On the afternoon of July 6, some 80 metalheads gathered at The Stables in Andheri East, a day after Back To The Beginning, rock legend Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert at Villa Park, Birmingham. They were watching the gig’s video footage on a large screen, culminating with Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. The Mumbai event was conceptualised by Salsa Fortynine, and fans headbanged to the song Paranoid, showed horn signs to War Pigs, and sang along to Mama, I’m Coming Home.

Nobody imagined that 16 days later, Osbourne would breathe his last. The “Prince Of Darkness”, nicknamed thus because of his obsession for dark themes and the occult, passed away in his mansion in the UK. He was 76, and had been suffering multiple illnesses including Parkinson’s and spine ailments.

The tributes started flowing in. Subir Malik, keyboardist of Delhi band Parikrama, said, “It was all too soon. Here was a man who just did not want to go away in bed, but did it in a grand way with that concert.” Added Teemeer Chimulkar, vocalist and guitarist of Mumbai band Sceptr3, “His passing is a significant loss, specially to the younger talent whom he consistently supported through his rock festival Ozzfest.”