LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe has reflected on performing at the "Back to the Beginning" benefit concert — Ozzy Osbourne's final live performance — and the terror he felt stepping on stage at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK in July 2025.
Speaking publicly about the historic event, Blythe made clear that the nerves went far beyond typical pre-show jitters. "Dude, I was terrified. But you know what?! Every single other band was," he said, separating this anxiety from ordinary stage fright and placing it in the context of the weight of what the night represented.
The concert was assembled with Tom Morello serving as music director, and it was Morello who extended LAMB OF GOD the invitation to participate. Blythe described the moment backstage when even METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich confided his own terror: "Holy shit, I've never been so nervous in my entire life." The shared dread came from the awareness that they were witnessing something irreplaceable.
"Something like this only happens once in a lifetime," Blythe said, calling it "definitely one of my top shows that LAMB OF GOD ever played."
The band later released a studio recording of their BLACK SABBATH cover "Children of the Grave," performed during the event. Guitarist Mark Morton spoke of the profound honor of sharing a stage with the genre's founding fathers.
Ozzy Osbourne, who performed five solo songs before reuniting with original BLACK SABBATH members for four classics while seated on a throne, passed away on July 22, 2025.