common ground since their tumultuous co-headlining tour in 1992, which famously derailed in Montreal when Hetfield was injured by pyrotechnics and Rose cut Guns N' Roses' set short, triggering a riot.
Reflecting on the debacle in a 2013 interview with Howard Stern, Hetfield didn't mince words.
'Guns N' Roses stood for everything we didn't like,' he said.
But on Saturday, old grievances seemed to melt away.
Metallica delivered a blistering six-song set, including Black Sabbath covers like 'Hole in the Sky' and 'Johnny Blade.'
Guns N' Roses followed with a punchy 25-minute tribute, performing four Black Sabbath tracks as a five-piece — the band's first time playing without keyboardist Dizzy Reed and multi-instrumentalist Melissa Reese in 35 years.
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Then came the night's emotional climax: Osbourne, 76, took the stage solo for five songs.
'Are you ready?' Osbourne shouted. 'Let the madness begin!'
Seated in a black leather throne, the 'Crazy Train' singer, who has been living with Parkinson's disease, rallied the audience with trademark charm.
He was later joined by original Black Sabbath bandmates — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward — for a final four-song farewell. It was the first time in 20 years the original lineup had performed together.
As the last notes rang out, a cake was brought on stage and fireworks erupted above Villa Park, signaling the end of a historic night.
'This is the last song ever,' Osbourne told the crowd. 'Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle — thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I love you.'
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'Wow!! What an EVENT!! Extremely overwhelming!! … MET OZZY!! (Crazy we'd never met b4!!),' he said after the concert. 'Was hard as I imagine for anyone to watch his struggles while at the same time everyone was rooting for him n' massively respecting the challenges he took head on n' HE DID IT!!!!'
Osbourne responded in kind.
'My first time meeting Axl Rose,' he wrote on Instagram, 'at my age you don't get to meet many legends, seriously an utter gentleman.'
