5 big moments from Black Sabbath’s farewell show at Villa Park

On Saturday, July 5, Black Sabbath held a huge one-day event at Birmingham's Villa Park called Back to the Beginning, bringing their legendary story full circle. The renowned band's last event in their hometown, where heavy metal was born, featured Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Ozzy Osbourne returned to the original lineup for Black Sabbath's renowned farewell show at Villa Park. These are the top five moments that fans will never forget.

Mastodon, an American heavyweight, opened the event with a forceful cover of Supernaut by Black Sabbath. Lead vocals were taken up by drummer Brann Dailor, who gave a performance that remained faithful to Ozzy's unadulterated passion. Gojira and Tool members contributed additional percussion in the conclusion, which set the tone for a day of tributes and collaborations.

With their groove metal hits, Lamb of God delivered a powerful energy boost. Randy Blythe, the frontman, enthralled the audience and made huge mosh pits. Before tossing his shoes into the crowd, Blythe thanked the four Sabbath members for creating metal, which caused the crowd to erupt in cheers.

“Thank you to the four Sabbath members for inventing metal,” Blythe said.

Nuno Bettencourt, an extreme guitarist, appeared in a number of supergroup sets and spent more time on stage than any other musician. He collaborated with Yungblud and Sleep Token's drummer II on a moving version of Sabbath's "Changes." The song seemed very personal because of its connection to Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne's version, and Sharon Osbourne was seen crying during it.

With a set that began with Hole in the Sky and progressed into timeless songs like Creeping Death and Master of Puppets, Metallica maintained a high level of enthusiasm. With Lars Ulrich's strong drumming and Robert Trujillo's signature acrobatics providing Villa Park with an explosive charge, the band showed no signs of slowing down.

Sitting on an ornate chair with a giant bat above him, Ozzy Osbourne told fans, “I’ve been laid up for six fucking years; you have no idea how much this means to me.” He sang five solo hits, with his voice as strong as ever. The show closed with Sabbath’s original four playing War Pigs, N.I.B., and Iron Man, and ending on Paranoid. Geezer Butler’s bass lines stood out, reminding everyone why Sabbath remains the backbone of heavy metal.