Back to the Beginning concert, anyone there?! Please tell us about the experience.

[DanielT]

Back to the Beginning is an ongoing concert by English rock band Black Sabbath, with a number of supporting artists, and is taking place on 5 July 2025 at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham.[1]

It is intended to be the final concert for both the band and lead singer Ozzy Osbourne.[2] This will also mark the first time since the 2005 tour of Ozzfest that the original line-up of the band (Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward) has performed together live.[3]

The event's name refers to the band's 1968 formation in Birmingham, and Osbourne insisted on staging one final performance to, "give back to the place where I was born".[4] He is no longer able to walk due to advanced Parkinson's disease, but is able to sing.[5]

The concert is being streamed worldwide via pay per view with a three-hour broadcast delay. It features an all-star lineup of supporting acts, including a "Supergroup" of musicians serving as the house band. All proceeds from the event are being donated to local charities.

Back to the Beginning - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Edit:
Aha, the concert can be streamed. Which is stated in the Wikipedia text above. Interesting. I'll look into that:

https://backtothebeginning.com/

 

[DSJR]

Can't say I'm a manic fan of theirs, but the first album and 'Sabotage' are goodies with me and many others My better half prefers the Ronnie James Dio (r.i.p.) era (he used to sing and wail in tune) but I prefer dear old Ozzie, who can tell a tale or three I'm sure, if he can remember them

 

[DanielT]

Can't say I'm a manic fan of theirs, but the first album and 'Sabotage' are goodies with me and many others My better half prefers the Ronnie James Dio (r.i.p.) era (he used to sing and wail in tune) but I prefer dear old Ozzie, who can tell a tale or three I'm sure, if he can remember them

But $14 for a streaming ticket is totally fine. I'm definitely curious and interested in watching the concerts so I'll buy a ticket and check everything out tomorrow:

https://backtothebeginning.com/

 

[DanielT]

Superb. What a line up. A total mega tribute to metal and its origins with Black Sabbath. Lots of tributes, lots about Birmingham. I've watched halfway through and I am now at the section with the all-star band. You can see in the screenshot what giants they are. Plus some screenshots of artists, groups that appeared before that. This is really entertaining.
A whole 8 hours and 35 minutes of nonstop first class heavy metal music. Eventually I'll get to Metallica and of course Ozzy. I'll come back then and give my impression.

I can recommend these, if you haven't heard them before. They're really good:

Rival Sons

Rival Sons play pure, unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll, known for their electrifying live performances and critically acclaimed albums like FERAL ROOTS. They’ve toured with legends such as The Rolling Stones and AC/DC, and continue to evolve with their latest LPs, DARKFIGHTER and LIGHTBRINGER.

www.rivalsons.com

From the concert:

 

[DanielT]

And here's the rest....


Metallica I have to say knows their stuff. Tight and I think their greatness lies in the fact that they are in a class of their own when it comes to creating good melodies.

 

[DanielT]

So finally the main attraction. Ozzy first with his classic songs. After that the rest of the band went so it was Black Sabbath on stage and ripped off the classics. First War Pigs, then Iron Man. They ended with...you can already guess what, of course Paranoid. It was an emotional event. Ozzy was grateful and emotional, as was the audience. It was touching. There is something special about Black Sabbath's sound and Ozzy's voice.

Hell, there were so many good bands. They were all in a good mood. There was a good atmosphere among the bands and the audience. For my own part, I have to say that it was the nostalgia of being at rock concerts when I was younger that was brought to life. The pay-per-view ticket, which cost the same as a cinema ticket, was definitely worth it. Very nice.

Here is a compilation of the playlist, with original artists:

 

[GD Fan]

How did Ozzy sound? His voice and ability to belt it out seemed like the biggest risks to the quality of their performance.

If I hadn't been traveling I'd certainly have watched the livestream.

 

[DanielT]

How did Ozzy sound? His voice and ability to belt it out seemed like the biggest risks to the quality of their performance.

If I hadn't been traveling I'd certainly have watched the livestream.

I agree with the comment someone posted to this video.
(listen before that video is removed, which I suspect will happen)

Still has the voice. Not his prime for sure but for man who can’t walk and 7 years of break, he did great job.

 

[GD Fan]

Always a mistake when fans show up expecting to hear peak-quality vocals from legacy acts. Then again, croaking like a frog isn't any better. Definitely looking forward to dialing up the replay of this.

 

[Bland_username42069]

I randomly saw Steven Tyler doing Whole lotta Love and was very impressed his voice was still in great shape.

 

[DanielT]

Always a mistake when fans show up expecting to hear peak-quality vocals from legacy acts. Then again, croaking like a frog isn't any better. Definitely looking forward to dialing up the replay of this.

I was pleasantly surprised that Ozzy's voice held up as well as it did.

Here's a summary, with a fun commercial at the end. Plus, check out the links he refers to:

I'm including one of the videos he refers to. I think the best cover of the concert was:

Edit:

33 of the best photos of Black Sabbath, Ozzy and more at Villa Park

Pictures of Ozzy Osbourne, Anthrax, Steven Tyler, Metallica, Ronnie Wood, Guns N' Roses, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Jason Momoa and more on stage at the Back to the Beginning concert

www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

[GD Fan]

I was pleasantly surprised that Ozzy's voice held up as well as it did.

Here's a summary, with a fun commercial at the end. Plus, check out the links he refers to:

I'm including one of the videos he refers to. I think the best cover of the concert was:

I'm still fascinated by the sound Ward got out of the toms on the original Children.

Wonder how long it will take for the DVD/BD to hit stores. Gotta be before the holidays!