Stranger Things season 4: Did Ozzy Osbourne really bite a bat’s head off?

It’s time to celebrate because Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 is officially out on Netflix! Fans had been waiting almost three years for the return of their favorite sci-fi show, and the seven episodes that were released today definitely don’t disappoint. Like previous seasons, there are references to 1980s pop culture figures and moments, and there seems to be even more this time around!

Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 4 volume 1.

Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 mentions a few really popular pop culture people and places, including Michael Myers from the Halloween movies and Mordor from The Lord of the Rings. In one scene in episode 7, “The Massacre at the Hawkins Lab,” Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and newcomer Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) talk at length about Ozzy Osbourne, the British rock singer who was formerly in the band Black Sabbath.

As the timeframe for Stranger Things sees it, Osbourne had already been fired from Black Sabbath by season 4, which takes place in 1986. At this point, he was enjoying the success of his album The Ultimate Sin, which he released in Feb. 1986. The album went Platinum by spring of that year.

In the Stranger Things season 4 episode, Steve, Eddie, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), and Robin (Maya Hawke) are all stuck in the Upside Down and are ambushed by a group of bats. They first save Steve who’s being attacked by them on the ground, and then continue hitting them off each other until they eventually flee the area.

A little bit later on, Eddie compliments Steve for his abilities in taking down the bats, calling him “metal” and comparing him to the Ozzy Osbourne moment in which the rockstar bit the head of a bat off. Steve has no idea what Eddie is talking about and doesn’t even know who Osbourne is.

Ozzy Osbourne Stranger Things reference: He really did bite off a bat’s head!

If you got caught up by that moment in the episode and wondered whether or not Osbourne really did bite off a bat’s head, you’ve found yourself in the right spot! We’re here to confirm that it did happen.

During a concert at the Des Moines Veterans Memorial Auditorium in 1982, Osbourne accidentally bit the head off a real bat when someone threw it at him from the crowd. The musician was known for encouraging his concert attendees to throw gross stuff up at the stage, whether it be food or even sometimes animals. During this particular show, Osbourne believed the fan threw a fake bat on stage, which is why he proceeded to bite it. He’s never been able to live down the moment, understandably.

According to Rolling Stone, Osbourne recalled of the moment: “I thought it was a rubber bat. I picked it up, put it in my mouth, crunched down, bit into it, being the clown that I am.” He had to get a rabies shots after the show, which was very unpleasant.

You can watch a clip of the infamous moment here, if you dare!

We love to embrace the 1980s when watching Stranger Things, bat biting and all! Be sure to stream all seven episodes of season 4 volume 1 right now on Netflix and get ready for volume 2, which releases on July 1.