Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G recently addressed whether he felt bittersweet about not being invited to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final show, ‘Back to the Beginning,’ which took place on July 5, 2025 at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK. His comments were shared during an interview on the Signals From Mars podcast.
The guitarist explained his feelings about missing the historic farewell performance. He also shared how personal circumstances influenced his perspective on the situation.
“Not as much, man. And I don’t want this to come off the wrong way — of course I would’ve loved to be there. Who wouldn’t? Don’t get me wrong — I would’ve definitely loved to be there. I really wanted to see Ozzy one last time, to give him one last hug,” Gus G said.
“But at the same time, I realized that probably I wasn’t really needed there. There were so many people there. So this is one factor. So it didn’t really bother me in that sense. My mindset was more as a fan. When I saw the press release, I’m, like, ‘Oh, cool. Ozzy’s finally doing his last show. This is cool.'”
The guitarist also revealed how a significant personal milestone coincided with the show’s timing.
“Because I know how much he really wanted to get back on stage. I’m like, okay, this is cool. He finally decided he is gonna do this, and he’s gonna go out in the biggest way possible.’ So as a fan, I was like really excited. And then the second thing was, man, I had my kid the day before the show in Birmingham. We were expecting my first baby,” he continued.
“So, yeah, I think even if I was invited, I probably would’ve had to sit out of the rehearsals or something. I think it was one of those situations where I came to the realization, ‘Well, this is really not meant to happen for me. I have really something much more important that I should be attending.”
Gus G’s comments provide insight into his relationship with the Prince of Darkness. They also show his understanding of his place in Ozzy’s extensive musical legacy.
Wikipedia reported that Gus G served as Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist from 2009 to 2017, making him the second-longest serving guitarist in Ozzy’s solo career after Zakk Wylde. The Greek guitarist joined Ozzy’s band in 2009 after Zakk Wylde’s initial departure, making his live debut at BlizzCon 2009.
During his tenure with the metal legend, Guitar World noted that Gus G performed on the 2010 album Scream and toured extensively with Ozzy. His initial agreement covered one album and one tour. However, it extended for additional years of touring, including U.S., European, Japanese, and festival dates through 2016.
The collaboration included notable performances such as the Ozzy & Friends European Tour in 2012, which featured special guests like Slash, Zakk Wylde, and Geezer Butler. Blabbermouth revealed that Gus G has described his time with Ozzy as “some of the best years of my life,” despite initial nerves about replacing legendary guitarists in the role.
Gus G’s departure from Ozzy’s band came in April 2017 when Ozzy announced his farewell tour (No More Tours II) and reunited with Zakk Wylde. The Greek guitarist noted that the role helped him escape Greece’s limited metal scene. It also provided invaluable experience performing with one of heavy metal’s most iconic figures.
