On July 5th, the original Black Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – will play together for the first time in 20 years. The band will take to the stage to headline Back To The Beginning at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
The all-star event will celebrate the true creators of heavy metal and will see Ozzy Osbourne play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for his final bow.
Drummer Charlie Benante will be doing double duty that day, performing sets with both Anthrax and Pantera. Benante recently spoke with BraveWords scribe Aaron Small about what Back To The Beginning Music Director Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave) is calling “The greatest heavy metal show ever.” An excerpt follows:
BraveWords: What can you tell us about this once-in-a-lifetime show? What are we going to see?
Charlie Benante: “That’s my question too. What am I going to get to see? I know what we (Anthrax and Pantera) have planned. But for the most part, this is kind of like us giving thanks for the foundation that they laid down for all of us, and really, really be appreciative of what they accomplished and what they’ve done. Cause Black Sabbath, growing up, Black Sabbath had this mystique about them – you didn’t know if it was tongue in cheek. You didn’t know if they were serious about a lot of the stuff, back then. Remember, there was no such thing as heavy metal when they first started; it was called acid rock. And it evolved to be heavy metal. But those guys were very jazzy. Those first few records, there’s a lot of jazz stuff; especially the drumming of Bill Ward. At the end of the day, it was Iommi’s riffs that were blasting through the speakers, and they just compelled you. It’s something that they created that no one has since.”
BW: Can you share how much stage time Anthrax and Pantera will get on July 5th?
Benante: “I think we’re playing… I think Anthrax are playing three or four songs, and Pantera are playing a few more. That’s what I hear right now.”
BW: Word is that each band will cover a Black Sabbath song.
Benante: “Yeah. Well, Pantera did it already. And Anthrax have done ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ back in ’86. Pantera did ‘Planet Caravan’ on the Far Beyond Driven record. After that they did ‘Electric Funeral’ and ‘Hole In The Sky’. So, I think whoever’s going to be there, are pretty much there because they have to be there. There’s a reason. It’s like people crowding around to see The Pope.”
Anthrax doing “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”:
Pantera doing “Planet Caravan”:
Pantera doing “Electric Funeral”:
Pantera doing “Hole In The Sky”:
The stadium may be sold out, but the world is invited. Watch Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath’s monumental farewell performance, live, from anywhere.
On July 5th, music history will be made and now, fans around the globe won’t miss a second. Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, will take to the stage for his final ever live performance, joined by the original Black Sabbath lineup for the first and last time in two decades.
With a lineup that reads like a hall of fame roll call, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera and more, Back To The Beginning isn’t just a concert. It’s a global celebration of metal, culminating in a final, thunderous farewell to the genre’s godfather.
Black Sabbath’s original lineup – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward – will reunite for the first time in 20 years to headline the sold-out event. They’ll be joined by metal’s most iconic and influential acts: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Rival Sons, all performing as part of this monumental moment, now confirmed for a global livestream.
With the concert, which proudly supports charities close to Ozzy’s heart selling out in under 16 minutes, those who missed out on being there in person can immerse themselves in what is set to be the greatest heavy metal show ever. Broadcast directly from Birmingham’s Villa Park, fans around the world will be able to watch the entire Metal family come together to celebrate Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy, as he takes the stage for the last time. Ozzy is set to play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for their final ever performance.
This won’t just be watched, it will be remembered. For fans who’ve followed Ozzy’s 50-year reign, the global livestream offers a front row seat to a once-in-a-lifetime goodbye. They’ll have access to the raw livestream from 3 PM on July 5, and will also have exclusive access to rewatch the concert in its entirety for another 48 hours.
Livestream tickets available now at BackToTheBeginning.com.
Sharon Osbourne said: “We had such an overwhelming demand from fans from around the globe, who couldn’t get tickets to the show, and they took to social media, pleading with us to broadcast a livestream of the show. Being this is such a historic event, we just couldn’t let them down.”
Back To The Beginning will be captured, produced and distributed by Mercury Studios (One to One: John & Yoko, American Symphony, Metallica Saved My Life), who are pioneering the way for premium, music-driven storytelling across film, television, podcasts and immersive formats. Mercury has partnered with Kiswe – the global D2C streaming partner behind the record-breaking BTS concert livestream– to deliver this unforgettable moment of music history to fans across the globe.
Kelly Sweeney, Managing Director of Mercury Studios said: “Mercury Studios are incredibly proud to be involved in capturing this monumental milestone at Villa Park. Back To The Beginning will be an unforgettable experience, and our aim is to deliver this moment to fans worldwide, wherever they are, so they don’t miss out on seeing music history being made.”
The all-day event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, will be hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa, and feature a supergroup of musicians. Further artists announced so far include: Andrew Watt, Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Dave Ellefson, David Draiman (Disturbed), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Jake E Lee, KK Downing, Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot), Sammy Hagar, Sleep Token ii (Sleep Token), Tom Morello, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), and Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe).
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The post ANTHRAX / PANTERA Drummer CHARLIE BENANTE On Final BLACK SABBATH / OZZY OSBOURNE Show, Back To The Beginning – “It’s Like People Crowding Around To See The Pope” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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The all-star event will celebrate the true creators of heavy metal and will see Ozzy Osbourne play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for his final bow.
