\n<\/p>\n
\n\tBilly Corgan<\/a> paid tribute to Black Sabbath<\/a> following the rock band\u2019s final concert<\/a> in Birmingham, England, over the weekend, calling the experience \u201ca beautiful and bittersweet day.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tThe all-day show<\/a> at Villa Park\u00a0saw Ozzy Osbourne<\/a>, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward reunite for the first time since 2005. Corgan joined the festivities as part of a \u201csupergroup\u201d alongside Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar, Tool\u2019s Adam Jones, and Tom Morello to perform covers of Judas Priest\u2019s \u201cBreaking the Law\u201d and Black Sabbath\u2019s \u201cSnowblind.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI first heard Black Sabbath on my uncle\u2019s stereo some 50 years ago,\u201d Corgan shared on Instagram. \u201cSo it was surreal to stand on a football pitch with 45,000 strong to witness the end of this grand, institutional group who has touched me personally, professionally, and at times even intimately in stolen moments of work and camaraderie. Thank you Tony, Bill, Geezer, and Ozzy for all you\u2019ve done for so many.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHe continued, \u201cI owe a debt of gratitude to Sharon [Osbourne] for asking me to take part. It was truly an honor on more levels that I could count. And to witness the passionate performances of so many in rehearsal: those I admire from afar, those I know, too, and see the translation into the near 10-hour affair of music and fellowship was something to behold. Music is of course the soundtrack to our lives, but yesterday in my estimation was something truly special. As a 3-dimensional soundtrack was being crafted in real time. All to celebrate this coming home for the band once known as Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tCorgan added that \u201cevery great journey has trials and tribulations, tragedies and surprise.\u201d \u201cTherein lies the magic, therein lie the tears,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI both whooped yesterday in sheer exultation to be in the right spot at the right moment, and I wept silently as my heroes fell on their wizardly, mythic sword to bid us farewell. We have the music, and we have them in our hearts. You don\u2019t have to be a musician to understand. But it does help, at least if you\u2019re trying to decode that which is elusive in the cosmos. Now the band is both here and not here; with us, and yet gone. As it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n