Moshers gathered in their masses. Spilling out of the crazy train from Birmingham to Villa Park earlier this month, the thousands of black band shirts contained a universe: spandexed glam rock nestled next to indecipherable black metal logos, accessorised with wild hair, tough belts and tougher boots. Denim and leather jackets almost sagged under the weight of stitched-on patches. Metal’s tribalism is a marvel, a commitment to a sound and lifestyle on the margins of the mainstream. That Saturday, the genre’s fans were out in force, giving thanks to the man who started it all.
The daylong metal celebration Back to the Beginning was billed as the farewell concert by Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. But Ozzy’s delayed retirement, due to the effects of debilitating surgeries and Parkinson’s disease, barely masked a different motive: this was surely it, and not just creatively. We wondered: would Ozzy be well enough to perform. If so, what would that performance look like? It gave the day the air of a wake happening in real time.
