Black Sabbath have shared a dispatch from rehearsals for their upcoming Back to the Beginning reunion/farewell concert, posting a photo with Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and, most excitingly, drummer Bill Ward.
The three metal legends are sitting cozily and smiling on a couch in the photo, which you can see below. “Rehearsals are underway for Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow,” the captions says.
Guitarist Tony Iommi is nowhere to be found. Given the blurry and generally unprofessional nature of the photo, perhaps the riffmonger was behind the camera.
Details About Black Sabbath’s ‘Back to the Beginning’ Show
The star-studded Back to the Beginning show will take place on July 5 at Villa Park in Black Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, England. The massive event will feature Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, Rival Sons and more.
The show will serve as both a reunion of Black Sabbath’s classic-era lineup and a final bow for Osbourne, whose health problems have kept him off the road for the past several years. Ward last played with Black Sabbath in 2005 and he did not participate in the band’s 2013 reunion album 13 or the ensuing tour.
READ MORE: How Jake E. Lee Got the Invite for Ozzy Osbourne’s Farewell Show
Fans who can’t attend the Back to the Beginning show can catch the action via livestream. A trailer for the event dropped last week. The livestream will begin at 3PM BST on July 5, and those who purchase the livestream will have exclusive access to the entire concert for an additional 48 hours.
“Considering all the bands that are on that thing, and everybody’s gonna be playing Sabbath songs, it’s gonna be pretty mind-blowing,” guitarist Zakk Wylde said back in March. “It’s gonna be pretty awesome. And then to see Ozz get up there and do a song with ’em and then watch Sabbath play. I think for all the bands that are gonna be there — ’cause if it wasn’t for Sabbath, none of us would exist. You know what I mean? So I think it’s gonna be special for everybody.”
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