Ozzy’s Star-Studded Black Sabbath Farewell with Metallica, Tyler & More
Well, I suppose I should spell this out for you: last night’s Black Sabbath farewell was more than a tour finale—it was a rock ‘n’ roll summit nobody saw coming. Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness himself, enlisted an all-star lineup to turn his emotional swan song into the ultimate hall-of-fame blowout. Drawing on eyewitness accounts from Rolling Stone and set lists confirmed by People Magazine, here’s everything you need to know (even if you thought “Paranoid” was just a mood).
The show kicked off at London’s O2 Arena on April 27, 2024, and Ozzy wasted no time dropping jaws. He opened with an incendiary rendition of “Black Sabbath,” complete with Tony Iommi’s signature riff slicing through the air like a razor (Rolling Stone). It was only five minutes in when James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich of Metallica stormed the stage, guns blazing on “Iron Man,” trading solos with Iommi that fused Sabbath’s doom-laden groove with Metallica’s thrash metal fury (People Magazine). Honestly, it was the kind of cross-genre collision you can’t unsee.
Just when you thought Ozzy might give the mic a rest, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith sashayed out in sequins to vamp through “Paranoid,” his bluesy wail a cheeky counterpoint to Ozzy’s snarling delivery. If that surprised you, don’t worry—I know this level of star power can be hard to process. Then Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses kicked in for “War Pigs,” their swagger-packed riffs transforming the classic anti-war anthem into a stadium-shaking rave-up. Even Aerosmith’s Joe Perry couldn’t resist a late cameo, ripping off a solo so scorching you could fry bacon on it.
The evening wasn’t all bombastic fireworks. Mid-show, Ozzy took a quiet moment to salute founding bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, dedicating “Changes” to the original lineup’s legacy. Fans told NME they were moved to tears as the arena lights dimmed, underscoring that this farewell was as much sentimental as it was sonic.
Throughout the two-hour set, Ozzy dipped into deeper cuts like “N.I.B.” and “Snowblind,” each one punctuated by surprise guests and pyrotechnics. By the time the encore rolled around—a triumphant mash-up of “Children of the Grave” featuring all the night’s collaborators—the crowd was delirious.
There you have it: the ultimate rock conclave, expertly curated by Ozzy Osbourne, proving once more that he’s as unpredictable as he is iconic. Stay tuned to see which legend joins him for future one-off surprises—because I’m sure you’ll need me to explain it all over again.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and Rolling Stone, People Magazine, NME
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
