Watch: Ozzy, Motörhead and more ‘perform’ at virtual metaverse Ozzfest
It was billed as the first real life musical festival in the metaverse
Ozzy Osbourne, Motörhead and Megadeth topped the bill at Ozzfest 2022, which took place in a virtual format in the metaverse this weekend.
Black Label Society, Skid Row, The Raven Age and Britof rounded off the line-up, with the Ozzfest segment being part of the wider Decentraland Metaverse Music Festival.
Watch: Ozzy Osbourne in the metaverse
Decentraland said: "Set in an otherworldly cyberpunk landscape being reclaimed by nature, the Festival will feature 15 uniquely designed stages that will see performances from 100+ musical artists from across a wide variety of genres, as well as new interactive experiences.”
While there have been wholly virtual music festivals before, Ozzfest 2022 was billed as the first ‘real world’ festival to have been taken into VR.
Watch: Motörhead in the metaverse
The ‘performances’ varied in format. Ozzy and the late Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead fame were represented by digital avatars playing on small stages in the virtual arena.
Other bands appeared to be present only through existing music videos being shown in the virtual world.
Watch: Megadeth in the metaverse
The event was free and ‘attendees’ were also represented by avatars, who could run, jump, dance and even fly around the site.
Plenty of fan-recorded footage has since surfaced on platforms such as YouTube.
Osbourne said ahead of the event: "I'm thrilled to be bringing Ozzfest to the metaverse. This allows me and the other bands on the bill to reach our fans in a new innovative way.”
Gallery: Ozzy Osbourne through the years
Career Beginnings: Black Sabbath is formed
The story of Black Sabbath begins in Birmingham, all the way back in 1968. With a desire to escape a life of factory work, school friends Ozzy Osbourne (real name John Michael Osbourne), Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Terence Geezer Butler decided to form a blues band together.
Originally known as Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth, the band eventually settled on the name Black Sabbath and created their own style, made up of thunderous riffs, dark lyrics and foreboding music. The band released their debut self-titled album in 1970, which many claim gave birth to the heavy metal genre.
1973: Black Sabbath release 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'
Having essentially invented heavy metal music with their seminal studio albums 'Paranoid', 'Master of Reality' and 'Vol.4', somewhat bizarrely, Black Sabbath were received with a muted response by the media. In November 1973, Black Sabbath released their critically acclaimed fifth studio album, 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and it all changed. This was the first time Sabbath had received favourable reviews from the mainstream press, with Rolling Stone calling the album "nothing less than a complete success".
'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' marked the band's fifth consecutive platinum selling album in the US and it reached number four on the UK charts and number eleven in the US.
1979: Ozzy is fired from Black Sabbath
On the 27th April 1979, Black Sabbath fired Ozzy Osbourne after his increasingly erratic drink and drug-fuelled behaviour started to prevent the band from recording new material. This was during a difficult time musically for the band, who had been struggling to find motivation after their albums, 'Never Say Die!' and 'Technical Ecstasy' were both poorly received. Tony Iommi later said he had no choice but to fire Ozzy.
1980: The start of Ozzy's solo career
After being fired from Black Sabbath, Ozzy was signed by manager, Don Arden - father of his future wife Sharon - and started his solo career. With the help of legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads, Rainbow bassist Bob Daisley and Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake, Ozzy created his seminal 'Blizzard of Ozz' LP, which was released in 1980.
Despite thinking his career was over after leaving the band, Blizzard of Ozz went on to be a huge success. It has sold over 6,000,000 copies to date worldwide, making it Ozzy's best-selling solo album. The most popular track from the album 'Crazy Train" reached number 9 on Billboard's Top Tracks chart upon its release and has since achieved 2× Platinum certification status.
1982: Ozzy marries Sharon Arden
Ozzy got married to Sharon Arden in Maui, Hawaii on 4th July 1982, shortly after completing the divorce from his first wife, Thelma. The couple originally met in 1971 when Sharon's father Don Arden signed Black Sabbath and she was working as a receptionist at his record company.
Eight years later, when Ozzy was kicked out of the band, Sharon agreed to manage his solo career and the couple soon started dating. The couple have three children together, Aimee, Kelly and Jack.
