The original lineup of Black Sabbath—Geezer Butler, Tonny Iommi, Bill Ward, and the late Ozzy Osbourne—reunited for the final time in their hometown of Birmingham for a record-breaking philanthropic benefit. The tour-de-force heavy metal spectacular, “Back to the Beginning,” was supported by a who’s who of legendary bands and performers who relied on a Cohesion PA rigged for the very special day.
92 CO12: 18 left-right on main hangs; 16 on house right side hang; 18 on house left side hang; 32 on two delay towers with 12 hung and a ground stack of 4 on each
12 CO10: 3 stacks of 2 per side as fill
48 CP218: 6 left-right next to mains; 3 left-right vertically oriented next to side hangs; 15 ground stacked per side; all subs in cardioid configuration
“Back to the Beginning” hosted dozens of legendary metal acts, including the first Black Sabbath show featuring the original lineup in two decades. The chosen PA needed to provide ample coverage, output, and clarity for the memorable occasion in a packed house—45,000 spectators flocked to Villa Park in Aston—while accounting for the many production elements and local noise ordinances.
The audio system comprised eighteen Cohesion CO12 left-right on the main hangs, sixteen CO12 on the house right side hang, and eighteen CO12 on the house left side hang to provide coverage for the steeply raked house right upper bowl in the asymmetrical design of Villa Park. Six Cohesion CP218 II+ subwoofers were flown left-right next to the mains, and three more CP218 were hung vertically adjacent to the side hangs. On the ground, fifteen more CP218 II+ were placed left-right and steered symmetrically on either side of the small central thrust and camera platform. All subwoofers were in cardioid configuration. 24 CO12 hung from two delay towers, each receiving an additional raised stack of four CO12 on the ground. Twelve Cohesion CO10 provided front fill in stacks of two atop the CP218 II+ on the ground; three pairs of CO10 were stacked per side. Audiorent Clair crew deployed the PA.
The night was an emotional one, as Mastodon, Pantera, Tool, Metallica, Slayer and many more paid tribute to Black Sabbath. Ozzy Osbourne delivered plenty of chills with “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “Crazy Train” before the highly anticipated reunion with his Black Sabbath mates in the city where it all began. Their set included “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid,” which brought the stadium to tears. The sound throughout the ten-hour show was crystal-clear, with the energy staying focused within an electric atmosphere at Villa Park; local officials were pleased by the volume staying well within dB restrictions. “Back to the Beginning” ultimately helped raise more than €140,000,000 for worthy causes. Osbourne passed from Parkinson’s disease 17 days after his final iconic performance.
“This was a very special one-off show. Black Sabbath were national heroes playing in their backyard. I took out Cohesion on Black Sabbath back when it was first launched, so how fitting it was to do this show on Cohesion. To be at FOH mixing Sabbath, Ozzy, and Metallica, and to be able to deliver that message, that texture, that moment for people was totally amazing.”
