The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock delivered a powerful tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne during their joint-headlining tour opener at Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy on August 1st.
The bands honoured the metal legend, who passed away at 76 on July 22nd, with a rousing cover of Black Sabbath’s classic “War Pigs”.
The tribute performance came during the encore of The Flaming Lips’ set, with Brock joining Wayne Coyne and the band on stage for the 1970 heavy metal anthem. Coyne addressed the crowd before the performance, explaining the band’s history with the song.
“You’re gonna know this song,” he told the crowd, noting that The Flaming Lips have been covering “War Pigs” since 2006. “We don’t do the whole song. We do just the parts where you get to sing along. Isaac’s going to help us.”
Brock added a touch of humour to the moment, saying, “I don’t know the words,” before launching into the collaborative performance.
The cover is the latest example of musicians paying tribute to Ozzy in the days following his death. Green Day incorporated a snippet of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” into their live set as a thank you to the metal pioneer, whilst Alice Cooper and his band performed Sabbath’s “Paranoid”. Carrie Underwood also showcased her rendition of Ozzy’s solo power ballad “Mama, I’m Comin’ Home” on The Howard Stern Show.
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Ozzy received a fitting farewell in his hometown of Birmingham last week, where a funeral cortège procession travelled through the city streets. The family-funded tribute saw thousands of fans gather as local band Bostin’ Brass provided the soundtrack for the emotional farewell. Ozzy’s family, including wife Sharon, thanked supporters and laid flowers at the Black Sabbath bench and bridge, which has transformed into a memorial site for the metal icon.
The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse continue their ‘Good Times Are Killing Me Tour’ on August 5th in Philadelphia. The North American run includes stops in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Chicago, Houston, and San Diego before concluding with two final performances in Troutdale, Oregon on September 10th and 11th.
