Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe recently opened up about the intense backstage atmosphere at Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final show, “Back to the Beginning.” He shared insights from Fistful of Metal. His revelations included a surprising confession from Metallica’s Lars Ulrich about pre-show nerves.
Blythe discussed how even the biggest names in metal experienced overwhelming nervousness before taking the stage at the historic farewell performance.
“I was terrified. But you know what?! Every single other band was. From Mastodon, who opened the show, to Metallica. I know this for a fact, because I talked to everyone. We were all, like, ‘Holy shit! We are so nervous,'” Blythe said.
The frontman clarified that his feelings weren’t typical stage fright. He drew a distinction between nervousness and actual performance anxiety.
“Well, it wasn’t ‘stage fright’ I was experiencing that day. The last time I actually experienced stage fright was years ago when we played Download festival in 2007, the first time we played the festival. I walked out there and saw the size of the crowd and I was, like, ‘Holy shit!’, but after a while, I got into it and felt like I could run through a brick wall,” he explained.
Blythe then shared a particularly memorable encounter with Metallica’s drummer. This highlighted just how significant the moment was for all involved.
“With ‘Back To The Beginning’, it wasn’t stage fright, as I said, but I was extremely nervous. I’ll never forget walking to the stage with my girlfriend to see Metallica and we were walking alongside Lars [Ulrich, Metallica drummer]. They were getting ready to go on and he looked at us and said, ‘Holy shit, I’ve never been so nervous in my entire life,'” Blythe recalled.
The nervousness experienced by these metal legends becomes more understandable when considering the magnitude of the event they were participating in.
The “Back to the Beginning” show represented far more than just another concert. Ozzy Osbourne’s official announcement revealed that the event was billed as Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance, marking the end of an era for one of metal’s most influential figures. The show took place at Villa Park in Birmingham, strategically chosen for its proximity to Black Sabbath’s hometown of Aston. This added emotional weight to the farewell.
The lineup itself was a testament to the event’s significance in metal history. The official announcement detailed that the farewell show featured an unprecedented gathering of metal titans including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, and Mastodon. This collection of legendary acts created what many considered a once-in-a-lifetime metal festival experience.
Beyond the musical spectacle, the event carried deeper meaning as a charitable endeavor. Ozzy Osbourne’s announcement confirmed that all profits from the show were shared among three important causes: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. This charitable aspect added another layer of significance to what was already being hailed as a historic moment in heavy metal.
The reunion also marked a rare moment for Black Sabbath fans. Louder Sound reported that the event featured three of the band’s four founding members – singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, and bassist Geezer Butler – performing together. This gathering of the original lineup members made the show particularly special for longtime followers of the pioneering metal band.
The comments provide a rare glimpse into the human side of metal’s biggest stars during one of the genre’s most significant farewell performances.
