Metallica are one of the many prestigious metal and rock acts performing at the upcoming “Back to the Beginning” concert marking the final performances from Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Drummer Lars Ulrich says he’d be at the July 5th show in Birmingham, England, even if his band wasn’t on the bill.
Heavy Consequence recently caught up with Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo at the Tribeca Festival red-carpet premiere of the new documentary Metallica Saved My Life in New York City. We couldn’t let them go without asking about playing the final Black Sabbath show, as well as the legacy of the heavy metal godfathers.
“Black Sabbath and Ozzy is a significant part of the reason you and I are standing here and having a conversation today,” began Ulrich. “There’s no place on planet Earth I would rather be on July 5th. If we weren’t playing, I would still be there.”
The drummer continued, “I started seeing Black Sabbath in Copenhagen in the late ’70s, Sabotage tour, AC/DC opening. It goes back a long way. We have to be there. We were [also] fortunate enough to be asked to induct them into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and our path with them is just filled with love and appreciation.”
Trujillo added that the members of Metallica all had similar first experiences hearing Black Sabbath’s music for the first time: “We were in someone’s bedroom or living room, listening to the [debut] album, and scaring the crap out of ourselves with that first track, ‘Black Sabbath.'”
In addition to Metallica, and the final Sabbath and Ozzy performances, the “Back to the Beginning” concert will feature Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Pantera, Slayer, Gojira, and dozens of other music acts. Fans who can’t make it to the show can view the all-day concert via a paid livestream.
Watch our interview with Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich above, and also be sure to check out Part 1 of the conversation in which they discuss the documentary Metallica Saved My Life.
Trouble viewing the interview in the player above? Watch on YouTube.
