Dimebag Darrell of Damageplan/Pantera Shot Dead

It may not have happened on stage but there's been numerous shootings at cRAP concerts. There was one here in Portland a few months ago. Hey, just look at what happened at the Source Awards a couple weeks ago, it wasn't a shooting, but it was a stabbing and near riot.

 

cRAP? Get ready for the flames, dude.

 

Easy folks, this is going to get out of hand. A lot of folks are concerned about the people who've been murdered and injured, we don't need to start arguing about something that's totally irrelevant to the topic.

 

Cut the crap you guys!! There is a bigger issue here!!!!

Anyway.....he wrote a great column in Guitar World. Senseless. Insane.

 

Tragic - my heart goes out to the families and friends of those who were killed.

Not that it would have made a difference but, why would audience members think this was part of the show? Are staged shootings a common occurance at rock concerts?

 

Horribly uneducated and insensitive comments. JohnG, grumpyBB, please stay out of this thread for the duration. For others who wish to make such generally tasteless comments, you've also been invited not to post here.

Others, please continue to discuss with respect. Thanks.

 

Just absolutely horrific... Condolences to Vinnie and the family...

 

Probably because no one could possibly believe it was happening for real. Think about it, you're at a club, the band just starts playing loud, and someone comes out on stage with a gun. I think it was so surreal that people just thought it had to be part of the act. You know what I mean?

Let's face it, it's strange to think it was part of the act, but it's much more unbelieveable to think it was happening for real. For that reason, I can understand fans first thinking it was part of the show.

Brett

 

I worked for Darrell and Vinnie's dad for eight years. He just went through quintuplet bypass surgery and the boys canceled concerts to be with him even though they had a top five song and a shaky relationship with him in the past (they sued their dad for lost royalties).

Sure they were a little on the wild side but no matter what their public image was these two guys just wanted to play their music and were only playing a role in the metal scene.

Every time I met them they were so excited to talk about gear, music (all types) and playing. Their dad said the sole reason Darrel was put on Earth was to play the guitar. He had few other interests, being totally focused on his guitar. Talk about commitment.

What a shame. This is going to impact a lot of people.

 

Man, this is a senseless tragedy, and it occuring on the anniversary of John Lennon's death doesn't help things. Why would someone do something insane like this? It doesn't make any sense(but Lennon's shooting didn't either).....


Evan

 

Senseless...RIP DD.

 

Just horrible and senseless.

It may take some time for the cops and those close to this tragedy to tell us why this happened, what the motive was. The circumstances seem unique in rock annals, but the violence in society is all too common.


ED

 

I just got a call from Joe Stampley (remember him?) He talked with Vinnie this morning. Vinnie said a guy jumped on stage and shouted "You broke up Pantera" then grabbed Darrel in a head lock and shot him five times in the back of the head before grabbing another person from the audience. Vinnie said he started to jump over the drum set to tackle the guy but a roadie got to him first and a cop fired a shotgun at the gunman's head killing him.

Vinnie also said he thinks it was a former band member from Louisiana but he wasn't sure. Panterea went through several incarnations before they found the right group of people.

Obviously this has shaken the whole family up a bit. They lost their mom six weeks after being diagnosed with cancer four years ago and now they lost Darrel. Vinnie said he will never perform on stage again.

 

Unfortunately, I dont think its a coincidence that this happnened the day after the anniversary of John Lennon's death. I'm afraid this is another crazy stupid guy who though of himself as the angel of death or something like it. Really sad to think that a life is taken away like this.

 

Ohio’s NBC 4 TV (www.nbc4i.com) has posted the following video update in regards to the nightclub shooting last night (December 8th) that claimed the life of DAMAGEPLAN guitarist Dimebag Darrell.



The video footage can be viewed here.

http://www.nbc4i.com/index.html

Meanwhile, the station has issued the following update on the situation:



Police released the name of the gunman who allegedly went on a shooting rampage at a Columbus nightclub Wednesday night, killing four people before a police officer shot him dead.



Nathan Gale, 25, of Marysville, reportedly jumped onto a concert stage and open fire, NBC 4 reported.



The shooting took place shortly after 10 p.m. at Alrosa Villa, located at 5055 Sinclair Rd.



Police have scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference. Watch it live on NBC 4 and nbc4i.com.



A crowd of about 250 people was inside for a concert by Damageplan, a heavy metal band. Two former members of the band Pantera formed the group.



The band took the stage shortly after 10 p.m., and minutes later, a man, who was wearing a hockey jersey and hooded sweatshirt, began firing at point-blank range at least four times at guitarist Dimebag Darrell, NBC 4's Kyle Anderson reported.



Darrell Abbott, who was known as "Dimebag Darrell," was pronounced dead at the scene, NBC 4's Kyle Anderson reported. Police released the names of two others who died. They were Nathan Bray and Erin Halk, both audience members.



