When you look at the bonkers hard rock roster for the upcoming final Black Sabbath show in Birmingham, U.K. on July 5 at Villa Park, there is definitely one name that is conspicuously absent: Judas Priest. The masters of British leather-and-motorcycle metal simply are nowhere to be found among the head-banging roster of greats lined lined up for the Back to the Beginning show that includes Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Pantera, Lamb of God and many more.
Apparently, there is a very good explanation for their absence, according to singer Rob Halford: they’re double-booked. Speaking to Metal Hammer, Halford explained that his band is slated to join the Scorpions in Hanover, Germany on that date for a 60th anniversary celebration of the German rock group.
“I had no idea it [the Sabbath show] was happening. It all got announced and was a big deal,” he said of the Scorpions and Priest concert taking place more than 630 miles away from fellow Brummie Ozzy’s show. “Suddenly I get this phone call [from Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and manager Sharon Osbourne], ‘Robbie, I know you’ve got this gig with Scorpions, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys. He’d love to see you.’”
But Halford said as much as he’d like to be on hand for the last run with Ozzy and the gang, trying to pull double-duty would be too difficult. He said Sharon Osbourne even offered to fly him back to Birmingham on the day of the show to make an appearance a la Phil Collins’ legendary Concord flight from London to Philadelphia to play two sets at Live Aid in July 1985.
And though Collins’ whirlwind flights, technically, got him to the U.S. before he left due to the timezones he crossed, Halford said as much as he’d like to double-down he thinks it might be “dangerous… Even with a private plane, there’s a word called ‘technical’, where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems… I was absolutely gutted [to miss the show],” he said.
The Sabbath swan song, which will also be Ozzy’s final solo show, has the 76-year-old metal legend pushing himself to deliver a curtain call worthy of his nearly 60-year career. “I do weights, bike riding, I’ve got a guy living at my house who’s working with me. It’s tough – I’ve been laid up for such a long time,” Osbourne said of his workout regimen to get pumped for his first full set since New Year’s Eve in 2018 in the wake of a series of health issues and surgeries that have laid him low for several years and kept him off stages.
“I’ve been lying on my back doing nothing and the first thing to go is your strength. It’s like starting all over again,” he said. “I’ve got a vocal coach coming round four days a week to keep my voice going. I have problems walking. I also get blood pressure issues, from blood clots on my legs. I’m used to doing two hours on stage, jumping and running around. I don’t think I’ll be doing much jumping or running around this time. I may be sitting down.”
Though Halford will not be on hand, former longtime Priest guitarist K.K. Downing will perform at the show alongside members of Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins, Living Colour, Megadeth, Halestorm, Faith No More, Sleep Token, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Ghost, Soundgarden and Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler.
“All my mates are going to be there though, great bands and artists,” Halford told Metal Hammer, saying that Downing’s appearance will represent the “spirt” of Priest. “It’s a wonderful and epic moment for Sabbath and heavy metal — it re-emphasizes that Birmingham is where metal came from.”
