Megadeth’s James LoMenzo Addresses Band’s Absence at Ozzy + Black Sabbath's Farewell Show

This month’s Back to the Beginning concert served as a heartfelt goodbye to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's live run, with many other significant acts also performing and paying their respects. One notable omission from the lineup, however, was legendary thrashers Megadeth, and longtime bassist James LoMenzo recently revealed why they weren’t at Ozzy and Black Sabbath’s farewell show.

What LoMenzo Said

Given that major rock and metal acts such as Mastodon, Metallica, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Gojira and Alice in Chains were involved in the concert, you’d think that Megadeth would’ve been as well. According to LoMenzo, though, they missed the moment simply because they weren’t invited.

Last Sunday (July 13), industry veteran Charrie Foglio posted an explanation in the Back To The Beginning - Black Sabbath's Final Concert Facebook group. In particular, she shared a portion of her upcoming interview with LoMenzo for Japan’s Burrn! magazine, during which she begins: “Hi brother, I sure missed seeing you here in Birmingham this week. It was noticeable that the Big Four was short one.”

Obviously, she’s referring to the fact that three out of the four “Big 4” bands of thrash metal – Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax – were at Back to the Beginning, whereas Megadeth weren’t.

“Charrie, I’m going to let the cat out of the bag. The truth of the matter is, I don't believe that anybody asked us, which was fine,” LoMenzo responds.

He continues:

Not everybody gets invited to every party. But at the same time, when we were in Europe last week, David [Mustaine] said that he was reaching out to everybody and telling them that we were in the neighborhood and that we were close enough to come. And if they wanted us to, we could stay over for a few days and work it out. . . . If they wanted us to. I don't know what our manager had accomplished with that, but it didn't get accomplished, so we just came home.
So I know what you're saying. Even before all of this started, everyone was saying, well, what about Megadeth? It was really funny to read because there was no invite and there was no talking to people, there was actually nothing to do with any of it. It was this exciting situation where we're celebrating Ozzy in his Retirement... Is that the right word? Retirement? Isn't that hard to believe? Anyway, the show was amazing! I would have loved to have been there.

He also clarifies that he “knew about the show months and months ago,” and that he was even “recording with [Black Sabbath drummer] Bill Ward.”

LoMenzo elaborates:

[Bill’s] been doing his record, and every now and then I'll get this wonderful phone call from his assistant Walter saying that, "Bill would love to have you come down and do a song with him." And you don't know what that sounds like to my brain! It frazzles me, but I've been working with him for a while. And he intimated about the show. I would ask him if he had spoken to any of the guys in Black Sabbath, and he said that he spoke to Ozzy every day because Ozzy wasn't feeling very well at that time, so I was curious. He said, "By the way, it looks we may do this final show." So he knew about it, obviously, before they announced it. So I was excited when it came to fruition because I knew that it meant a lot to all the guys in Black Sabbath to have Bill up there.

Finally, LoMenzo reiterates: “I don't see it as controversy or anything. I do know that conspicuously we were missing, but nobody was invited.”

Ellefson later posted a loving reflection on his experience at the show, too.

So, how do you feel about Megadeth’s absence from Ozzy and Black Sabbath’s farewell show? Are you surprised that they simply weren’t invited (at least according to LoMenzo)? Let us know!

Other Noticeable Absences at Back to the Beginning

Sadly, Megadeth were one of several huge acts who missed Back to the Beginning, with two other equally surprising absences being those of Soundgarden and Motley Crue.

On July 14, Loudwire reported on Soundgarden’s statement that the weren’t in attendance (despite Sharon Osbourne previously saying they would be) due to a scheduling conflict. Specifically, the group posted the following message on Instagram on July 12:

Congratulations to Black Sabbath on the grand and final pealing of their vesper bells!
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. Your majestic brilliance has inspired greatness in scores of other bands, musicians and songwriters. However, the crown will forever remain yours!
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. The warmth, love and support from the Black Sabbath team has been a continuing source of encouragement and strength throughout our career.

As for Motley Crue’s absence, Loudwire reported on July 11 that bassist Nikki Sixx addressed it via a simple and vague answer to a fan question on X (formerly Twitter): “We have been having heath issues within the band…”

While no further details were given, Loudwire also noted that in April of 2025, “Motley Crue bowed out of their appearance at May's Boardwalk Rock Fest. They had also postponed their spring Las Vegas residency until the fall. Both moves were made to allow Vince Neil time to recuperate after a required medical procedure that took place earlier this year.”

That said, Sixx still offered a few kind words about the metal’s reigning Prince of Darkness: “Ozzy and Sharon gave us our first real big tour in 1984 on the 'Shout at the Devil' tour ... They gave us the opportunity to play in front of Ozzy and actually in my opinion, broke the band. @ozzyosbourne Congrats on an amazing career and what a bad ass send off. Thank you with love.”

What Else is Happening with Megadeth, Ozzy + Black Sabbath?

Megadeth are currently in the midst of an international tour, with upcoming dates in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Scotland and other places scheduled between September and October of this year. You can see all of the upcoming dates – and purchase tickets – here.

As for Ozzy, he recently announced his upcoming second memoir, Last Rites, which is set to release on Oct. 7 and follows 2009’s I Am Ozzy. Among other topics, it’ll dive into various health issues he’s faced over the years; preparations for Back to the Beginning; and his chaotic marriage to Sharon Osbourne. You can preorder it now.

Aside from how successful the farewell concert was creatively, symbolically and even financially, Ozzy has another reason to celebrate these days: the engagement of daughter Kelly to Slipknot’s Sid Wilson. In fact, the DJ/keyboardist proposed to her backstage at Back to the Beginning, with Wilson’s speech being interrupted by Ozzy jokingly declaring: “Fuck off. You’re not going to marry my daughter.”

Anyone who missed seeing Back to the Beginning in person (or anyone who wants to see it again) are in good luck, too, as plans are underway to release it theatrically through Mercury Studios in 2026. Titled Back To The Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow – Mercury Studios Instagram account confirms – it’ll be a “feature-length concert film” and “a love letter to Ozzy and the pioneering sound of Black Sabbath.” Beyond including “a distilled version of the epic all-day event held at Villa Park,” it’ll also feature “exclusive behind-the-scenes access and interviews from this iconic live performance.”

Obviously, metal fans are still waiting for Sharon Osbourne to reveal who was dropped from Back to the Beginning, as speculation has been mounting ever since she alluded to the decision following “a feud she had with their manager” (as Loudwire reported back in June). She’s since stated that she’ll mention who it was once the show is done, remarking: “I think people will be shocked.”