With only two months left, until Black Sabbath performs their last live show ever, basic bassist Geezer Butler has admitted some intense anxiety in front of performance.
The band’s last performance takes place as part of The Back to the Beginning Concert, which takes place in Birmingham, England on July 5. The event will see the band’s classic line-up-up by frontman Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Butler and drummer Bill Ward-Play Live together for the first time in two years countless others join the bill as well.
While Osbourne has not performed a complete set since December 31, 2018 – two months before his diagnosis of Parkinson’s – he has previously tempered expectations of the upcoming concert and notes that he does not “plan to make a set of black sabbath,” but rather “small bits and pieces” with the group. “I do what I can, where I am well,” he explained.
Talking to The Guardian At the forefront of the July event, Butler admitted that although he is unsure how the performance will roll out or how Osbourne’s health can affect the show, the high expectations behind such a concert have left him to feel incredibly anxious.
“I already have the heartbeat,” he noted. “In fact, I had a nightmare last night. I dreamed that everything went wrong on stage and we turned all to dust. It’s important that we leave a good impression as this is the last time people will experience us live. So it has to be good at night.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Osbourne again pointed out that Black Sabbath does not plan to perform a full -length set. “We only play a few songs each,” he explained. “I don’t want people to think, ‘we’re ripped off’ because it’s just going to be … What’s the word? … a trial you get a few songs each of Ozzy and Sabbath.”
Although Osbourne also noted that he has undergone a comprehensive training as part of his preparation for the show, the end result will undoubtedly be far different from what fans may have hoped for, but as much as he can handle considering his health circumstances.
“I’m used to making two hours on stage, jumping and running around,” he said. “I don’t think I will do much to jump or run around this time. I might be sitting down, but the point is that I am there and I will do the best I can. So all I can do is to show up.”