Ozzy Osbourne could make surprise return to the stage after huge farewell gig
Ozzy Osbourne may have bowed out at his farewell show but it might not be the last time you see the Black Sabbath star perform. The band have trademarked their name in virtual reality, which means they could return on stage as holograms.
ABBA have already used avatars for their London show, Voyage, which has been running since 2022 and features younger versions of themselves. Black Sabbath filed documents 20 years ago and could do the same. These papers trademark use of 'production and presentation of animation and other special effects'. A number of other artists have taken similar action.
Ozzy, 76, who has Parkinson's, performed his final gig with Black Sabbath in Birmingham on Saturday. The singer had to sit on the stage at Villa Park, a stone's throw from his terraced childhood home, as he ran through five solo hits including Mr Crowley and Crazy Train.
Then he was joined by the original Sabbath line-up of guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. The group – credited with inventing heavy metal after forming in 1968 – played together for the first time in 20 years for the Back To The Beginning concert. They finished with War Pigs, N.I.B, Iron Man and Paranoid. An emotional Ozzy said: 'You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.'
This week, one of his pals said Ozzy was plotting a new album and in April wife Sharon, 72, when asked if she would consider an ABBA-style return for him, said: 'Sure I would, yeah. ' Technology keeps moving on and on. You can do incredible things now, so what you could do in five years will be even better. You never know what the opportunities are.'
The show features avatars of a young Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Falt- skog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson performing hits like Dancing Queen and Waterloo. It launched in 2022, but is still one of the capital's top attractions.
KISS have unveiled digital versions to replace them when they stop touring. The estates of late stars George Michael, Freddie Mercury and Tina Turner have also filed papers with digital plans.
Queen guitarist Brian May said his band has talked "very seriously" about holograms of Freddie - but he won't be an avatar while the rest of the group is having the days of their lives. He said: "While we're here I want to play live. I don't want to be a hologram. I want to be me."
Last year Oasis filed paperwork to secure trademarks that would cover "virtual music group" and "avatars". Noel Gallagher previously said he'd up for the band returning as holograms after being amazed by ABBA's avatars. He said: "It was great - an hour-and-a-half gig. The holograms looked that real I thought they were actors. The way they walk to the stage is so realistic." He told pal Matt Morgan's podcast: "If anybody wants to do an Oasis one, give us a shout. I would be bang up for it. Come up with a figure and I'll say yes or no."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Don't Look Back In Anger named UK's most played Oasis song of the 21st century
Following the band's highly anticipated reunion tour, which began last week in Cardiff, the licensing company compiled a list of the top 10 most played songs by the band from the past 25 years. PPL, which licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places, used airplay data from radio and TV stations across the UK to put the list together. It revealed that Wonderwall was the second most-played recording on UK radio and TV, followed by She's Electric at number three, Roll With It at number four and Little By Little taking fifth place. The Importance Of Being Idle, Whatever, Some Might Say and Live Forever followed. The top 10 list ends with Champagne Supernova, the closing track to their second studio album (What's The Story) Morning Glory?. Released in 1995, the album became the fifth bestselling album in the UK, according to the Official Charts Company, and contributed six tracks to the top 10 list. The data also found that Oasis have built up more than seven years of cumulative airplay on UK radio and TV stations since 2000, with their songs being played, on average, 120 times per day across the country. Peter Leathem, chief executive of PPL, said: 'Oasis are one of the most iconic, era-defining bands we have ever seen. 'They dominated the 1990s and 2000s, and for many, they personified those decades, but their timeless songs continue to resonate with audiences even long after their release.' This comes after the band performed together at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday for the first time in almost 16 years after their dramatic split in 2009, which was prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in France. Mr Leathem added: 'With their reunion tour underway, this chart provides the perfect opportunity to look back in admiration at the enduring impact of their music throughout this century, and to celebrate one of the greatest British bands of all time.' After tickets for the UK and Ireland shows went on sale last year, there was outrage as some standard tickets appeared to have jumped from £148 to £355. The controversy prompted the Government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge that they would look at the use of dynamic pricing. The band's world tour, Oasis Live '25, will see the band perform at Manchester's Heaton Park, London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park throughout July, August and September before heading to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Ozzy Osbourne 'could return to the stage but with a twist' - despite playing his last ever live show
