Guns N’ Roses Perform 4 Black Sabbath Covers at Back to the Beginning Concert

Guns N’ Roses Back to the Beginning concert was nothing short of spectacular. The band performed a six-song set at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show, which included four Black Sabbath covers.

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Guns N’ Roses began their time on stage with a four-song Black Sabbath tribute. They played 1976’s “It’s Alright,” as well as 1978’s “Never Say Die” and “Junior’s Eyes.”

Axl Rose and Slash’s band concluded the Black Sabbath covers with a performance of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” the title track off of the group’s 1973 album.

Guns N’ Roses ended their time on stage by playing some of their own music: “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City,” both of which were released in 1987.

Back to the Beginning, which was held at Birmingham’s Villa Park, saw frontman Ozzy Osbourne reunite with Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward for the first time in 20 years. It marked Osbourne’s final show ever.

Guns N’ Roses Duff McKagan on Black Sabbath’s Impact

In a YouTube video ahead of the highly-anticipated concert, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan spoke about Osbourne’s impact on both himself and music as a whole.

“Ozzy’s been a constant since I was six years old… I remember hearing [Black Sabbath’s] ‘Iron Man’ for the first time… [thinking] ‘Wow.’ It’s like a cartoon thing. And ‘What is this song?’ It was kind of accessible for me,” he said. “A few years later when I started playing guitar, I could figure that song out.”

Through it all, McKagan said, “Sabbath and Ozzy just remained a constant.”

As for Osbourne himself, he discussed his emotions leading up to the concert in a Q&A.

“It’s my final encore; it’s my chance to say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me,” he said. “I hope they feel appreciated for how much they mean to me.”

As Birmingham is the birthplace of Black Sabbath, Osbourne noted, “I couldn’t have done my final show anywhere else. I had to go back to the beginning.”

“It’s a goodbye as far as my live performances go,” he concluded, “and what a way to go out.”

Photo by Luis Gutierrez/Norte Photo/Getty Images