Halestorm have shared intimate details about the atmosphere backstage at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert, describing a uniquely collaborative environment.
The hard rock band reflected on the “giddy” vibe during rehearsals for the Prince of Darkness’s final show, Back to the Beginning, which took place on July 5th at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
Speaking in a recent interview with Guitar World (as per Louder Sound), vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale recalled the extraordinary gathering of musical talent. “You’re hanging out with Steven Tyler; James [Hetfield] is there and Tom Morello and Axl Rose, but everybody was the same. No head was higher,” she explained.
The all-day event featured a star-studded supporting cast including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Gojira and Mastodon. Hale noted that all performers shared a “childlike” glee while preparing for the concert, creating an atmosphere unlike anything she had previously experienced.
“I don’t think we’ll ever experience anything like that again,” she reflected. “It was just really special, especially […] Ozzy doing his last show.”
Guitarist Joe Hottinger described the emotional impact of witnessing Osbourne’s final performance from the crowd. “We were out in the middle of the crowd, the Osbournes were behind us and a bunch of other band people, and it was emotional. You watched it: Ozzy singing ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’, and he was home. Everyone was crying.”
The concert proved particularly poignant as Osbourne died just 17 days later on July 22nd. During the show, he reunited with the entire original Black Sabbath lineup onstage for the first time since 2005.
Halestorm held the distinction of being the only band with a non-male singer to perform at Back to the Beginning, a fact that generated controversy when the lineup was announced in February. Hale later described it as an “honour” to represent female vocalists in the genre, stating she was “carrying” her female peers “in spirit” during the performance.
Following the release of their album Everest in August, Halestorm are currently touring Europe with support from Indian nu-metal band Bloodywood.
