During an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show” on Wednesday (Aug. 6th), Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich reflected on performing at Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s finale show “Back to the Beginning” just 17 days before the legendary frontman passed away.
When asked by Stern if he experienced any “pinch-me moments” at the concert, Lars replied:
“Well, of course. I mean, listen, my relationships with these guys go back to opening for Ozzy on ‘The Ultimate Sin’ tour in 1986. Really, Ozzy and [his wife and manager] Sharon introduced Metallica to a mainstream audience.
“Tom [Morello, Rage Against the Machine guitarist and ‘Back To The Beginning’ music curator] called and said, ‘We think this can happen next summer. Will you be there?’ And, of course, we were, ‘F*ck yeah.’ You walk in and it’s, ‘Oh my God. There’s [Aerosmith frontman] Steven Tyler.’ ‘Oh my God. There’s [Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer] Chad Smith.’ ‘Oh my god. There’s [former Van Halen frontman] Sammy Hagar.’ ‘Oh my God there’s Yungblud!’”
Describing the group photo he and the other performers got to take with Ozzy and Black Sabbath ahead of the show, Ulrich said:
“He was there and the Sabbath guys were there and we all positioned ourselves around [Ozzy] and Ross [Halfin, photographer] was directing traffic and he asked me to sit on the armrest of Ozzy’s throne next to Ozzy.”
“That was kind of like front row. And we hugged it out. The soundcheck was the next day.”
Ulrich continued, explaining that he and his Metallica bandmates were some of the lucky few who got to watch Black Sabbath soundcheck for the show.
“I think there was a sense from all the musicians and fans of Black Sabbath, we were hoping for the best, we wanted it to be the best, we wanted it to be a grand slam, but we didn’t know, because ultimately none of us knew what kind of shape they were in.
“And then they started playing ‘War Pigs’, and I think instantly for all of us who were watching, it was just, like, ‘Okay, it’s gonna be fine. They sound great, if not better than ever.’ And then Ozzy came in singing. Everybody was just, like, ‘They’re gonna f*cking kill it.’
“Nobody walked away going, ‘That’s the last time we’ll see Ozzy.’ [We thought], ‘We’ll see him at some event, or we’ll be there to present another award for him.’ So when he passed two weeks later, we were all just so stunned. That was the word that was being texted around to everybody on the text chains that I was on: ‘This is just so f*cking stunning.’
“At the same time, he got to accomplish that concert that had been in him since before COVID. Maybe it was just the load off his shoulders that he got to accomplish what he wanted, and then maybe he just sort of let go. Who knows?”
