At this year’s Brutal Assault festival, Kerry King took a moment to look back on one of the biggest events in metal history: Back To The Beginning, the farewell performance from Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath.
King, who’s now touring Europe with his solo band, said he made a point to soak in the entire day. He caught Mastodon and Halestorm early on, watched Alice in Chains soundcheck the night before, and then parked himself in front of a giant LED screen backstage to watch Ozzy and Sabbath. “It was basically like having a private front-row seat,” he said. He even jumped on stage later with Metallica, calling the whole day “a good one.” With Ozzy passing shortly afterward, King says he’s grateful he got to be part of it.
Remembering Ozzy
Looking back, King thinks his first meeting with Ozzy was probably in the late ’90s during the trial run of Ozzfest, when Slayer played some of the earliest shows in Southern California and Phoenix. He laughed, admitting he doesn’t remember it clearly. One standout memory for him was running into Tony Lommi at a hotel during one of those tours. Starstruck, he just muttered a quick “Hey, Tony” and kept walking, trying not to fanboy too hard. Over the years, though, he says he and Iommi went from being strangers to something closer to friends. “He’s one of my superheroes,” King said.
Slayer’s Tribute
Slayer honored Ozzy in a big way during Back To The Beginning. Their six-song set included classics like “Disciple,” “War Ensemble,” “South of Heaven,” “Raining Blood,” and “Angel of Death,” with a special nod to Sabbath via a cover of “Wicked World.”
King’s new solo band—which features Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), Phil Demmel (Machine Head, Vio-Lence), Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah), and Paul Bostaph (Slayer, Testament, Exodus)—also paid tribute at their European tour kickoff in Frankfurt on July 29, performing “Wicked World” just a week after Ozzy’s passing.
SOURCE: BlabberMouth