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Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning was monumental – but I left disappointed
As I entered Birmingham's Villa Park stadium just before 12pm on Saturday to see Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning concert – Black Sabbath's last, and one of the biggest heavy metal shows of all time – an excited steward informed us that we were in for some huge surprises. But when I asked (only half joking) if there would be any more women joining the line-up, he kept quiet – I assumed because he didn't want to ruin the surprise. Unfortunately, I later figured out that the answer to my question would have been a resounding no. Back to the Beginning was nothing short of monumental for metalheads like me. It was a 'who's who' of the rock and metal scene, with countless artists joining forces to pay tribute to the founding fathers of the genre as we know it. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler – the bandmates who make up Black Sabbath – laid the foundations for hundreds of artists to follow in their footsteps when they started in Birmingham over half a century ago, and they certainly went out with a bang. From relatively new artists like Yungblud and Rival Sons, to veterans of the scene including Guns N' Roses and Metallica, the line up was completely packed with 10 hours' worth of live music from over 14 different bands and special guests. And yet, among all of that, only two women took to the stage all day. Don't get me wrong, I am so incredibly lucky to have witnessed the music event of a lifetime and ticked some huge names off my musical bucket list. It is a night I will remember forever and I'll always be grateful to have attended. But I couldn't help but want more. While my mum was most excited for metal legends Metallica, it was Halestorm that I was most looking forward to. Lzzy Hale's powerhouse vocals are enough to knock anyone's socks off, and I'd argue she is one of the greatest vocalists of this generation. Pair that with her screams and ability to shred both guitar and piano – all while embracing her femininity in sky-high stilettos – and I have never not been in awe watching her perform. It took me until an embarrassingly long time after we'd secured our tickets to realise that Halestorm were the only female-fronted band on the entire line-up. On the day, French band Gojira were joined on stage by Marina Viotti to perform Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!), who again wowed the crowd with her impressive vocals. But while both artists blew me away, they barely scratched the surface of what the industry has to offer. The event was about celebrating Black Sabbath and their impact on the music industry. However, their impact has been far further reaching than this line-up gave them credit for. The heavy metal genre has only expanded over the years, embracing changes with sub-genres like nu-metal and symphonic metal. In the early days, the genre was dominated by men – and Saturday's line-up would have you believe that it still is. But there is so much more to it than that. Women have fought tirelessly to have their voices heard and make a name for themselves as rock and metal artists, and yet they face huge obstacles in being taken seriously by predominantly male audiences. Take Evanescence as an example. Led by powerhouse vocalist and pianist-extraordinaire Amy Lee, their performance at Download Festival in 2007 saw them placed on the bill just below headliners Iron Maiden, thanks to their meteoric rise to fame four years earlier with their iconic hit Bring Me to Life. With an audience full of Iron Maiden supporters, Amy Lee made an impassioned speech about her right to be there, while highlighting that they were the only female-fronted act on the line-up all day. Thankfully, things have improved significantly since then, with their 2023 performance on the second stage at Download drawing in crowds so large some people were unable to see the stage. Amy Lee has previously credited Ozzy and Black Sabbath with 'making darkness cool'. With Amy, in turn, having been credited with opening the door for other female-fronted metal bands to hit the mainstream, an appearance from her in one of Tom Morello's supergroups would have made complete sense. And she isn't the only one. The Pretty Reckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen can more than hold her own in front of a crowd of classic metalheads, having supported AC/DC on their most recent European tour, all while recovering from being bitten by a bat during one of the early shows. Within Temptation's Sharon Den Adel drew in an enormous crowd at this year's Download Festival – as did Spiritbox's Courtney LaPlante. From rock legends Heart to up-and-coming artists like Hawxx, BEX, Mothica and Cassyette, there is so much female talent to be heard in the