"(The gunman) came on stage, from the back, like he knew what he was doing and went straight to Dimebag Darrell immediately," an unidentified witness said.



Gale reportedly shot and killed another member of the band before firing shots into the crowd.



Columbus police were flooded with 911 calls from concertgoers right after the shooting. Some witnesses said Gale took a person hostage. Minutes later, a Columbus police Officer James D. Niggemeyer entered the nightclub and shot and killed Gale, police said.



Police did not identify the other person who died at the scene.



Authorities spent hours questioning audience members.



As calls for help came in, dozens of police and EMS crews were dispatched to the scene.



Emergency room workers at Riverside Methodist Hospital were told to watch out for people who would ask for care on Thursday. Police said that about 100 people left the Alrosa Villa before officers got the scene under control.



Two people who were shot were transported by ambulance to Riverside. Their names were not released and hospital officials would not comment about their conditions.



Columbus police and firefighters set up a triage outside the nightclub to treat anyone with minor injuries, NBC 4 reported.



Many people who were injured during the shooting spree and in the chaos that followed were put on buses and treated for injuries at the scene, NBC 4 reported.



Alrosa Villa is a popular north Columbus nightspot for young adults, featuring rock and heavy metal bands, NBC 4 reported.



According to the band's Web site, Damageplan was touring nationally. It performed in Buffalo, N.Y., on Tuesday night and had a concert scheduled in Flint, Mich., on Thursday.



Damageplan featured former Pantera artists Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. The pair was joined by vocalist Patrick Lachman and bassist Bobzilla, according to their Web site.

 

Thanks for the update, Jamie. Just a terrible story.....


ED

 

Growing up in the Columbus, Ohio area and going to college at O.S.U., I attended many a concert at The Al Rosa Villa. It's a fantastic place for shows. Very intimate. A biker bar of sorts. The North End of Columbus used to be the "nice" end of town, but I hear all that's changed. I haven't been back there in, like, 10 years, but I've heard from friends that the whole area around Morse Road/Sinclair Road has really become ghetto. Ironically, the Al Rosa Villa has survived. A biker bar in the middle of the ghetto. I never thought something like this would have ever happened in Columbus. Heck, Columbus was always affectionally called "Cowtown" by damn near everybody for years and years. Stuff like this is only supposed to happen in the "big cities". What a shame. At least the creatin who did the shooting got his just desserts. Thank you, Columbus Police. RIP Dimebag & the others.

 

Oh man, I was just thinking "what if it was some pissed-off Pantera fan?"

Glad to hear that Vinnie's safe. Just a horrible, horrible moment.

 

I had a feeling that this was fueled by a grudge.

 

Here's Rolling Stone.com's report:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/st...=mainRegion&rnd=1102611569748&has-player=true

Dimebag Darrell Killed

Shooter climbs onstage, shoots Damageplan guitarist and three others

Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell (born Darrell Abbott) was shot dead at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, last night. Soon after the band began playing, a gunman charged the stage and began firing at the band and into the crowd. Three others were killed before a police officer fatally shot the gunman. Abbott, 38, was formerly a member of Texas thrash metal giants Pantera.

The shooter -- identified as Nathan Gale, 25, of Marysville, Ohio -- dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and hockey jersey, jumped onstage at about 10 p.m., just as Damageplan were beginning their first song. After making a statement about the breakup of Pantera, he shot Abbott in the chest several times at close range and then turned his gun on the crowd of hundreds. Among those killed were fan Nathan Bray, 23, and Erin Halk, 29, who was either a fan or band employee -- the third victim and two wounded have not yet been named.

District patrol officer James D. Niggemeyer, 31, responded within minutes to the call about shooting inside the club, entering through the back door to investigate. The officer then fatally shot the gunman, who at the time was holding an unidentified hostage by the neck.

Approximately 250 audience members are being questioned by police about the incident.

Formed in early 2003 soon after the breakup of Pantera, Damageplan also includes singer Patrick Lachman, bassist Bob Zilla and Abbott's brother, ex-Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul. Their debut album, New Found Power, was released last February.

ALEX MAR
(Posted Dec 09, 2004)

 

What a tragedy. I haven't listened to or really thought about Pantera since 'Far Beyond Driven' came out about ten years ago.

Couldn't help noticing the number of people named Nathan involved (the killer, one of the victims, and one of the witnesses). Must be a popular name in the Columbus area.

 

This is really sad. I'm not a fan of Pantera but somehow Dimebag had managed to squeeze into my 'musicians I respect' list. And the way he died is just tragic.

R.I.P., Mr. Darrell

 

[[sigh]] ... I'm just sitting here thinking of how all-encompassing something like this is. There is no prerequisite for being affected by this. You don't have to be a DAMAGEPLAN/PANTERA fan...you don't even have to like music. This is nothing less than a despicable tragedy and I can't believe how out of control things can get in this world sometimes.

My condolences to all...

 

Yes! That venue has some awful sound!! :thumbsdn:

This news is very sad! RIP DD