Latest news with #NoMoreTours
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rob Halford Explains Why Judas Priest Are Missing Black Sabbath's Farewell Megaconcert
Judas Priest found out too late that Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath would be playing a star-studded farewell concert this summer to join in on the festivities, frontman Rob Halford recently told Metal Hammer. A talent agent in Germany recruited the band to perform at the 60th anniversary concert for another venerated metal band, the Scorpions, on July 5, and despite Sharon Osbourne offering to fly the band to and from Birmingham, England for Ozzy's final bow in time to honor their Scorpions commitment, Judas Priest declined. 'It all got announced and was a big deal — Scorpions and Priest — and suddenly I get this phone call [from Sharon Osbourne]: 'Robbie, I know you've got this gig with Scorpions, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys, he'd love to see you.'' More from Rolling Stone Ozzy Osbourne Shares Health Update Ahead of Final Concert: 'I'll Do the Best I Can' Judas Priest and Alice Cooper Plot Heavy Co-Headlining Tour Les Binks, Former Drummer for Judas Priest, Dead at 73 Halford mulled over Sharon's offer to ferry the band via private jet between the concerts, but the singer didn't want to leave anything to chance. 'Even with a private plane, there's a word called 'technical', where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems… I was absolutely gutted,' he said. He nevertheless said that he was excited for the concert, even Judas Priest would be there, since it reinforces Birmingham's status as the birthplace of heavy metal. Like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest formed in the city. (And incidentally, ex-Priest guitarist, K.K. Downing, will be performing at the event. In addition to Osbourne and Black Sabbath, the concert, dubbed Back to the Beginning, will feature sets by Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, and many others. It will take place at Birmingham's Villa Park. 'All my mates are going to be there though, great bands and artists,' Halford told Metal Hammer. 'It's a wonderful and epic moment for Sabbath and heavy metal.' Halford may be missing out on Black Sabbath's farewell, but he should take some comfort that he was actually one of the few headbangers to have been there at the actual beginning. In 2020, he told Rolling Stone what it was like to see Sabbath's early club gigs in Birmingham. 'I have vague memories of seeing them as Earth in an obscure club in Birmingham, and they were in a sort of heavy-blues, jazzy-prog mode musically,' he said. 'I can only recall the very first Sabbath songs like [Crow's] 'Evil Woman,' which was a cover. There was still some freeform noodling going on when they played live, but essentially the heaviness was dominating.' He was also present for the first time when the original Black Sabbath lineup said goodbye at the conclusion of Osbourne's No More Tours tour in 1992. At the time, Osbourne had been worried about his health and decided to take a final bow, before reversing course a couple of years later with the Retirement Sucks tour. Black Sabbath had reunited with Ronnie James Dio. When the idea of Black Sabbath opening for Osbourne's final shows came up, Dio quit, and Halford became their frontman for two shows. The rest of the band — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward — then joined Osbourne for encores later in the evening. Halford also fronted Sabbath for a short set in Camden, New Jersey, in 2004 when Osbourne fell ill.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What we know about Black Sabbath's final gig with Ozzy Osbourne
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne will reunite with his original bandmates this summer for his final live performance. The heavy metal star, 76, will rock Birmingham's Villa Park on 5 July, as part of an all-day event called 'Back to the Beginning'. He will deliver his own solo set before playing together with bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time in 20 years. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who will serve as the gig's musical director and one of the support acts, said it would be "the greatest heavy metal show ever". But what else can fans expect? Here's everything you need to know about the concert, including how to get tickets. Buy Black Sabbath tickets Tickets for Black Sabbath's farewell show will go on sale via Ticketmaster at 10am on Friday, 14 February. The gig will take place on 5 July at Villa Park in Birmingham, the city where the music pioneers formed in 1968. Villa Park is the home ground of Osbourne's favourite football team, Aston Villa. All profits will go to charities including Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, which is supported by Aston Villa. Black Sabbath played their "last" gig in 2017 in Birmingham with Osbourne, guitarist Iommi and bassist Butler, but without Ward on drums. In a statement, Osbourne said: "It's my time to go back to the beginning… time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham forever." The singer first planned to retire from live performing in 1992, when he embarked on a tour dubbed No More Tours. He later reversed his decision. But Osbourne is now bowing out for good following several health issues, including a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. The singer's injuries were aggravated by a fall at home in 2019, forcing him to cut short his second farewell tour, No More Tours 2. The tour had previously been rescheduled several times because of illness, the Covid pandemic and logistical issues. In 2020, Osbourne revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and he paused touring "for now" in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery. His most recent UK performance came during a surprise appearance at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in his hometown in 2022. Osbourne formed the metal group in 1968 while looking to escape a life of factory work. Their self-titled debut album in 1970 made the UK top 10 and paved the way for hit singles including Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man. They went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide, and have been credited with influencing generations of rock and metal acts. Their final LP, 13, was released in 2013, but Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk filled in for Ward. The group were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and Osbourne was added for a second time last year. The frontman rose to further fame alongside his wife Sharon, who he married in 1982, through their reality TV series The Osbournes. The couple have three children, Aimee, Jack and Kelly. Sharon told the BBC: "Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's been no full stop. This is his full stop." Many major bands will serve as Black Sabbath's support acts, including Metallica, Slayer and Alice in Chains. The event will also see performances by Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Anthrax and Mastodon. Other musicians on the line-up include Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan and Slash, Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst, Halestorm's Lzzy Hale and Rage Against the Machine star Tom Morello. They will be joined by the following stars: Anthrax's Frank Bello and Scott Ian Disturbed's David Draiman Korn's Jonathan Davis Faith No More's Mike Bordin Ghost's Papa V Perpetua Guitarist Jake E Lee Judas Priest's KK Downing Bassist Rudy Sarzo Guitarist Sammy Hagar Wolfgang Van Halen Zakk Wylde Sleep Token Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning gig will take place on 5 July