genre. In this Moment's Maria Brink, Jinjer's Tatiana Shmayluk, Linkin Park's Emily Armstrong, Halocene's Addie Amick, and the Nova Twins are just a few of the names making waves in the metal scene. Any one of the artists listed above could have held their own among the other heavy hitters of the Back to the Beginning line-up. It feels like a disservice to the extent of Black Sabbath's legacy to leave out such a significant demographic of performers. While the likes of Metallica, Slayer and Tool have all rightfully earned their place on that stage, and brought the house down with it, it seems impossible to fully pay tribute to the founders of metal without embracing the future. More Trending Black Sabbath created heavy metal. Now, having played their final show, it is time to pass the baton to the next generation of performers, and the truth is, a huge proportion of them are women. Hugely talented women, at that. Yes, we've come a long way, but Back to the Beginning is proof that we're nowhere near the end. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: For SEND parents, scrapping EHCPs would be like cutting our oxygen MORE: I had a miscarriage – no one should be forced to work through it MORE: Black Sabbath final show sparks backlash after 'scumbag' musician's appearance
Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Black Sabbath at Villa Park review — moving reunion as Ozzy rocks out
Never mind those over-hyped Oasis gigs, there was only one truly historic rock comeback show over the weekend as Birmingham's Villa Park football stadium hosted Back to the Beginning, an all-star heavy rock gathering that reunited the full original line-up of the local heroes Black Sabbath for the first time in 20 years, and the last time ever. This sold-out, all-day charity benefit event was essentially the retirement party for the band's 76-year-old singer and international treasure Ozzy Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, and now has limited mobility. It is no exaggeration to call Black Sabbath the Beatles of heavy metal, their hugely influential legacy reflected in the multigenerational cast list of superstar head-bangers who came to pay tribute at Villa Park, all working for free. Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Anthrax, Slayer, Alice in Chains and many others performed short sets of about 20 to 30 minutes, each including at least one Sabbath or Ozzy song. • The best concerts in London and the UK to book in 2025 Not every set was a killer, but credit is due to Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, the only woman on the bill, for rocking harder than most of her male peers. Metallica were also reliably propulsive, exhilarating and adrenalised. 'Thank you Black Sabbath,' growled James Hetfield, 'for giving us a purpose in life'. Between the main bands, a fluid supergroup featuring members of Judas Priest, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more also played, joined by surprise guests including the Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and the rising pop-rock star Yungblud, who brought high-energy swagger to his reworking of Sabbath's 1972 power ballad Changes. The Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello served as musical director for the whole event, and gave a few shredding performances himself, pairing up with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler for riotously funky versions of Walk This Way and Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. The Villa Park video screens also aired fond video tributes to Ozzy and Sabbath from famous well-wishers, including Sir Elton John, Dolly Parton and Jack Black. Black Sabbath have survived multiple splits, temporary reunions and premature retirements over their six-decade career. They last played in Birmingham with two huge 'farewell' shows in 2017, but Back to the Beginning inevitably had a more concrete air of finality, given Ozzy's health issues. Even so, the singer seemed in pretty fine voice when he finally appeared on stage to huge cheers, performing two short sets from a black leather armchair adorned with skulls and bat wings. Even a fallen emperor needs a throne. Ozzy opened with five songs from his post-Sabbath solo career, including a gothically camp Mr Crowley and the rollicking audience sing-along Crazy Train. After a short break, he reappeared with his Sabbath co-founders: the guitarist Tony Iommi, the bass player Terence 'Geezer' Butler and the drummer Bill Ward. There was a palpable sense of hatchets being buried and rifts healed at Villa Park, with Ward back in the fold after his acrimonious exclusion from previous tours. Sabbath's four-song set was all too brief, but still a pleasing reminder that seminal classics such as Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man retain their potent fusion of jazz, blues, funk, proto-punk aggression and doomy occult imagery.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Here's every single special guest and song played from Black Sabbath's Back To The Beginning show
