Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler reunite for Aston Villa
Aston Villa have dropped an instant classic of an advert as they reunite local Black Sabbath legends Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler ahead of the new Premier League season starting next month.
The advert for their new home shirt opens with Osbourne, who talks on the phone in his garden with his bulldog lingering in the background, also wearing the new Aston Villa top. The Black Sabbath singer says down the line, “Hey, Geezer,” after which the camera cuts to the Sabbath bassist. Geezer replies, “Alright, Oz.” Osbourne then says, “Let’s play Villa Park,” to which the bassist responds, “As long as I’m left wing.”
The band’s classic ‘Paranoid’ plays in the background for most of the advert and is only cut off when Geezer Butler plays a vinyl record of the Champions League theme. This is a celebration of the fact that by finishing in the top four of the Premier League last year, a feat which Aston Villa hasn’t achieved for some time, the team qualified for Champions League football.
The advert also features cameos from Aston Villa legends and a variety of funny quips from Sabbath. One moment sees Osbourne yelling after his wife, Sharon, asking if she’d “Seen his preds,” referring to the famous Adidas football boot. There is also the announcement over the tannoy that the number 11 for the game will be for the “Prince of Darkness.” When captain John McGinn asks, “Whose that?” Osbourne quickly replies, “The biggest frontman to ever come out of Birmingham.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the two have reunited in the name of Aston Villa, given how much adoration they both hold for their club. They have spoken about this in the past to a great extent, with Osbourne even hinting that he would like to do a special farewell show at Villa Park.
Osbourne announced he couldn’t tour again as his health wouldn’t allow it, but he’s not ruled out returning home for a special performance. “I’m not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy,” he said, “What’s the fucking point in that? I’m not going up there in a fucking wheelchair.”
Sharon added, “He won’t tour again, but we are planning on doing two more shows to say goodbye as he feels like, ‘I have never said goodbye to my fans, and I want to say goodbye’…” She continued, “His voice is still absolutely perfect. And all the time he has been off, he still does his singing lessons. Even if you don’t like his music, you can’t not like Ozzy… We will do it in Aston Villa, where Ozzy is from.”
Butler also confirmed he was interested in reuniting Black Sabbath at Villa Park, but admitted it all comes down to whether drummer Bill Ward would be fit to perform. “Of course there’s an interest,” he said, “But there’s a big but – you’d have to speak to Bill about it. Everybody wants to do it (but I don’t know if he is) capable.”
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