The legendary guitarist of Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi, recently disclosed that the iconic band had meticulously prepared “six or seven” songs for their highly anticipated reunion performance titled “Back to the Beginning.” He also mentioned two additional tracks that had been rehearsed but ultimately did not make the final setlist.

This historic event featured the original lineup of the metal pioneers — Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — who took the stage last Saturday at Birmingham, England‘s Villa Park. This concert marked their first performance together in two decades, and they concluded the all-day event with a powerful four-song set, which included classics like “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid.”

In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, which you can listen to below, Iommi elaborated on the deliberations behind the songs Black Sabbath considered for this momentous show and the reasons for their exclusion.

Discover the Songs Black Sabbath Ultimately Excluded from Their Reunion Setlist

“Initially, we planned to include ‘Fairies Wear Boots,’ and we had also rehearsed ‘Black Sabbath,’” the guitarist explained. “However, it proved to be somewhat challenging for Bill since he hadn’t played these songs in such a long time. On the other hand, Geezer and I had performed them during our last tour, but Bill hasn’t toured in a long time. While we could have showcased six songs, we decided to limit ourselves to four for this performance.”

READ MORE: Black Sabbath Concludes Their Legacy with a Memorable Finale — Full Setlist and Final Song Unveiled

Iommi also shared insights into the rigorous preparations leading up to the Back to the Beginning concert, noting, “It’s been quite stressful over the past couple of months, constantly thinking about how it would all unfold.” He continued, “We began rehearsals about a month ago, but you can never truly anticipate how it will go until the actual day arrives. After not playing on a large stage with Bill for 20 years, it was a mix of excitement and apprehension about what might happen. Thankfully, everything turned out just fine.”

One of the key concerns for Iommi was Ozzy Osbourne‘s stamina when curating their setlist, especially since the singer had performed a solo set right before Black Sabbath took the stage.

“We carefully assessed what songs to play and how long Ozzy could realistically perform. I voiced my concerns about him doing his own set because I was worried he might tire himself out before joining us. Ultimately, he chose to do his solo performance, and we managed to put together a four-song set from our initial list of six or seven. It worked out well in the end.”

Tony Iommi Reflects on the Reunion Performance of Black Sabbath

Iommi shared his reflections on Black Sabbath‘s reunion performance at Back to the Beginning, particularly regarding the performances of Osbourne and Ward.

“I have a tendency to be a bit of a perfectionist, but I understand that everyone can only give what they can. Given our ages, which are predominantly in our seventies, it’s unrealistic to expect flawless performances from everyone at this stage,” he remarked. “However, they did their best, and I believe the audience appreciated that.”

He added, “I think the fans recognized our limitations and were accepting of the performance level. They understood that we were there to play as we are now, and not to recreate the past.”