Black Sabbath‘s star-studded Back To The Beginning extravaganza – which featured both the last-ever performance from the legendary quartet’s original line-up and a final bow from frontman Ozzy Osbourne as a solo artist – was an emotional day for all in attendance, artists and audience alike.
But Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has admitted that the weight of the occasion actually caused him to burst into tears before the gates of Villa Park were even opened to the public on July 5, as he was one of a handful of people privileged to be inside Aston Villa’s home ground two days earlier, on July 3, when a seated Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward soundchecked for their big night.
“There was literally nobody in the stadium except security and me and this person from another famous alternative band,” Corgan revealed in a new interview with Los Angeles radio station KROQ on Wednesday, July 30, choosing not to disclose the name of the other musician watching on.
“We were literally watching Black Sabbath soundcheck with Ozzy for the last time, and Ozzy saw us down there and did the famous Ozzy… peace sign to both of us down, and smiled,” Corgan added. “That’s the moment I’ll always hold on to, because it was in that private moment where it was just us and the band.
“Both me and the other person… we both started crying because we couldn’t believe this magical dream of this band in our lives was coming to an end.”
For the record, Louder can reveal that the other musician present was Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, once a member of Ozzy’s touring band.
Billy Corgan went on to talk about discovering Black Sabbath at the age of eight, via an uncle’s copy of the band’s third album, Master Of Reality, and how it profoundly changed him, and continues to resonate.
Needless to say, July 5, was a special day for the 58-year-old musician, who performed Judas Priest classic Breaking The Law and Sabbath’s Snowblind on the day, alongside the concert’s musical director Tom Morello, in the first line-up of all-star ‘Supergroup B’ paying tribute to the Godfathers of Metal.
“To be with them on that day, it was like a magical dream,” Corgan said. “It was such an amazing event to be part of. It was the greatest musical event I think I’ve ever been a part of as sort of a one-day thing. It was so incredible. Everyone was playing their hearts out because there was so much love for Ozzy and the band.”
Asked if he had any fears over Ozzy Osbourne’s health upon seeing him in Birmingham, given his death just weeks later on July 22, Corgan replied, “He was obviously not at 100 per cent, [but] I saw nothing in his spirit that told me that he was anywhere near the end of his life.
“Talking about it with the band,” he added, “we were almost thinking that maybe this concert was the thing that kept him going. Maybe the idea that there was this rainbow at the end of this particular road, maybe that kept his spirits up.
“And I am not saying once it was over, he was over,” he added. “I’m just saying maybe the concert actually elongated his life because he had something to fight for, something to strive for, and to see how much that show and those artists meant to him.”
Watch the KROQ interview in full below.
