Latest news with #SummerofSabbath
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne is still the master of the metalheads
For a split second, those of us who surfed backyard rebellion on a wave of Black Sabbath in the 1970s might have thought lead singer Ozzy Osbourne was looking rather well in a video clip that went viral. This came after a 10-hour, sold-out 'big farewell concert' that was held in Birmingham, England, last week. Back in the 1970s, just the name of the band sent shivers down establishment spines, as did the skulls and the occult imagery. For a generation of white working-class kids in the UK, it was the noise of it all that drowned out other noise. In conservative South Africa, Black Sabbath was regarded as being as threatening as the children's book Black Beauty (mistakenly banned by a censor with an overactive imagination) and the black majority in general. Seen as the progenitors of early heavy metal, Black Sabbath brought with it also the anarchist behaviour of the genre's unruly stars hellbent on trashing their bodies and brains in the process. It is remarkable – considering the quantities of alcohol and drugs, tobacco and food laced with preservatives and sugar that some of these old metalheads and rockers consumed – that they are still alive. No doubt preserved in their own juices, like Mick Jagger. Ozzy is 76 going on eternity at present. It turns out the video was an avatar of him generated by artificial intelligence. AI breathed more life into the geriatric, delinquent rocker-turned-celebrity and family man role model than Ozzy himself might have done. That's why he looked so good. His daughter Kelly, whom we all came to know in one of the first celebrity reality TV shows, The Osbournes, shared on Instagram: 'So, there's this video going around on social media, and it's supposed to be my dad, but it's AI. He's not dying. Yes, he has Parkinson's, and yes, his mobility is completely different than it used to be, but he's not dying. What is wrong with you?' Summer of Sabbath At the concert on 5 July, seated in a black leather armchair adorned with a looming bat, Ozzy was joined on stage by Bill Ward on drums, Geezer Butler on bass and Tony Iommi on guitar. With dyed hair and pale as a tapeworm, dressed-in-black Ozzy drank it all in. The four members of The Sabbath have been granted the freedom of Birmingham, and the city has been doing a 'Summer of Sabbath' campaign, lasting throughout the tourism season. Several other metal bands, such as Alice in Chains, Rival Sons, Anthrax and Mastodon, played to the capacity 40,000, whiter-shade-of-Ozzy crowd, who reportedly queued up all day for the beer. Naturally. Michael Hann, describing the event in The Guardian, noted that 'after Slayer – which is like listening to road works, take that as a compliment or not – Guns N' Roses patrol the stage as if they own it, opening with Sabbath's Never Say Die, with Axl Rose on surprisingly good voice'. Then came the king Ozzy has insisted that this would be the final concert 'on stage', although he is not dying, you understand, only sitting down for a while. Behind the king was the queen and business brain, Sharon Osbourne, with her Ozempic mask, plumped up by plastic surgery, teeth like tombstones and as white as the cliffs of Dover, still by his side, interpreting the slur. The 'beyond 27' club If you make it past the age of 27 as a famous singer or musician, then chances are you'll live as long as Ozzy and be as happy. The Osbournes gave us a glimpse into their home life in their mansion back in 2002, where the dogs crapped on the carpets and the kids had free rein of the fame and fortune. They paved the way for the Kardashians, and the Western world has never been the same since. At a dinner party years ago, as two women adopting children, my partner and I were asked which celebrity heterosexual couple we thought were contemporary role models. You know, like Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jacob Zuma and his wives, Steve Hofmeyer and… Without hesitation we chorused: 'The Osbournes.' DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne perform final concert in Birmingham: A heavy metal farewell by the founding fathers
Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne , the founding fathers of heavy metal, bid farewell to their rock fans, performing their last gig ever. As the fireworks burst over Birmingham, they were joined by the legendary bands in front of 40,000 fans. Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne bid goodbye... According to the BBC, Ozzy 'Prince of Darkness' Osbourne sang while he sat on his black throne, which had a bat figure as the head of the chair. The singer, who has Parkinson's disease, was clapping, waving his arms and pulling wild-eyed looks. For the first time in two decades, the entire Sabbath lineup joined Osbourne, where he even got emotional and told the crowd at Villa Park, 'You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ' The farewell is not just about the event, but the 'Summer of Sabbath' has been declared for the entire season. Black Sabbath were joined by their fellow rock legends, including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. The concert started with Ozzy's grand entrance, where he wore a black leather jacket and gold armband, and sang his 5 solo songs. He was joined by the other members of Black Sabbath; however, due to Parkinson's disease and age, Ozzy performed the set while sitting down on his throne. The special performances and appearances Other band members paid their homage to the inventors of metal. 'Without Sabbath, there would be no Metallica. Thank you for giving us a purpose in life,' the frontman James Hetfield said to the crowd. Guns N' Roses' frontman Axl Rose ended his cover set of 1978's song 'Never Say Die' with 'Birmingham! Ozzy! Sabbath! Thank you!" The event included a titanic battle of three drummers, and a special appearance by Jason Momoa , along with a video message from Jack Black, Dolly Parton and Billy Idol. The tickets were priced from £200 to £2,000, and the profits were shared between Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.
