Rob from Hud Zay Expresses Disappointment at Missing Final Black Sabbath Show: ‘I Had No Idea What Was Happening!’

Halford’s Feelings About Missing The Final Black Sabbath Show

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford expressed that he was “gutted” not to be part of Black Sabbath’s final show, only learning about the concert when it was too late.

• Read more: Sharon Osbourne and Tony Iommi discuss the final Black Sabbath: “Usually this thing is done when you are dead”

The Historic Performance at Villa Park

On July 5, the last performance by the legendary metal group will take place at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham. Ozzy Osbourne will also celebrate his final living performance.

This was announced back in February, and it features a lineup that includes some of the largest names in metal. Among the first announced acts were Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Gojira, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Korn, and others. Later additions included Tool, Guns N’ Roses, Jason Momoa, Anthrax, Soundgarden, and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine is taking on the role of musical director, which he considers an “honor”.

While the lineup boasts huge names, one of the absentees is Halford’s band, Judas Priest, who are icons of the heavy metal genre. In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Halford elaborated on why the group would not participate and reiterated his disappointment at missing this significant gathering.

Halford’s Schedule Conflict

On the same night as the “Villa Park” show, “Judas Priest” will perform alongside the Scorpions in Hanover, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the German hard rock group. Halford explained that this commitment was made before the announcement of the Black Sabbath event.

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“I had no idea that this was happening,” he said. “We knew this guy of Ozzy Hoppe – he is like a god in Germany for metal – and he came to see me on one of our last shows, asking, ‘Would you think about doing something really special and important?’ I agreed to join Scorpions for their 60th anniversary in their hometown. Would you work with the group?”

“I just said, ‘Done! We have no other plans, it’s all good,’” added the last law hitmaker. “All this was announced… And suddenly, I got this phone call from Sharon Osbourne, saying: ‘Robbie, I know you have this concert with Scorpions, but could you consider doing something with Ozzy and the guys? They would like to see you.’”

Halford went on to reveal that Sharon suggested he could fly to Birmingham and back on a private jet to perform.

“My mind went to Phil Collins when he managed to do that, going from London to Philadelphia to play two concerts in one night,” he recalled, but ultimately turned down the offer, thinking it could be “dangerous.”

“Even with a private aircraft, there’s the concept of ‘technical issues,’ where something can go wrong, or weather conditions may cause problems… I felt absolutely gutted.”

While there are no current Judas Priest members scheduled for the finale, Halford emphasized that K.K. Downing, who was the band’s guitarist from its inception until 2011, would represent the “spirit of the group”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgsbyr327a8

A massive concert in Birmingham is less than two months away, but there is still uncertainty regarding how much Ozzy Osbourne will perform. In a recent interview, the singer confirmed that the event would not consist of complete sets with Sabbath or his solo band, suggesting he might just “sit” for the performance.

Previously, Sammy Hagar, who is also on the lineup, indicated that Osbourne hoped to perform a total of five songs, while Maynard James Keenan of Tool mentioned that it may require “modern miracles” to bring the frontman to the stage again.

Guitarist Zakk Wylde hinted that the Prince of Darkness might perform from a “throne that flies over the stadium,” and speaking with NME, Sharon noted that despite Ozzy’s struggles with Parkinson’s, he feels “really magnificent” and it does not affect his voice.

The night will be hosted by Aquaman actor Jason Momoa, who recently told NME that it would be the “greatest show in the world,” while Tom Morello teased that there would be some “surprises” from “massive superstars.”

As for Judas Priest, after their show with Scorpions in July, the band will hit the road again in 2025 for a co-headlining tour with Alice Cooper, featuring concerts across North America, Europe, and the UK, including a stop at the O2 in London on July 25. Get UK tickets here and here for North American and European tickets.