Why Mötley Crüe Sat Out Ozzy Osbourne’s Farewell
When Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath’s final concert, “Back to the Beginning,” took place on July 5, 2025 at Villa Park Stadium in Birmingham, England, the world expected a star‑studded line‑up. With headline acts like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, and Tool, one glaring omission was Mötley Crüe… longtime friends with Ozzy and recipients of a career‑kickstart from him back in 1984.
Nikki Sixx Breaks the Silence
Bassist Nikki Sixx took to social media in response to fan queries, posting:
“We have been having health issues within the band…”
In a companion Instagram post, he offered heartfelt congratulations:
“Ozzy and Sharon gave us our first real big tour in 1984 on the ‘Shout at the Devil’ tour … Congratulations on an amazing career and what a bad‑ass send‑off.”
These two messages form the centerpiece of the band’s explanation—a candid acknowledgment of internal struggles that sidetracked what might have been an epic reunion.
Flashback: When Ozzy and Nikki Took Debauchery to a New Level
The story of Ozzy Osbourne and Nikki Sixx’s friendship isn’t just built on music .. it’s forged in fire, drugs, and downright madness. Their most infamous tale? The poolside showdown that became legend.
It was 1984, and Mötley Crüe (https://amzn.to/46cxfZT) was opening for Ozzy on his Bark at the Moon tour. On an off-day in Florida, both bands stayed at the same hotel. What followed was the kind of rockstar chaos you just can’t make up:
- Nikki and Ozzy were trying to out-gross each other.
- Ozzy snorted a line of ants off the sidewalk, then urinated on the ground.
- Not to be outdone, Nikki urinated next to him — but Ozzy dropped to his knees and licked up the puddle.
- As Sixx later wrote in The Dirt: “I’d never seen anything like it. I don’t think anybody had.”
This wasn’t rebellion for show — it was full-throttle excess. Two men, at the peak of fame, acting like warlords of chaos on tour. And yet, through it all, a strange respect formed. Ozzy was more than a mentor… he was the only person who could out-crazy Mötley Crüe!
The Real Health Issues Behind the No‑Show
Though Sixx didn’t specify who was ill, the band’s recent history points toward Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe postponed their Las Vegas residency (originally scheduled earlier in 2025) so Neil could recover from a “required medical procedure.” They also pulled out of a May festival in Ocean City, Maryland—further hints that health, not conflict, was the driving factor.
Other Potential Strains
2025 also brought personal challenges for frontman Vince Neil, his private jet was involved in a fatal crash. Although Neil wasn’t onboard, the incident resulted in injuries to his girlfriend and a friend, adding emotional and logistical strain to an already fragile schedule.
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Sources Cited
- Sixx, Nikki. “We have been having health issues within the band…” Twitter (X), 6 July 2025, https://x.com/NikkiSixx.
- Sixx, Nikki. “Ozzy and Sharon gave us our first real big tour in 1984…” Instagram, 6 July 2025. Screenshot reposted via Ultimate Classic Rock.
- Childers, Chad. “Nikki Sixx Addresses Why Motley Crue Didn’t Play Ozzy Osbourne’s Farewell Show.” Loudwire, 6 July 2025, https://loudwire.com/nikki-sixx-addresses-motley-crue-absence-ozzy-black-sabbath-farewell-show/.
- Kielty, Martin. “Why Motley Crue Didn’t Perform at Ozzy Osbourne’s Farewell Show.” Ultimate Classic Rock, 6 July 2025, https://ultimateclassicrock.com/motley-crue-not-at-ozzy-last-show/.
- Osbourne, Ozzy. I Am Ozzy. Grand Central Publishing, 2010.
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