Tom Morello has opened up about Yungblud’s performance of ‘Changes’ at Black Sabbath’s ‘Back To The Beginning’, revealing that just 48 hours earlier “he wasn’t gonna be the singer of that song”.
The Rage Against the Machine guitarist discussed his role in shaping the landmark event during a recent interview with 98KUPD Radio via Blabbermouth, where he spoke about his ambition to deliver what he called “the greatest day in the history of heavy metal”.
“Heavy metal is the music that made me love music, it’s in the DNA of 90 per cent of my favourite artists,” he said. “So, if we’re gonna do this, we really have to treat it with the gravity that it deserves. I will say that once the actual day started, and, dude, it was thousands of hours of preparation and worry and anxiety and changing around stuff changed in the last 24 hours.”
“Once it actually started, I had to let go. I’m, like, ‘OK, the bands are now gonna play their songs, or they’re gonna fall off the stage. I can’t control it anymore.’” When asked whether there were any “hard calls” to be made, Morello explained that there were countless decisions in the build up.
“One of the greatest moments of it was Yungblud singing ‘Changes’,” he added. “Well, 48 hours before, he wasn’t gonna be the singer of that song.”
“Things were changing… I landed at Heathrow Airport and I got a call, like, ‘That’s not happening.’ So I’m, like, ‘OK, let’s figure it out.’ And it turned out to be one of the highlights. But that’s the gig, that’s what the gig is.”
After pledging to perform ‘Changes’ at every show he plays following Ozzy’s death, Yungblud picked up his first Grammy last week February 1, winning Best Rock Performance for his version of the Black Sabbath song at the band’s farewell event.
While accepting the award, he dedicated it to Ozzy, saying: “We would all like to thank Sharon, Jack, Kelly and Aimee for this opportunity, and everyone at the ‘Back To The Beginning’ show. Six generations of rock musicians came together in the name of our genre, in the name of Sabbath and in the name of Ozzy Osbourne.”
At ‘Back To The Beginning’, the Doncaster artist fronted a supergroup that featured Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme on guitar, II from Sleep Token behind the drums and Adam Wakeman from Ozzy Osbourne’s band, and son of Rick Wakeman, on keyboards.
He also honoured Ozzy at the VMAs in September, sharing the stage with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith alongside Bettencourt. That performance drew criticism from The Darkness, with guitarist Dan Hawkins branding it “another nail in the coffin of rock n roll” and describing Yungblud and his collaborators as “a bunch of bellends”.
Yungblud with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. CREDIT: Ross Halfin
Dan’s brother Justin, who fronts The Darkness, later addressed the remarks on his YouTube channel. He described the tribute as “rock n’ roll seen through an Instagram filter of some sort” and claimed: “Yungblud seems to have positioned himself as a natural heir to the Ozzy legacy, having nothing to do with the really important stuff.”
Yungblud later addressed the backlash while speaking on Jack Osbourne’s podcast, explaining: “I think the strangest thing about that was all I was trying to do was my best for your old man, because he gave me such a gift.”
He went on to mention the gold cross Ozzy gave him shortly before Black Sabbath’s final performance. “When people try and intellectualise a sense of spirit and six musicians on a stage going fucking love you man, it’s just bitter and jealous,” he added.
In a follow up video discussing Yungblud’s VMAs tribute, Justin Hawkins elaborated on his position. “What I was saying was that it comes off like a TV personality doing rock […] We can’t live in this culture where criticism is not allowed. When I’ve done embarrassing things, people have called me out, and I appreciate that kind of guidance and criticism. That’s how you become a better artist.”
Following Ozzy Osbourne’s death, Yungblud previously spoke to NME about the impact the late icon had on his life. “Ozzy was always my north star. Ozzy Osborne and David Bowie meant everything to me. Ozzy was a character in my life who was a reflection of everything I went through.”
“I was always a bit over the top. I was always seen to be a bit crazy. I was always seen to be a bit loud, but when some people saw that as a negative, Ozzy would provide me with the hope that there was an avenue for someone like me in the world.”
