The band that defined and practically gave birth to a whole genre, Heavy Metal, the fathers of all that is Dark and Doom, will play their last show ever in Birmingham, where everything started 49 years ago.

Ozzy Osborne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler will hit the stage one more time at 7.00′ (local time) for a “farewell” to the world.

Instead of dying out and fading away without a proper finale they decided that they will be the ones to choose where, when and how the final chapter will be written that will bring this amazing journey to an end. This is going to give the proper closure to them as well as the fans.

Rehearsing for the big finale, Osbourne told the BBC: “Since I’ve got to this building, I’ve been happy, I’ve been tearful. Let’s see what happens.”

Osbourne said fronting the band had been “the most incredible adventure” but admitted that it had “run its course”.

The Prince of Darkness promised an as yet unrehearsed closing speech at the Birmingham show and said that he would continue with his solo work in the future.

As Ozzy said: “One of the proudest things I have in my heart is the fact that Black Sabbath wasn’t a band that was created by some big mogul.

It was four guys who said, ‘Let’s have a dream’, and it came true beyond our wildest expectations”.

Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bass player Geezer Butler will round off the band’s farewell tour at the Genting Arena on Saturday night followed by a Black Sabbath special on BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show on Sunday. The only original band member missing will be Bill Ward who didn’t participate in this final tour.