1982: The infamous bat incident
During the 'Diary of a Madman' tour in 1982, Ozzy was playing a show in Des Moines, Iowa in front of a crowd of over 5,000 fans. Mid-show, a fan threw a dead bat on stage which Ozzy bit the head off after mistaking it for a rubber toy. The incident is now firmly entrenched in rock and roll folklore.
This isn't the only time Ozzy has bitten the head off an animal. He also famously bit the heads off two doves during a meeting with record-company executives in 1981.
1983: 'Bark at the Moon' is released
In 1983, Ozzy released his third solo album, 'Bark at the Moon'. This album was the first Ozzy released without his lead guitarist, Randy Rhoads, who had died in a horrific plane crash while the band was on tour the year before.
The album reached number 19 on the Billboard album chart and within just a few weeks, it was certified gold in the US for selling over 500,000 copies. To date, 'Bark at the Moon' has sold over 3 million copies in the US alone.
1985: Black Sabbath briefly reunite
To help raise relief funds for Ethiopia's hunger crisis, Black Sabbath reunited for a 15-minute performance during Live Aid Philadelphia in 1985. During the brief performance, they performed three of their biggest songs, 'Children of the Grave', 'Iron Man' and 'Paranoid.' This was the first time the band had played on stage with Ozzy on vocals since 1979.
1991: Ozzy achieves his first solo Top 40 hit
Ozzy Osbourne achieved his first solo Top 40 hit in 1991, with the power ballad, Mama, I'm Coming Home'. The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard hot 100 chart and reached number 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
'Mama, I'm Coming Home' was the third single from his sixth solo album, 'No More Tears', which is now considered one of Ozzy Osbourne's standout albums.
1993: Ozzy wins his first Grammy Award
Ozzy won a Grammy Award for best metal performance at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards for the song 'I Don't Want To Change The World', which featured on his 'Live & Loud' album (1993). This would be the first of three Grammy awards Ozzy has won during his career.
1996: The Osbournes create Ozzfest
After failing to get Ozzy booked on the popular Lollapalooza festival tour in 1996, Sharon Osbourne decided to create her own festival, known as Ozzfest, dedicated entirely to heavy metal music. The two-day festival brought together a line-up that featured Slayer, Danzig, Sepultura, Biohazard and Fear Factory, with Ozzy as the headline act. Tickets for the event sold out immediately and plans for an annual festival were set in motion.
Since then, Ozzfest has become one of the biggest and most beloved festivals in the world. Not only has it hosted performances from the likes of Black Sabbath, Motley Crue and Metallica, but the festival has also helped several metal artists get their big break.
1997-2000: Black Sabbath reunite
After putting their differences behind them, Ozzy Osbourne reunited Black Sabbath in 1997 to co-headline Ozzfest, alongside Ozzy's solo band. Later that year, all four original members played two shows at the NEC in their hometown of Birmingham.
The recordings of the reunion tour were used for a highly anticipated live album, aptly called 'Reunion'. This was the first time the original band had recorded together since Ozzy was fired from the band in 1979. In 2000, Black Sabbath received their first ever Grammy Award for the live recording of their hit "Iron Man" which featured on the 'Reunion' album.
2001: The Osbournes TV show airs
Ozzy has not only made it big in the music world, but also as a reality TV star. In 2001, The Osbournes aired on MTV and showcased the daily lives of Ozzy, his wife Sharon and two of their children, Jack and Kelly. The series, which lasted until 2005, saw the family deal with major events such as Sharon's battle with cancer and the serious ATV accident that nearly killed Ozzy.
Not only did the show achieve the highest ratings in MTV history, it was also awarded a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program in 2002.
2002: Ozzy is awarded a Hollywood Star
On 12th April 2002, Ozzy was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just outside of Ripley's Believe it Or Not! Museum on Hollywood Boulevard.
2003: 'Changes' tops UK chart
In 2003, Ozzy Osbourne and his daughter, Kelly Osbourne released their version of Black Sabbath's 'Changes', which was originally recorded in 1972 for their Vol.4 album. Ozzy and Kelly changed some of the original lyrics to make the song about a father and daughter drifting apart. The single reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and sold over one million copies worldwide.
