Villa Park, Birmingham, 5/7/2025
Back to the Beginning felt like one of those days you know you’re going to remember properly, not just as a blur of bands and beer, but as something with a real sentimental weight to it. It was honestly a pretty emotional day from the start, the kind of atmosphere where everyone seemed aware they were part of something bigger than just another gig. At the same time, it never tipped into being overly mushy. It was just really well done.
You could tell as soon as you arrived at Villa Park just how much thought had gone into the organisation by Tom Morello and Live Nation. Everything felt smooth in a way that big events often don’t, I noticed very few sound issues throughout the day and the turnaround between sets was pretty tight (although in all fairness there wasn’t much wiggle room for technical difficulties with how jam packed the final bill was). We were sat in the South Stand, the Holt End, which turned out to be a perfect, albeit lucky, choice. The view was unreal, nice clear sightlines of the stage without feeling miles away from the action in the pit. On top of that, I’ve since seen a few people online saying that section had the best access to food, merch, bars, and bathrooms, which I think tracks. No massive queues, no stress, just easy to actually enjoy the day without consistently missing performances.
The lineup itself was stacked in a way that almost didn’t feel real at points. One of the biggest surprises for me was Stephen Tyler rocking up, who sounded pretty incredible all things considered, which just added to that sense of surprise. The drum off was another standout moment, one of those things that could easily feel a bit gimmicky but actually landed really well and got the whole place moving. Metallica not headlining was genuinely surreal, a very rare opportunity indeed these days. Seeing a band of that scale in what felt like a “supporting” slot added to the uniqueness of the whole day. They gave a solid show, obviously, but there was this underlying feeling all day that everything was building towards one final moment.
And then there was Ozzy….
Knowing it was the last time he would perform made it hit differently. There was such a strong sense of appreciation in the crowd, not just excitement but something much deeper; Ozzy was being savoured. It didn’t feel like people were taking it for granted for a second. It was a bit messy in some places, emotional in others, but that’s exactly what you’d want. It felt honest. You could see how much it meant, not just to the audience but to the people on stage as well. It was also amazing to see how much money the event managed to raise for Acorns Children’s Hospice, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Cure Parkinson’s. £140 million isn’t to be sniffed at!! The fundraising side of things can sometimes feel like an afterthought at huge gigs like this, but here it felt genuinely central to the whole purpose. By spotlighting the causes central to the day there was a sense that it wasn’t just a celebration of music, but something that actually gave back.
Birmingham itself felt fully behind Back To The Beginning. The whole city had a real buzz, like it knew it was hosting something important. I’ll get into that more in a separate post because the whole trip turned into a bit of a heavy metal holiday, but it definitely added to the whole experience.
Overall, it was one of those rare events that actually lives up to the scale it promises. Emotional, chaotic, incredibly well put together, and completely unforgettable. By the end of the day I was absolutely exhausted. The kind of tired where your ears are ringing, your legs hurt, and you’ve probably had too much of everything, but you wouldn’t change a thing. The energy was constant, and a real testament to the one and only Ozzy Osbourne.
PS: Slight personal tragedy, I saw Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth vocalist) casually walking past at the gig and was too busy eating poutine to do anything about it. No regrets, but also… some regrets.