Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning farewell gig rocked out Birmingham on Saturday
Frontman Ozzy Osbourne took to the stage on throne to perform five songs
Then the band played their final ever show with the frontman saying "thank you from the bottom of our hearts"
"Without Sabbath there would be no Metallica" - James Hetfield told the crowd earlier in the day
Steven Tyler, of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood were among the guests at Villa Park
Leona Smart
BBC Radio WM
Thick dark eyeliner, leather throne complete with bat on top, nails painted black - what an entrance for the "Prince of Darkness"
The crowd are loving it, following every single arm movement Ozzy Osbourne asks for.
When he asks them if they’ve had a good day today, you can still hear his Brummie lilt, as strong as ever.
He's here!
It's a goodbye to Birmingham from Ozzy Osbourne:
Here are some photos we can bring you now from the stage when members of US rock band Anthrax played to the crowd as a support act today:
Image source, Getty ImagesAnthrax posed for a photo after playing at the concert.
Image source, Getty Images
Ben Sidwell
BBC Midlands Today
Up next Ozzy! Just time for a bit of Black Sabbath beach-ball fun.
In Villa's claret and blue colours of course - Geezer Butler wouldn't have it any other way!
Villa Park is a sea of black.
There are fans here from literally every corner of the world to see what’s being called the greatest heavy metal concert of all time.
Rock and metal fans are some of the nicest people you’ll meet and there’s a feeling among them that they’re watching something very special indeed today.
Ian Youngs
Culture reporter
I've only seen evidence one of those things backstage, so far at least.
A well-known purveyor of baked pastry goods has a van in the area for musicians, crew and media outside the stadium, with Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers among the US rock legends queuing up to discover the delights of Greggs (other sausage roll manufacturers are available).
Meanwhile, roadies come by pushing a succesion of large black cases containing kit belonging to Pantera after they came off stage, in a speedy and well-drilled process to get one act off and the next on.
Best view in Villa Park?
Among the tickets fans could buy were ones on the side of the stage to watch the gig.
The cost to do so? More than £2,000 a ticket.
Of course all the proceeds from the gig go to three charities - Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
PJ Ellis
BBC Radio WM
Ingo and Derya from Germany are in Birmingham for the first time and they are huge Black Sabbath fans.
Like many in the city, they haven’t got tickets, but are still in the city centre enjoying themselves.
They’ve come to visit Black Sabbath hotspots, like Ozzy’s house, reports Preeti Kular.
Ian Youngs
Culture reporter
"Birming-ham!" shouts Metallica's James Hetfield to the crowd.
The US rock gods are ripping up the stage with a suitably heavy set.
"Look at all this love for heavy metal. We’re so grateful to be invited," Hetfield says.
He pays tribute to the men in whose honour this show is being held. "Without Sabbath there would be no Metallica. Thank you for giving us a purpose in life."
Metallica have walked on stage and this place has erupted.
Ben Sidwell
BBC Midlands Today
Every band playing here today are doing their own tribute to Black Sabbath by covering one of their songs.
Each time you hear one, you can just hear those riffs from Tony Iommi that created the heavy metal sound.
Now a local lad takes the stage....this Mr Slash, from Stoke-on-Trent, is quite a good guitar player isn’t he?!
For Slash - real name Saul Hudson - this night - along with their concert a couple of weeks ago - marks a return to the Midlands, of sorts.
In what is surely one of Stoke-on-Trent's best facts, the musician was raised in Blurton until the age of six.
Try that one out at your local tomorrow.
BBC Radio WM presenter Ed James said: "The atmosphere here is literally incredible. I really can't hear myself think. I can't hear my own voice.
"It's a massive stage, it's as high as Villa Park itself. There are two massive stacks of speakers either side of the stage and two huge screens.
"It's the largest stage I've ever seen at Villa Park and there are 40,000 people going absolutely crazy.
"There are people on shoulders, there are massive beach-balls. It's a wall of noise and the energy and the atmosphere here it's like nothing I've ever experienced."
Ben Sidwell
BBC Midlands Today, Villa Park
Did someone book the wrong tickets?
Fans are wearing T-shirts from pretty much every rock and metal band you could imagine here.
Well, not just rock and metal...
I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to see this one here today though - brave man, though I'm sure he'll Shake It Off.
Leona Smart
BBC Radio WM
Guns N' Roses came on and the whole crowd slowed down, really matching the evening sun going down - just a moment of slight calm (and I say calm loosely).
BBC Radio WM presenter Ed James has just pointed out they were only here a fortnight ago - "they cannot keep away, they love the place".
Ed also said the guys have been "speaking to the crowd and you can just sense the atmosphere starting to build - everyone is here".
Let’s just say we’re glad the intro to Welcome To The Jungle wasn’t live.
Axl Rose offered up a lot of swears - the crowd then went wild for the opening guitar chords.
Leona Smart
BBC Radio WM
It’s incredibly incredibly loud!
The radio team have got all the kit turned up to the max and we’re still shouting to hear each other.
The view from here, a box at Villa Park, shows us multiple little mosh pits.
The crowd is moving as one at some points. Lots of tops off as the evening sun is shining down on a big part of the crowd.
Ben Sidwell
BBC Midlands Today
Next up...Guns N’ Roses!!
Ben Sidwell
BBC Midlands Today
Slayer are the latest band on stage and the mosh pit is in full flow.
So good they’re even showing it on the big screens!
This shows the scale of it...good luck spotting yourself!
Sarah Julian
BBC Radio WM, Aston
Cool outfits outside the stadium from Graham and Zoe.
They’re from Bury St Edmunds and won a competition to be here!