2006: Black Sabbath are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
After eight attempts, Black Sabbath was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 13th March 2006, despite Ozzy famously sending a letter in 1999 to tell the institution to "Just take our name off the list." The induction ceremony was hosted by the band Metallica who also did a performance of Black Sabbath hits 'Hole in the Sky' and 'Iron Man'.
2011: Black Sabbath announce reunion
At the end of 2011, All four original members of Black Sabbath hosted a private ceremony at the Whisky a Go-Go in Hollywood, California to announce that they would be reforming and recording new material. Shortly after the ceremony, Black Sabbath announced that they would be doing a European tour the following year. Bill Ward dropped out of the reunion in 2012 citing a contractual dispute, which sparked a war of words between Ward and Sharon Osbourne.
2013-2014: Black Sabbath release '13' and win a Grammy
In 2013, Black Sabbath released their nineteenth and final studio album, '13', This was the first studio album that Ozzy had recorded with the band since 'Never Say Die!' in 1978. It managed to reach number 1 in both the UK album chart and the US billboard chart upon its release.
The album's single "God Is Dead?" won Black Sabbath their first Grammy Award in 14 years for Best Metal Performance the following year.
2017: Black Sabbath say farewell
The End Tour was Black Sabbath's final tour after the band decided they no longer wanted to do world tours due to Tony Iommi's health.
They played their final last show together at a sold-out hometown performance at Birmingham's Genting Arena on the 4th February 2017.
2018: Ozzy Osbourne headlines Download Festival
Ozzy was one of the main headliners, alongside Guns N' Roses and Avenged Sevenfold at Download 2018. Despite playing Download multiple times with Black Sabbath in the past, this was Ozzy's first-ever headlining solo set at the festival. It was also part of his final world tour. During the headline set, Ozzy performed some of his biggest hits including 'Crazy Train', 'Shot in the Dark' and 'Changes'.
2018 to present: Health setbacks
Since late 2018, Ozzy Osbourne has suffered a series of health setbacks, including a potentially deadly staph infection in his hand, pneumonia, emphysema, a serious fall in his bedroom, his Parkinson's disease diagnosis.
Feb 2020: 'Ordinary Man' is released
'Ordinary Man' is Ozzy's twelfth solo studio album and was released in February 2020 and came a decade after his last solo album, 'Scream' (2010). The album peaked at number 3 in the UK chart, which is the highest solo position Ozzy has reached and features collaborations with Elton John and Post Malone.
April 2020: Ozzy gets animated
Ozzy Osbourne lent his voice to the character of King Thrash in the animated movie, Trolls World Tour. King Thrash is a villain from "hard-rock royalty" who "wants to destroy all other kinds of music to let rock reign supreme"- so it's not hard to see why Ozzy was the top choice to play this role. Upon its release in April 2020, Trolls World Tour had the biggest digital debut ever.
This isn't the only time Ozzy has made a cameo appearance in a film. He has previously appeared in Ghostbusters (2016), Gnomeo and Juliet (2011), Little Nicky (2000) and Austin Powers Goldmember (2002) to name but a few.
Sept 2020: 'The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne' documentary is released
In September 2020, a feature-length documentary called 'The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne' was released on A&E, as part of their Biography series. In the film, Ozzy talks openly about the highs and lows of his five-decade-long career, whilst also being frank about his current battle with Parkinsons, his addictions and growing up in Birmingham. Since it was aired, fans have described it as 'the best biography ever'.
September 2021: 30th anniversary version of ‘Hellraiser’ with Lemmy Kilmister
In September 2021, Ozzy shared a 30th anniversary version of 'Hellraiser', featuring vocals from both himself and late Motörhead legend Lemmy Kilmister.
February 2023: Ozzy retires from touring
On 1st February 2023, Ozzy Osbourne shared a heartfelt statement announcing that he was retiring from touring and therefore cancelling his UK, Ireland and European dates. Explaining to fans that it's "one of the hardest things I've ever had to share", Ozzy said his "only purpose" in the past few years was to get back on stage following his series of health setbacks. However, despite his best efforts, his "body is still physically weak."
February 2023: Two Grammy Award wins
Just a few days after Ozzy announced his retirement, he was awarded two gongs at the 2023 Grammys - Best Rock Album for 'Patient Number 9' and Best Metal Performance for 'Degradation Rules' featuring Tony Iommi.