4 hours ago
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‘I cried through his entire solo set’
I tried to get tickets when they first went on sale, but there were only £500+ options left, which felt too steep. However, the day before the show, I watched an interview with Tony Iommi and just couldn’t bear the thought of not being there for their final goodbye. I’ve seen them a handful of times before, including their one-off show at the O2 Academy, but as a Brummie and a metal fan, it felt like a pilgrimage I just had to take.
I wasn’t wrong. The whole event felt as though it was lifted from my childhood iPod library. A whirlwind of bands I’d grown up listening to, blasting out their greatest hits and exclusive Sabbath covers. I really felt connected to the thousands of others who had all been touched by the eclectic lineup. Then there were the supergroups. Listening to Steven Tyler jam with Tom Morello, Travis Barker and Ronnie Wood was just madness.
It was very emotional. I cried through his entire solo set. It’s always devastating to see the effects of Parkinson’s take their toll on somebody’s body, but it hits that much harder when the person was so full of life. It was a testament to pushing through the limits your body sets on you and doing what you love regardless.
The legacy Sabbath and Ozzy leave behind after retirement makes me fiercely proud to be a Brummie, and that day will always hold a special place in my heart. Omar Khan, 32, theatre director, originally from Birmingham, living in Derby
‘I will remember this day for ever’
It was a chance for me to reconnect with the music I loved as a teenager. The most mind-blowing, exciting and deafening day of live music. Coming straight off the back of Glastonbury, I was glad I had a seat and an amazing view. Heavy metal doesn’t get enough credit for giving the misfits and misunderstood an outlet for their emotions. I was most looking forward to seeing Alice in Chains, Metallica, Slayer and Black Sabbath, of course.
The supergroups were an added bonus – seeing Steven Tyler and Ronnie Wood join the already stacked lineup of heavy metal gods was incredible. Every band fulfilled the brief: bring two or three of your top songs plus a Black Sabbath cover. It was like a heavy metal club night where every song was being played by the original band – it felt insane. What an amazing feat to pull off a technically complex show, no doubt full of some of the biggest egos out there, without much of a hitch.
Back to the Beginning was a fitting end to a phenomenal career. I felt happy that they had the chance to finish on their own terms – it couldn’t have been a better opportunity to say goodbye. I will remember this day for ever. Annie, 35, Norwich
‘An outpouring of love’
It was an outpouring of love for a music genre started by Black Sabbath. A real sense of camaraderie, which has always been there in metal and rock circles, was given substance as we all met to celebrate what would be the final performances of the four icons.
The realisation that each band was to play a Sabbath or Ozzy cover as part of their sets really set the tone of the day and made it more than just a collection of bands playing songs. It tied up beautifully. I am crying here just remembering the whole experience. Neil, Malvern, Worcestershire
‘You could tell how much it meant to Ozzy’
The whole event was incredible. The atmosphere the day before in Birmingham was electric, with people from every corner of the globe coming to celebrate the founding fathers of heavy metal. Like many at the gig, we travelled a long, long way – over 24 hours of travel! – but it was so totally worth it to be part of such a historic event. This was the sendoff that the original lineup truly deserved. One for the history books.
You could tell how much it meant to Ozzy. His voice was still there, and you could see how being on stage gave him the energy he needed to make his final bow. Ozzy’s solo set blew me away because I think, like most people, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I hope this final gig gives Ozzy the closure he so rightly deserves, for an artist who inspired and continues to inspire so many musicians, including myself. George Russell, 34, Margaret River, Western Australia
‘It was unbelievably moving’
I loved it. It felt long overdue to see a band like Sabbath getting recognised for their global importance, even if it’s arrived just as they’re retiring. It was very emotional in places, and sometimes it wobbled a little on the line between “entertainment” and “tribute”. We watched it on the livestream for more than nine hours, transfixed.
You can see being a performer is what Ozzy’s all about. But seeing him fighting through his various ailments to deliver a pretty solid attempt on all of his songs was unbelievably moving. The final set really felt like a significant moment in culture, and working-class culture. It was also a vindication for the great drummer Bill Ward, who reminded us all that Sabbath’s unique “swing” and feel came from him. They sounded like the old 70s Sabbath.
I’d have liked to have seen a few actual Birmingham/Midlands metal bands on the bill, (Diamond Head come to mind, maybe even Wolfsbane and Quartz, etc?). But it was a wonderful celebration. Van Norris, 61, Hampshire
As a Brummie, it was the best gift to the city and its people. Brummies are humble, the city gets a bad rap, and we’ve never bigged ourselves up enough. Though we’re the city of a thousand trades, the perfect example of how a multicultural city can thrive and, of course, the home of heavy metal. We deserved this gig – it shows you can become as big as Ozzy and never forget your roots, and has brought £20m to the local economy and probably millions to the charities. What a great gift back to the city and its people.
Music-wise, it was a testament to just how much Black Sabbath has influenced the genre. They were in a league of their own back then. For me, the best band yesterday was Metallica. But Black Sabbath, taking humbly to the stage with no pomp, just knuckling down to those riffs, demonstrating everything us Brummies are, brought every emotion I have as a Brummie and a lifelong heavy metal fan to the surface. They owned the night.
Black Sabbath gave heavy metal to the world, and now they are handing over that legacy. Ozzy gave it as much as he could, and all of us metal fans will be forever grateful. Bev, Birmingham
‘A once-in-a-lifetime gig’
It’s not hyperbole to describe this as a once-in-a-lifetime gig. It felt a bit rushed with some great bands not really able to get into their stride, but in reality it was a logistical miracle to achieve it all and all for charity to boot – every band, every ticket, all the merch and streaming sales going to three good causes, so who can be cynical about that? There were surprises – Yungblud being one, Ronnie Wood and Steve Tyler being another, and Ozzy’s voice holding up (mostly) being the biggest.
All in all it was simply a celebration of heavy metal music. I’ll never see the likes of Anthrax, Pantera, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and Sabbath on the same stage again, so to have all these great bands coming together for a day to celebrate the originators of the whole thing was simply brilliant. An analogue spectacular in an age of streaming, and that’s perfectly fine with me.
I’ve seen several “last time ever” tours, but this really does feel like the end of an era – rock’s poster boy for wild excess bows out with a few tears, still looking slightly bemused that he’s managed to make a spectacular career by just doing the first thing that comes into his head. Richard, Wolverhampton
Ozzy inspired me to make my own music many moons ago with Infernal Symphony, and now I’ve managed to achieve my own goals relatively recently. The gig couldn’t have been any better – it was a monumental moment not just for Ozzy but for rock and metal musicians the world over.
I watched it with my girlfriend, her mum and dad and some friends on the livestream, as we weren’t able to get tickets. We got some drinks in and a takeaway, and had a little bit of a mosh in the living room from 3pm, and we finished after midnight.
This gig felt simultaneously like a music festival, a wild blowout metal party, and a funeral all combined. All the performers were visibly nervous due to their sheer respect for the ones who started it all, and this lent a passion and reverence to the proceedings that I wasn’t expecting. Each artist seemed genuinely excited to be there, and you could tell they were giving it their all.
A truly fantastic show and a moment of history being made in real time. There was not a dry eye in the house! Bittersweet, but life-affirming. Dominic Bishop, 33, Cannock, Staffordshire
