Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G has opened up about not being invited to one of metal’s most historic moments. In a recent interview on the Signals From Mars podcast, Gus G explained his perspective on missing Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final performance, “Back to the Beginning,” which took place on July 5, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK.
“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 in the interview.
The guitarist rationalized his absence by suggesting that his presence may not have been essential to the event’s success. “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,” he explained. “When I saw the press release, I’m, like, ‘Oh, cool. Ozzy’s finally doing his last show. This is cool.'”
Gus G continued by reflecting on Ozzy’s determination to perform. “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.”
A significant personal reason also factored into his absence: the birth of his first child. “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 revealed.
He concluded by suggesting that the timing was simply not meant to be. “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 one of metal’s most significant events in recent years. Wikipedia’s documentation of the event reveals that “Back to the Beginning” was far more than just a farewell concert. It was a benefit show where all profits were shared equally between Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. The concert marked the original Black Sabbath lineup’s first performance together in two decades. It reunited Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward for what would be their final appearance as a band.
The event was a massive undertaking in scale and significance. VHND reported that the concert featured an all-star lineup including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, and Alice in Chains. Tom Morello served as musical director. The event sold out in less than 10 minutes when tickets became available in February 2025, demonstrating the immense demand to witness this historic moment.
Despite his exclusion from the lineup, Gus G had previously expressed enthusiasm about the concert’s magnitude. Blabbermouth documented that in an interview before the show in May 2025, Gus G praised the event as “without a doubt the biggest heavy metal show, heavy metal festival ever put together.” This statement underscores his genuine appreciation for the event, even as an observer rather than a participant.
