BREAKING: Black Sabbath Founder Tony Iommi W…read more.
When the lights went down inside Birmingham’s Genting Arena back in February 2017, the air was thick with emotion. For thousands of die-hard fans, this was the end of a musical era. But for Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath’s iconic guitarist, it was more than just a farewell it was an incredibly personal, nerve-wracking moment.
Speaking candidly in a recent interview, Iommi revealed that despite decades of performing for massive crowds around the world, stepping on stage for that final show brought a wave of anxiety unlike anything he had felt before.
“You’d think after all these years I’d be immune to stage fright,” he said with a soft laugh. “But that night, knowing it was the last time, I was a bundle of nerves. It was emotional overwhelming, really.”
Black Sabbath’s final concert wasn’t just another date on the tour. It was a return to where it all began Birmingham, their hometown, the city that shaped them. The band Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, and Geezer Butler stood on stage one last time, not just as legends, but as friends saying goodbye to a shared life.
“I kept thinking, ‘This is the end.’ No more rehearsals, no more tours. That thought stayed with me the whole night,” Iommi shared. “It wasn’t sadness, exactly just this deep feeling of finality. It meant everything.”
Throughout the night, the band delivered a thunderous set packed with their greatest hits “Iron Man,” “War Pigs,” “Children of the Grave” with the crowd singing every word. Ozzy’s energy was as high as ever, while Geezer delivered a powerful performance on bass. But behind the scenes, Iommi admits the emotion was hard to contain.
“You could feel the weight of it in the air. We all felt it,” he said. “We were holding back tears at times. It was a beautiful, emotional send-off.”
Despite the emotional turmoil, Iommi’s performance was flawless. His guitar work carried the same fire it had for decades, as if his fingers were telling the story of the band’s entire journey.
Since then, Iommi has stayed involved with music in smaller ways solo work, collaborations, and guest appearances but the finality of that Sabbath show still resonates.
“That night gave us a proper send-off. It was the closure we needed,” he said. “I’ll never forget it. I was nervous, sure, but it was worth every second.”
For fans and the band alike, that final bow in Birmingham wasn’t just the end of a concert. It was the closing chapter of a legacy that reshaped rock music forever.
