Ozzy Osbourne had no method of figuring out on the time that his Ozzfest 2018 New Yr’s Eve bash on the Kia Discussion board in Inglewood, Calif., could be the final full live performance of his profession.
The Prince of Darkness launched his No Extra Excursions 2 farewell voyage in April 2018, with plans to be on the street a minimum of by 2020. However many well being points (and the coronavirus pandemic) compelled Osbourne to repeatedly postpone the reveals, resulting in his definitive retirement from touring in February 2023.
It was a tragic, unceremonious finish to one of many wildest, most legendarily debauched stay careers in rock historical past. However a minimum of Osbourne went out swinging.
The Ozzfest 2018 lineup was stacked with pageant alumni, together with fellow shock-rockers Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, in addition to Korn singer Jonathan Davis. Ice-T’s Physique Rely, horror-punks Wednesday 13, excessive metallic band DevilDriver and guitarist Zakk Wylde’s Black Sabbath cowl band, Zakk Sabbath, rounded out the invoice.
The entire acts warmed up the roughly 17,000-strong crowd for Osbourne, who delivered a customary set of solo and Black Sabbath classics, together with “Bark on the Moon,” “Mr. Crowley,” “No Extra Tears,” “Battle Pigs,” “Loopy Prepare” and “Paranoid.” The metallic godfather’s hunched posture and ragged vocals had been telltale indicators of a half-century of rocking, however Osbourne was energetic and lucid the entire evening, leaping up and down, main the gang in supersized singalongs and baiting them together with his signature “Let’s go loopy!” exhortations.
Wylde, too, carried a lot of the night together with his dizzying solos and pinch harmonic squeals, even wading into the gang throughout an prolonged outro solo on “Battle Pigs.”
Watch Ozzy Osbourne Carry out ‘Battle Pigs’ at Ozzfest 2018
Osbourne took the stage a pair extra occasions following the ultimate Ozzfest, reuniting with former Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi on the 2022 Commonwealth Video games closing ceremony and enjoying a brisk, two-song set on the 2022 NFL kickoff. However his 2018 New Yr’s Eve extravaganza marked a becoming, albeit unplanned, finish to his full concert events. He wasn’t bluffing when he claimed in a number of well being updates that his voice was nonetheless sturdy, though his physique was weak.
In his retirement announcement, Osbourne additionally appeared to go away the door open for future one-off performances which might be much less bodily taxing than a full-scale tour. “My group is at the moment arising with concepts for the place I will carry out with out having to journey from metropolis to metropolis and nation to nation,” he mentioned. “I need to thank my household, my band, my crew, my longtime associates [and planned 2023 tour mates] Judas Priest and, after all, my followers for his or her limitless dedication, loyalty and help, and for giving me the life that I by no means ever dreamed I might have. I really like you all.”
