Ozzy plays live with Sabbath

[Seshmeister]

Surprised he managed even this but he didn't exactly do the splits off the drum riser.

Commonwealth Games: Ozzy Osbourne surprise appearance headlines Birmingham 2022 closing ceremony



Legendary Birmingham rocker Ozzy Osbourne made a surprise appearance to bring the curtain down on a hugely successful Commonwealth Games in fabulous fashion.

Osbourne and his band Black Sabbath received a rapturous ovation from the 30,000 capacity crowd at the Alexander Stadium as they provided a fitting climax to a star-studded closing ceremony.

The 73-year-old 'Prince of Darkness' has not performed for several years due to ill health.

"I love you, Birmingham - it's good to be back!" he shouted as he rose through the stage to round off the show with classic hit Paranoid.

[FORD]

No Geezer??

[Seshmeister]

No comment on his Twitter, maybe he's not keeping well either.

[Terry]

Really.

More like Ozzy Osbourne with special guest Tony Iommi than anything I'd call 'Black Sabbath'.

Good to see Tony still up and kicking, though.

[Seshmeister]

True.

[Nickdfresh]

The only thing Ozzy ever spit on stage was his pants...

[FORD]

Watching this again... is Ozzy being propped up by some sort of mechanical device? There seems to be some metallic brace-like structure behind him. You can see flashes of it now and then, but the oversized black robe he's wearing manages to conceal it pretty well. Considering Ozzy usually likes to shuffle around on stage, it is kind of unusual for him to stand in place for even one entire song. Maybe this is why? He didn't move much.... because he can't.

[Fairwrning]

Watching this again... is Ozzy being propped up by some sort of mechanical device? There seems to be some metallic brace-like structure behind him. You can see flashes of it now and then, but the oversized black robe he's wearing manages to conceal it pretty well. Considering Ozzy usually likes to shuffle around on stage, it is kind of unusual for him to stand in place for even one entire song. Maybe this is why? He didn't move much.... because he can't.

Piped in vocals imo..no way he keeps that tone at his age " Jumping" and singing..

[twonabomber]

I read that Ozzy came up through the stage. So probably one of those braces like Stanley and Simmons use when the platforms come down from the rafters.

[Seshmeister]

Definitely possible. I need to listen again - I thought the singing was maybe live. There are certain (many) parts of Ozzy songs that at this point I've been listening to him sing out of tune for close to 40 years now but Paranoid he usually would get through fine. Like Jump it has always been weird for many big fans because it was usually closing with the least enjoyable song of the set but it was not a difficult song to sing.

[FORD]

I read that Ozzy came up through the stage. So probably one of those braces like Stanley and Simmons use when the platforms come down from the rafters.

Yeah, you can actually see at least a couple seconds of Ozzy's platform rising up from beneath the stage at the beginning of this clip. So that probably explains it....

[Terry]

Definitely possible. I need to listen again - I thought the singing was maybe live. There are certain (many) parts of Ozzy songs that at this point I've been listening to him sing out of tune for close to 40 years now but Paranoid he usually would get through fine. Like Jump it has always been weird for many big fans because it was usually closing with the least enjoyable song of the set but it was not a difficult song to sing.

I took a closer look at the clip.

The vocals are steady/even in terms of the volume level - with no fading at all - yet Ozzy is bopping up and down with his mouth periodically moving away from the mic.

Also, he appears to say a single word aside - an unrehearsed "yeah!" perhaps from the looks of it - into the mic at one point yet no vocals of any kind are heard.

Lip synching probably. Although pointing that out for any singer these days is so much fish in a barrel.

[Vinnie Velvet]

That wasn't Black Sabbath. Come on.

Clearly the vocals are canned to but kudos to him for even managing to stand and bop up and down.

[Vinnie Velvet]

Watching this again... is Ozzy being propped up by some sort of mechanical device? There seems to be some metallic brace-like structure behind him. You can see flashes of it now and then, but the oversized black robe he's wearing manages to conceal it pretty well. Considering Ozzy usually likes to shuffle around on stage, it is kind of unusual for him to stand in place for even one entire song. Maybe this is why? He didn't move much.... because he can't.

Ah yes I took another look. Clearly he is being propped up by something. And vocals are canned.

I bet Sharon will try to keep Oz up on stage even when dead.

[Terry]

Ah yes I took another look. Clearly he is being propped up by something. And vocals are canned.

I bet Sharon will try to keep Oz up on stage even when dead.

Via hologram, no doubt.

Frankly, with more than a few of these aging rock geezers, I'd opt for a hologram of them in their prime than the real deal at 70 years old miming.