Wolfgang Van Halen pulls out of Black Sabbath farewell show
Wolfgang Van Halen has confirmed he will no longer be performing at Black Sabbath‘s farewell show next month due to scheduling conflicts.
On July 5th at Villa Park in Birmingham, Black Sabbath will play together for one final time, which also will mark the first time that the band’s original line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward have shared a stage in more than two decades.
Earlier this week, the heavy metal pioneers shared a picture on social media of them in rehearsals ahead of the Villa Park reunion, and excitement is palpable.
At the all-day affair, which is aptly called Back to the Beginning, Osbourne will also deliver a short solo set in addition to his performance with Black Sabbath, and Villa Park will welcome a series of the biggest names in rock.
The line-up for the festivities also includes Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon, Tool as well as members of Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Ghost, and Faith No More.
However, Wolfgang Van Halen, who was previously listed to perform, is now no longer able to fulfil the obligation due to an upcoming tour with Creed.
The guitarist told WRIF Detroit: “I, unfortunately, had to back out because the Creed tour starts the day after, and I wouldn’t be able to pull it off — unfortunately. I’m very excited to watch it, but I unfortunately had to back out.”
Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Osbourne looked ahead to the show and explained why he’s ready to bow out on his own terms. He admitted: “Even if it was a regular gig, I would be a nervous wreck. I was born nervous. Right now, I’m feeling grateful and proud and I’m sure I’ll be feeling dozens more emotions on the day of the show.”
While rock stars often fail to stick to their word when it comes to retirement, Osbourne, who has Parkinson’s, has no plans to stage a comeback, stating, “After this show, I’m going home, closing the door and will look back upon the great career I’ve had. But I’m done, done, done! You gotta know when to call it quits.”
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