could be set to return to the stage but with a twist, according to reports on Tuesday. The Black Sabbath frontman, 76, performed his final gig at Birmingham 's Villa Park this weekend as he reunited with his bandmates one last time. Ozzy has spoken openly about his health in recent years after undergoing seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023. The band - Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Ozzy - are said to have trademarked their name in virtual reality. It would allow for Black Sabbath to be beamed out in arenas in digital form - allowing them to perform gigs from thousands of miles away. According to The Mirror, the papers 'trademark use of production and presentation of animation and other special effects.' The move to trademark their virtual being follows the estates of George Michael and Freddie Mercury, who also filed documentation showing they plan to branch out into live events - inspired by ABBA Voyage. MailOnline has contacted Ozzy's representative for comment. Bands like Oasis have also taken similar plans, while rockers KISS have unveiled 'immortal' digital avatars that will carry on their performances when band members are no longer able to tour. The rash of projects involving holograms of pop stars has been fuelled by the success of London's ABBA Voyage show, which sold more than a million tickets in the first year, and is one of London's most visited attractions. ABBA Voyage, launched in 2022, has holographic avatars of Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson singing crowd favourites such as Dancing Queen and Waterloo. Ozzy closed out his final ever live performance with some emotional words at Birmingham's Villa Park Stadium on Saturday night. He reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates for their first performance in their original line-up since 2005 - and their final ever show as a band. The heavy metal singer had some poignant words for Villa Park as he brought the show to an emotional close in his hometown, Birmingham - where Black Sabbath formed some 56 years ago. Closing the band's final gig, Ozzy said: 'It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. The band's final performance was overwhelming for frontman Ozzy, who repeatedly thanked fans for their ongoing support over his five decades in the music industry. As the 42,000-strong crowd cheered him on, Ozzy admitted at one point: 'You have no idea how I feel.' Ozzy previously said he was unsure whether he was going to stand or sit down to perform due to his spinal operations, and he made an epic arrival on stage in a black quilted throne with a huge bat on top.
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Don't Look Back In Anger named UK's most played Oasis song of the 21st century
Following the band's highly anticipated reunion tour, which began last week in Cardiff, the licensing company compiled a list of the top 10 most played songs by the band from the past 25 years. PPL, which licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places, used airplay data from radio and TV stations across the UK to put the list together. It revealed that Wonderwall was the second most-played recording on UK radio and TV, followed by She's Electric at number three, Roll With It at number four and Little By Little taking fifth place. The Importance Of Being Idle, Whatever, Some Might Say and Live Forever followed. The top 10 list ends with Champagne Supernova, the closing track to their second studio album (What's The Story) Morning Glory?. Released in 1995, the album became the fifth bestselling album in the UK, according to the Official Charts Company, and contributed six tracks to the top 10 list. The data also found that Oasis have built up more than seven years of cumulative airplay on UK radio and TV stations since 2000, with their songs being played, on average, 120 times per day across the country. Peter Leathem, chief executive of PPL, said: 'Oasis are one of the most iconic, era-defining bands we have ever seen. 'They dominated the 1990s and 2000s, and for many, they personified those decades, but their timeless songs continue to resonate with audiences even long after their release.' This comes after the band performed together at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday for the first time in almost 16 years after their dramatic split in 2009, which was prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in France. Mr Leathem added: 'With their reunion tour underway, this chart provides the perfect opportunity to look back in admiration at the enduring impact of their music throughout this century, and to celebrate one of the greatest British bands of all time.' After tickets for the UK and Ireland shows went on sale last year, there was outrage as some standard tickets appeared to have jumped from £148 to £355. The controversy prompted the Government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge that they would look at the use of dynamic pricing. The band's world tour, Oasis Live '25, will see the band perform at Manchester's Heaton Park, London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park throughout July, August and September before heading to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America.
