“Presented as a love letter to Ozzy and the pioneering sound of Black Sabbath, the theatrical release will be a distilled version of the epic all-day event held at Villa Park,” a press release reads. “Featuring thunderous performances of ‘War Pigs,’ ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Children Of The Grave’ and a show-stopping ‘Paranoid,’ the film promises a deeply personal and electrifying farewell from the godfather of heavy metal with exclusive behind-the-scenes access and interviews from this iconic live performance.”
The Jason Momoa-hosted event saw the original Black Sabbath lineup perform together for the first time in 20 years. The iconic heavy metal frontman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020, which has since made it incredibly difficult for him to walk. He performed his final show sitting down, but still delivered “some of the most bludgeoning, earth-rending guitar riffs ever conceived,” per NBC News. “You’ve got no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Osbourne told the massive crowd.
The event also featured performances from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Ronnie Wood, Steven Tyler, Slayer, Pantera, Tool, Yungblud, Papa V/Ghost, Tool’s Danney Carey, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Chad Smith. While Black Sabbath itself only got through a handful of songs, each of the other acts performed at least one cover from their catalogue or from Osbourne’s solo career. “Without Black Sabbath, there would be no Metallica,” James Hetfield, frontman of the latter band, said during their set. “Thank you, boys, for giving us a purpose in life.”
If you want to spend a little more time with Osbourne, Paramount+ is also airing a separate documentary called No Escape From Now, which will delve into Osbourne’s health struggles as well as his preparation for the final show. “My fans have supported me for so many years, and I really want to thank them and say a proper goodbye to them,” Osbourne said in a statement about the Paramount+ doc, per Variety. “That is what the Villa Park show is about.” No Escape From Now is set to premiere later this year.