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. When Back To The Beginning's musical director Tom Morello said the show would be the most historic day in heavy metal history, it wasn't mere hyperbole. Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne's final performances were send-offs for the ages, the climax of an event so seismic the dust may never settle, with a supporting cast to match. Indeed, it may never be matched. At a packed Villa Park in Birmingham, a stadium built in the streets where Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward grew up, rock and metal's A-list flew in and honoured the four men who invented it all. Every band covered Sabbath, two hastily assembled supergroups did the same, and it all finished with sets from Ozzy and Sabbath themselves, back home, back where it all began. For the last time. Below is a list of every single song played during Back To The Beginning. Mastodon1. Black Tongue2. Blood and Thunder3. Supernaut (with Mario Duplantier, Danny Carey and Eloy Casagrande) Rival Sons4. Do Your Worst5. Electric Funeral6. Secret Anthrax7. Indians8. Into the Void Halestorm9. Love Bites (So Do I)10. Rain Your Blood on Me11. Perry Mason Lamb of God 12. Laid to Rest13. Redneck14. Children of the Grave Supergroup A15. The Ultimate Sin (with Lzzy Hale, Nuno Bettencourt, Jake E Lee, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman)16. Shot in the Dark (with David Draiman, Jake E Lee, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman)17. Sweet Leaf (with David Draiman, Nuno Bettencourt, Scott Ian, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman)18. Believer (with Whitfield Crane, Nuno Bettencourt, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, II [Sleep Token] and Adam Wakeman)19. Changes (with Yungblud, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, II and Adam Wakeman)20. Mr. Crowley (with Jack Black, plus Revel Ian, Roman Morello and other young musicians on screen) Alice In Chains21. Man in the Box22. Would?23. Fairies Wear Boots Gojira24. Stranded25. Silvera26. Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) (with Marina Viotti)27. Under the Sun Drum Off 28. Symptom Of The Universe (with Chad Smith, Travis Barker and Danny Carey, plus Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt and Rudy Sarzo) Supergroup B29. Breaking the Law (with Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Rudy Sarzo and Danny Carey)30. Snowblind (with Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Rudy Sarzo and Danny Carey)31. Flying High Again (with Sammy Hagar, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, Chad Smith and Vernon Reid)32. Rock Candy (with Sammy Hagar, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, Chad Smith and Tom Morello)33. Bark at the Moon (with Papa V Perpetua, Vernon Reid, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo and Travis Barker)34. The Train Kept A-Rollin' (with Steven Tyler, Ron Wood, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo and Travis Barker)35. Walk This Way / Whole Lotta Love (with Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo and Chad Smith) Pantera36. Cowboys From Hell37. Walk38. Planet Caravan39. Electric Funeral Tool40. Forty Six & 241. Hand of Doom42. Ænema Slayer43. Disciple44. War Ensemble45. Wicked World46. South of Heaven47. Raining Blood48. Angel of Death Guns N' Roses49. Never Say Die50. Junior's Eyes51. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath52. Welcome to the Jungle53. Paradise City Metallica54. Hole in the Sky55. Creeping Death56. For Whom the Bell Tolls57. Johnny Blade58. Battery59. Master of Puppets Ozzy Osbourne 60. I Don't Know61. Mr. Crowley62. Suicide Solution63. Mama, I'm Coming Home64. Crazy Train Black Sabbath65. War Pigs66. N.I.B.67. Iron Man68. Paranoid
Times
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Black Sabbath at Villa Park review: moving reunion as Ozzy rocks out
Never mind those over-hyped Oasis gigs, there was only one truly historic rock comeback show over the weekend as Birmingham's Villa Park football stadium hosted Back to the Beginning, an all-star heavy rock gathering that reunited the full original line-up of the local heroes Black Sabbath for the first time in 20 years, and the last time ever. This sold-out, all-day charity benefit event was essentially the retirement party for the band's 76-year-old singer and international treasure Ozzy Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, and now has limited mobility. It is no exaggeration to call Black Sabbath the Beatles of heavy metal, their hugely influential legacy reflected in the multigenerational cast list of superstar head-bangers who came to pay tribute at Villa Park, all working for free. Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Anthrax, Slayer, Alice in Chains and many others performed short sets of about 20 to 30 minutes, each including at least one Sabbath or Ozzy song. • The best concerts in London and the UK to book in 2025 Not every set was a killer, but credit is due to Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, the only woman on the bill, for rocking harder than most of her male peers. Metallica were also reliably propulsive, exhilarating and adrenalised. 'Thank you Black Sabbath,' growled James Hetfield, 'for giving us a purpose in life'. Between the main bands, a fluid supergroup featuring members of Judas Priest, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more also played, joined by surprise guests including the Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and the rising pop-rock star Yungblud, who brought high-energy swagger to his reworking of Sabbath's 1972 power ballad Changes. The Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello served as musical director for the whole event, and gave a few shredding performances himself, pairing up with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler for riotously funky versions of Walk This Way and Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. The Villa Park video screens also aired fond video tributes to Ozzy and Sabbath from famous well-wishers, including Sir Elton John, Dolly Parton and Jack Black. Black Sabbath have survived multiple splits, temporary reunions and premature retirements over their six-decade career. They last played in Birmingham with two huge 'farewell' shows in 2017, but Back to the Beginning inevitably had a more concrete air of finality, given Ozzy's health issues. Even so, the singer seemed in pretty fine voice when he finally appeared on stage to huge cheers, performing two short sets from a black leather armchair adorned with skulls and bat wings. Even a fallen emperor needs a throne. Ozzy opened with five songs from his post-Sabbath solo career, including a gothically camp Mr Crowley and the rollicking audience sing-along Crazy Train. After a short break, he reappeared with his Sabbath co-founders: the guitarist Tony Iommi, the bass player Terence 'Geezer' Butler and the drummer Bill Ward. There was a palpable sense of hatchets being buried and rifts healed at Villa Park, with Ward back in the fold after his acrimonious exclusion from previous tours. Sabbath's four-song set was all too brief, but still a pleasing reminder that seminal classics such as Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man retain their potent fusion of jazz, blues, funk, proto-punk aggression and doomy occult imagery. Climaxing with a blaze of fireworks, this was a mostly excellent and ultimately rather moving event. The artist formerly known as the Prince of Darkness may be hanging up his horns, but he is not going gently into that good night. ★★★★☆
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Huge queues to get into Black Sabbath gig as fans sent warning - 'it's like Glastonbury'
Huge queues of fans are desperately trying to get into Villa Park today, after gates opened at 11am for the Black Sabbath Back to the Beginning gig. Our reporters on the scene said it was like 'something from Glastonbury' and urged ticked holders to make a move to get to the stadium if they hadn't already. The concert will kick off at 1pm and will last into the evening, featuring an incredible line-up of heavy metal artists including Guns N Roses, Metallic, Halestorm and more. Read more: Black Sabbath live updates as thousands descend on Villa Park today for Back to the Beginning gig Read more: Black Sabbath at Villa Park - line-up, times, set list, tickets and how to get there Our reporter Robson McCallister is at Villa Park today waiting to get inside the stadium. He said: "In the queue, this looks like a Glastonbury line but in the city. "Hundreds, if not thousands are here, and this is only the Green zone. If you haven't made a move yet, now's the time to do so to avoid disappointment." Our reporter, who's in the yellow zone queue, added: "Round in the yellow zone the queue snakes back and forth. "Staff have been really great with steering everyone in the right direction, cheery and maintaining the good vibes. "It looks chaotic, but it's moving well and stewards are doing an excellent job of making sure everyone's where they need to be." Not going to the gig but want to watch the stream online? Check here for more details. Don't miss our glossy Black Sabbath - End of an Era magazine celebrating their final show! Read more here. Join our Black Sabbath WhatsApp group for the latest updates so you don't miss a single thing this weekend. If you're going to the Black Sabbath gig, we hope you have an amazing time! Please share your photos and comments with us by emailing - we'd love to share them.