Drummer Charlie Benante will be doing double duty that day, performing sets with both Anthrax and Pantera. Benante recently spoke with BraveWords scribe Aaron Small about what Back To The Beginning Music Director Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave) is calling “The greatest heavy metal show ever.” An excerpt follows:
BraveWords: What can you tell us about this once-in-a-lifetime show? What are we going to see?
Charlie Benante: “That’s my question too. What am I going to get to see? I know what we (Anthrax and Pantera) have planned. But for the most part, this is kind of like us giving thanks for the foundation that they laid down for all of us, and really, really be appreciative of what they accomplished and what they’ve done. Cause Black Sabbath, growing up, Black Sabbath had this mystique about them – you didn’t know if it was tongue in cheek. You didn’t know if they were serious about a lot of the stuff, back then. Remember, there was no such thing as heavy metal when they first started; it was called acid rock. And it evolved to be heavy metal. But those guys were very jazzy. Those first few records, there’s a lot of jazz stuff; especially the drumming of Bill Ward. At the end of the day, it was Iommi’s riffs that were blasting through the speakers, and they just compelled you. It’s something that they created that no one has since.”
BW: Can you share how much stage time Anthrax and Pantera will get on July 5th?
Benante: “I think we’re playing… I think Anthrax are playing three or four songs, and Pantera are playing a few more. That’s what I hear right now.”
BW: Word is that each band will cover a Black Sabbath song.
Benante: “Yeah. Well, Pantera did it already. And Anthrax have done ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ back in ’86. Pantera did ‘Planet Caravan’ on the Far Beyond Driven record. After that they did ‘Electric Funeral’ and ‘Hole In The Sky’. So, I think whoever’s going to be there, are pretty much there because they have to be there. There’s a reason. It’s like people crowding around to see The Pope.”
Anthrax doing “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”:
Pantera doing “Planet Caravan”:
Pantera doing “Electric Funeral”:
Pantera doing “Hole In The Sky”:
The stadium may be sold out, but the world is invited. Watch Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath’s monumental farewell performance, live, from anywhere.
On July 5th, music history will be made and now, fans around the globe won’t miss a second. Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, will take to the stage for his final ever live performance, joined by the original Black Sabbath lineup for the first and last time in two decades.
With a lineup that reads like a hall of fame roll call, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera and more, Back To The Beginning isn’t just a concert. It’s a global celebration of metal, culminating in a final, thunderous farewell to the genre’s godfather.
Black Sabbath’s original lineup – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward – will reunite for the first time in 20 years to headline the sold-out event. They’ll be joined by metal’s most iconic and influential acts: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Rival Sons, all performing as part of this monumental moment, now confirmed for a global livestream.
With the concert, which proudly supports charities close to Ozzy’s heart selling out in under 16 minutes, those who missed out on being there in person can immerse themselves in what is set to be the greatest heavy metal show ever. Broadcast directly from Birmingham’s Villa Park, fans around the world will be able to watch the entire Metal family come together to celebrate Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy, as he takes the stage for the last time. Ozzy is set to play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for their final ever performance.
This won’t just be watched, it will be remembered. For fans who’ve followed Ozzy’s 50-year reign, the global livestream offers a front row seat to a once-in-a-lifetime goodbye. They’ll have access to the raw livestream from 3 PM on July 5, and will also have exclusive access to rewatch the concert in its entirety for another 48 hours.
Livestream tickets available now at BackToTheBeginning.com.
Sharon Osbourne said: “We had such an overwhelming demand from fans from around the globe, who couldn’t get tickets to the show, and they took to social media, pleading with us to broadcast a livestream of the show. Being this is such a historic event, we just couldn’t let them down.”
Back To The Beginning will be captured, produced and distributed by Mercury Studios (One to One: John & Yoko, American Symphony, Metallica Saved My Life), who are pioneering the way for premium, music-driven storytelling across film, television, podcasts and immersive formats. Mercury has partnered with Kiswe – the global D2C streaming partner behind the record-breaking BTS concert livestream– to deliver this unforgettable moment of music history to fans across the globe.
Kelly Sweeney, Managing Director of Mercury Studios said: “Mercury Studios are incredibly proud to be involved in capturing this monumental milestone at Villa Park. Back To The Beginning will be an unforgettable experience, and our aim is to deliver this moment to fans worldwide, wherever they are, so they don’t miss out on seeing music history being made.”
The all-day event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, will be hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa, and feature a supergroup of musicians. Further artists announced so far include: Andrew Watt, Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Dave Ellefson, David Draiman (Disturbed), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Jake E Lee, KK Downing, Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot), Sammy Hagar, Sleep Token ii (Sleep Token), Tom Morello, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), and Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe).
Follow BraveWords on social media… Facebook page, Facebook Group, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and YouTube.
Visit https://linktr.ee/bravewords
The post ANTHRAX / PANTERA Drummer CHARLIE BENANTE On Final BLACK SABBATH / OZZY OSBOURNE Show, Back To The Beginning – “It’s Like People Crowding Around To See The Pope” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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