MEGADETH’s DAVE MUSTAINE Reached Out to Join OZZY OSBOURNE and BLACK SABBATH’s 'Back To The Beginning' Final Show, But 'Nothing Came of It', Says LOMENZO
Summary
- Megadeth was not invited to perform at the Back To The Beginning concert, despite speculation around their absence.
- James LoMenzo confirmed Dave Mustaine reached out during their Europe tour, but nothing came of it.
- Former bassist David Ellefson did appear, playing with one of the show’s supergroups at Villa Park.
Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo says the band was not invited to perform at “Back To The Beginning”, the high-profile charity concert that celebrated Black Sabbath’s final show. The event took place in Birmingham, UK on July 5.
In a conversation with Charrie Foglio, shared in the Back To The Beginning - Black Sabbath’s Final Concert Facebook group, LoMenzo said he doesn’t believe an invitation was ever extended.
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“I don’t believe that anybody asked us, which was fine. Not everybody gets invited to every party,” he told Foglio during a July 9 interview for Japan’s BURRN! magazine.
Mustaine Tried to Join
According to LoMenzo, Dave Mustaine did try to get in touch with event organizers while Megadeth was on tour in Europe.
“David said he was reaching out to everybody and telling them we were in the neighborhood,” LoMenzo said. “He said if they wanted us, we could stay over for a few days and work it out… but nothing came of it, so we just came home.”
He added that people had already been wondering why Megadeth, one of thrash metal’s “Big Four” bands, was missing from the event.
“It was really funny to read because there was no invite and no talking to people,” he said. “There was actually nothing to do with any of it.”
LoMenzo Was Aware
LoMenzo knew about the concert well in advance. He has been working with original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward on Ward’s upcoming solo album.
“Every now and then I get a call from Bill’s assistant, Walter, asking me to record a song. That always blows my mind.”
Ward had mentioned the concert months earlier, noting he was talking to Ozzy Osbourne daily due to health concerns. LoMenzo said he was happy to see the show happen, especially because it allowed Ward to perform one last time with his bandmates.
No Hard Feelings
Despite being left out, LoMenzo said there’s no bad blood.
“I don’t see it as controversy or anything,” he said. “I do know that conspicuously we were missing, but nobody was invited.”
Ellefson Did Perform
Oddly enough, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, who was fired in 2021, did take part in the show. He played in one of the night’s supergroups, joining performances of:
- “The Ultimate Sin” with Lzzy Hale, Nuno Bettencourt, Jake E. Lee, Mike Bordin, and Adam Wakeman
- “Shot In The Dark” with David Draiman, Jake E. Lee, Mike Bordin, and Adam Wakeman
- “Sweet Leaf” with David Draiman, Nuno Bettencourt, Scott Ian, Mike Bordin, and Adam Wakeman
Big Turnout
The sold-out event drew 42,000 people to Villa Park, with over 5 million more streaming the concert online. A physical release of the “Back To The Beginning” film is planned for 2026, with details still to come.
All-Star Lineup
Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Guns N’ Roses, Gojira, and others performed. Members of The Smashing Pumpkins, Limp Bizkit, and Judas Priest also appeared.
Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello served as musical director. Actor Jason Momoa hosted the show.
Sharon Removed One Act
Ozzy’s wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, told Billboard that she removed a well-known artist from the bill for wanting to profit off the charity event.
“And it’s not the time to make a profit,” she said. “After the show, I’ll let everybody know who it was. I think people will be shocked.”
She also told Metal Hammer that a major disagreement with a band manager led to another act being pulled from the show.
“It was probably the worst way I’ve felt in years,” she said. “He’s now going around making up @#$%! lies because I threw his band off the bill.”
She clarified that the band in question was not Iron Maiden.
TOOL Performed
Although TOOL wasn’t mentioned in early promotions, they did appear. This put an end to online rumors that they had been removed.
Not Megadeth, Says Kelly
Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy and Sharon, commented on Instagram that the band Sharon referred to in interviews was not Megadeth.
“Nope! Not him!” she wrote, replying to speculation about Dave Mustaine’s band.
Quick Sell-Out
The show sold out in less than 16 minutes when tickets went live in February. More than 150,000 people waited in the virtual queue.
All for Charity
The concert raised money for:
- Cure Parkinson’s
- Birmingham Children’s Hospital
- Acorn Children’s Hospice
Black Sabbath, founded in 1968, closed out a legendary career with one last performance in their hometown, giving fans and fellow musicians a final chance to celebrate their legacy.
About Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band formed in 1983 by Dave Mustaine after his departure from Metallica. Known for its fast riffs, technical guitar work, and politically charged lyrics, the group quickly became one of the defining acts of the thrash metal movement.
The band is considered part of the “Big Four” of 1980s thrash, alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax. Over the decades, Megadeth has released more than a dozen studio albums, including Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?, Rust in Peace, and Countdown to Extinction.
The band is still active, with Dave Mustaine as its constant member and creative lead. James LoMenzo, the current bassist, previously played with the band in the mid-2000s before rejoining in 2021.
Megadeth has sold over 38 million records worldwide and received multiple Grammy nominations, finally winning Best Metal Performance in 2017 for Dystopia. Their most recent album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, was released in 2022.
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He recalls how Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne changed his band’s life with early Ozzfest tour support.
