Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show brought together a thunderous lineup of legends to celebrate the Prince of Darkness and the mighty legacy of Black Sabbath. But for many fans scrolling through the event’s bill, one notable absence stood out: Soundgarden.
So why didn’t the Seattle legends take the stage at the “Back to the Beginning” festival in Birmingham, England?
Turns out, it wasn’t for lack of invitation… or respect.
Soundgarden Speaks Out: “We Were Honored… and Bummed.”
In a heartfelt Instagram post that dropped shortly after the festival’s finale, Soundgarden addressed their absence directly and with reverence:
“We are very grateful to Tony, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, as well as Sharon Osbourne and music director, Tom Morello for the honor and invitation to Soundgarden to perform at the Back to the Beginning festival! We are super bummed and regret that we were unable to coordinate the schedules of our individual and collective projects to attend and contribute to the festival.”
In classic Soundgarden fashion, the message was equal parts poetic, reflective, and rooted in deep appreciation. The band praised Black Sabbath for their transcendent artistry:
“Thank you for an astounding career that provided us and your legion of fans with a lifetime of beauty, horror, love, power, happiness, melancholy and a profoundly sublime, yet viscerally rocking transcendence informed by both doom and hope.”
Their words didn’t come off as a PR brush-off. This was a love letter to a band that laid the foundation for heavy music as we know it.
Schedules, Side Projects, and the Complex Reality of Reunions
For longtime Soundgarden fans, the statement brought bittersweet clarity. Since the tragic passing of Chris Cornell in 2017, the band has operated in a much more fractured state. While there have been glimmers of reunion energy.. from legal victories to tributes. The logistics of bringing together members engaged in multiple solo and collaborative projects has proven difficult.
Their note about “coordinating schedules of individual and collective projects” reflects the behind-the-scenes reality of modern legacy bands. Each surviving member of Soundgarden (Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, and Matt Cameron) is involved in other musical ventures, & collaborations.
So while fans were hopeful for a surprise appearance or symbolic tribute, Soundgarden’s absence wasn’t rooted in disinterest. If anything, it was a scheduling tragedy for what could have been a truly epic moment of cross-generational sonic tribute.
A Relationship Forged in Feedback and Fuzz
Despite not appearing at the festival, Soundgarden’s deep ties to Black Sabbath are well-documented. Chris Cornell often cited Sabbath as one of the band’s earliest and most enduring influences… particularly when it came to tuning down and letting riffs speak louder than words. Kim Thayil’s thick, sludgy guitar tone has long drawn comparisons to Tony Iommi’s genre-defining sound.
The love has always been mutual. Sabbath members have spoken warmly of Soundgarden in past interviews, and the invitation to perform at Ozzy’s final curtain call was a full-circle gesture of admiration between two bands who understood darkness, distortion, and the strange beauty buried within.
Sources Cited:
- Soundgarden Official Instagram: @soundgarden
- “Back to the Beginning” Festival Coverage via Rolling Stone UK
- Photo credits: Ross Halfin, Bill Herzog
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