A world-first photography exhibition has opened in Birmingham celebrating the final live solo performance of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s original line-up alongside a host of metal artists.
Spanning 60 metres at Grand Central, above New Street Station, Back to the Beginning- The Exhibition features not only stunning photographs of Ozzy and band mates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, but also some of the biggest names in rock and metal history.
There’s even an ultimate rock selfie moment that allows fans to join the historic line-up. Space has been left for fans to stand by a huge 9m digital wallpaper graphic featuring most of the global superstars who took part.
All stadium-filling artists in their own right, the who’s who of rock appeared for free at the Back to the Beginning concert a year ago to honour Ozzy and Black Sabbath at Villa Park.
They included Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Mastodon and Rival Sons – who all feature in this new one-off must-see exhibition.
They were joined by a host of all-star supergroups featuring legendary musicians including Tom Morello, Yungblud, Chad Smith, Jake E. Lee, Steven Tyler, Ronnie Wood, Billy Corgan, Travis Barker, Tobias Forge (Ghost), Sammy Hagar, plus many more outstanding artists.
The one-off exhibition opened today (Friday July 3) and commemorates the first anniversary of Back to the Beginning. It features images captured by legendary rock photographers Mark “WEISSGUY” Weiss and Ross Halfin.
It has been curated and commissioned by Central BID, the Business Improvement District for the city’s main retail and hospitality area that was also behind the Black Sabbath mural in Navigation Street and curating the Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. The space has been kindly provided by Hammerson, owners of Bullring and Grand Central.
Free to view, it is set to be one of the highlights of the summer in Birmingham alongside another new attraction of Ozzy’s iconic throne from the final concert, which is now on show at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
Sam Watson, Chair of Central BID, said: “We’re delighted to bring this incredible exhibition to honour Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath in their beloved home city with images from two of the most renowned rock photographers in the world, Mark ‘WEISSGUY’ Weiss and Ross Halfin.
“It celebrates our local heroes and the world’s greatest rock stars and, working together with Bullring and Grand Central, we hope it will attract even more music fans to visit Birmingham and enjoy its rich musical heritage as the birthplace of heavy metal.”
Dan Murphy, Destination Director at Bullring, said: “Back to the Beginning was a truly historic moment for Birmingham and for music fans around the world. We’re delighted to host this free-to-view exhibition at Grand Central, giving visitors a unique opportunity to relive that incredible event and experience a celebration of some of rock’s most iconic artists in the heart of the city.”
The sold-out concert became one of the most incredible rock concerts of all time. It was a homecoming, a celebration, a farewell to the greatest rock frontman of all time and Black Sabbath who defined rock and heavy metal for more than half a century and continues to inspire fans and musicians worldwide.
Together, the rock stars that took part paid tribute to the enduring influence of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath through performances of their own music, alongside classic Ozzy and Sabbath songs.
The concert raised much-needed funds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Acorns Children’s Hospice and Cure Parkinson’s.
Find the exhibition in Grand Central, above New Street Station concourse, near Foyles bookshop.