The Flaming Lips Rip Through ‘War Pigs’ in Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse front man Isaac Brock have paid tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne with a cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’.

The show, held at the Coca-Cola Roxy on Friday 1 August, marked the beginning of the two bands’ North American co-headlining run. Towards the end of a Flaming Lips set filled with fan favourites and deep cuts, front man Wayne Coyne invited Brock onstage for a version of the 1970 heavy metal classic, in what was clearly intended as a tribute to the Black Sabbath front man.

Before launching into the song, Coyne briefly acknowledged Osbourne’s death, telling the crowd, “We would not be here without the kind of music Ozzy brought into the world.” The band then kicked into ‘War Pigs’, with Coyne stepping aside to let Brock take lead vocals.

The performance was met with loud cheers from the Atlanta crowd, many of whom sang along to the lyrics. The rendition remained largely faithful to the original, while also incorporating The Flaming Lips’ signature textures and expansive instrumentation.

Osbourne passed away in July at the age of 76, prompting tributes from across the music world. In addition to Brock and The Flaming Lips’ performance, other recent live covers include Cage The Elephant’s version of ‘Changes’ at Lollapalooza, Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp’s performance of ‘Paranoid’ at the O2 Arena in London, and Wolfgang Van Halen’s solo tribute of ‘Mama I’m Coming Home’.

A private funeral service for Osbourne was held last week in the UK, with attendees reportedly including Elton John and members of Metallica. Thousands of fans also gathered in Birmingham to honour the musician, lining the streets during the procession and leaving flowers at local landmarks. A petition to rename Birmingham Airport after Osbourne has gained over 57,000 signatures.

The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse continue their co-headlining tour across the United States throughout August and September.