The death of Dimebag Darrell

[Malcolm]

RollingStone.com is reporting that DISTURBED frontman David Draiman took a break from recording the band's third album to organize a benefit for the Dimebag Darrell Memorial Fund on February 23 at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom. The fund was established to cover medical and bereavement expenses for three victims of the Columbus, Ohio, nightclub shooting on December 8 that claimed the life of DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

"Everybody was really into it," Draiman told RollingStone.com. "They all knew how much Vinnie [DAMAGEPLAN drummer and Dimebag's brother Abbott] was going to be affected by it, they all knew how much the crew members would be affected by it, and they certainly knew how much Rita [Dimebag's common-law wife] was going to be affected by it. In our particular genre ? in the world of metal ? if we don't take care of our own, I guarantee you that no one else will. It really is up to us.

"On our very first Ozzfest, you could find us every night after the show in PANTERA's dressing room," Draiman recalled. "Vinnie, Dime and Rex [bassist Brown] were just really welcoming and very nurturing to the baby band. They were showing people the way, and they never were satisfied until everybody around them was about ten times as inebriated as they were. Dime was always the man with the black tooth ? he was always the man passing out the shots. He's the kind of guy that every single night you were with him he did everything in his power to make it the best night of your life."

Dimebag's death has Draiman reevaluating his own band's shows. "It kind of changes everything," he said. "Whereas before we were completely open to letting kids jump up onstage with the intention of hopefully just jumping right off, that can't happen anymore. You need to take security more seriously. I don't think I'm ever going to complain about having to wear a laminate again . . . This was the 9/11 of rock, and now we have to approach every situation differently."

[Malcolm]

Zakk Wylde's band BLACK LABEL SOCIETY are in talks to appear at DISTURBED's Feb. 23 show at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom to benefit the Dimebag Darrell Memorial Fund, according to Launch Radio Networks. Also set to appear on the bill are ANTHRAX, DROWNING POOL and SOIL. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, January 8, for $37.50 each.

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman recently told Launch what went into planning the benefit concert. "It was important for us, even though we are in the middle of making our new record, to do something for the family of the individual who did so much for us," he said. "I mentioned it to the other guys and they were all in and the phone calls started that day. I started calling everybody I know, seeing who would want to be involved. And little by little, the responses started trickling in and we solidified a lot of those commitments at the actual funeral."

Draiman added that the idea for the benefit concert ? which will help cover bereavement costs for the family of DAMAGEPLAN security guard Jeffery "Mayhem" Thompson and medical expenses for DAMAGEPLAN crew members John "Kat" Brooks and Chris Paluska ? started with the Internet. The singer was disturbed when he saw items allegedly once belonging to Dimebag Darrell surfacing for sale by opportunistic people on the Internet, and decided to do something positive to benefit the DAMAGEPLAN family.

[F*ck Fear]

Zakk Wylde's band BLACK LABEL SOCIETY are in talks to appear at DISTURBED's Feb. 23 show at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom to benefit the Dimebag Darrell Memorial Fund, according to Launch Radio Networks. Also set to appear on the bill are ANTHRAX, DROWNING POOL and SOIL. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, January 8, for $37.50 each.

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman recently told Launch what went into planning the benefit concert. "It was important for us, even though we are in the middle of making our new record, to do something for the family of the individual who did so much for us," he said. "I mentioned it to the other guys and they were all in and the phone calls started that day. I started calling everybody I know, seeing who would want to be involved. And little by little, the responses started trickling in and we solidified a lot of those commitments at the actual funeral."

Draiman added that the idea for the benefit concert ? which will help cover bereavement costs for the family of DAMAGEPLAN security guard Jeffery "Mayhem" Thompson and medical expenses for DAMAGEPLAN crew members John "Kat" Brooks and Chris Paluska ? started with the Internet. The singer was disturbed when he saw items allegedly once belonging to Dimebag Darrell surfacing for sale by opportunistic people on the Internet, and decided to do something positive to benefit the DAMAGEPLAN family.

IMO if there is any benifet,Zakk will be there.
It is now January 5 and even though I didn't know Dime as a friend,the times I met him,he made me and my friends feel like we were appreciated as fans.
And for that I will be forever greatful.
Thanks for posting this Malcolm

[Malcolm]

 Ohio's NBC 4 is reporting that the man who killed four people at the Alrosa Villa nightclub last month, including former PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, had several unused rounds before he was shot and killed by an officer, police said Thursday (Jan. 13).

Nathan Gale, 25, of Marysville, fired his weapon 15 times, police said. He had two magazines with 10 rounds in each in his semiautomatic handgun. He reloaded his weapon once, police said, and there were five rounds left in the magazine after he was shot.
NBC 4 reported that Gale's mother legally purchased the weapon, a Baretta, model 92FS.

Police also said that Gale, a former Marine, did not say anything prior to his shooting rampage. There were several rumors from people inside the club who said they heard Gale say something to Abbott before shooting him.

Authorities said they did not know the order the victims were shot Dec. 9, but were investigating.

Columbus police Officer James D. Niggemeyer, who arrived in the nightclub less than one minute earlier, shot and killed Gale. Niggemeyer has not spoken publicly about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

[Malcolm]

 Although DAMAGEPLAN may be finished as a touring entity in the wake of last month's on-stage murder of guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, the group's manager told Billboard.com another release is likely. DAMAGEPLAN's lone album was its 2004 Elektra debut, "New Found Power".

"There were recordings the band laid down prior to Dimebag's death that are near completion," manager Paul Bassman tells Billboard in his first interview since the incident. "[Drummer/Abbott's brother] Vinnie Paul has said there will be a follow-up album down the road, as Dime would have wanted his music to be heard."

Bassman adds, "The outpouring of kind thoughts, sadness and condolences have meant so much to all of us. On behalf of all the families impacted by this horrible tragedy, let me share a public acknowledgement of our gratitude."

Abbott was shot to death by disgruntled fan Nathan Gale during a Dec. 8 performance at Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson, who handled road security for the band, was also shot and killed, as were Erin Halk, who worked at Alrosa Villa in a security role, and Nathan Bray, who was reportedly trying to help Dimebag when he was gunned down. The band's drum tech, John "Kat" Brooks, and tour manager, Chris Paluska, are still recovering from gunshot wounds.

"How this man got onstage without encountering security is the most puzzling question," Bassman says.

"All clubs should be prepared for whatever presents itself to protect any artist they have contracted to perform on their stage," he continues. "In this particular case it may or may not have helped, but it certainly would not have hurt. Hopefully, a tragedy such as this will never be repeated."

[F*ck Fear]

Although DAMAGEPLAN may be finished as a touring entity in the wake of last month's on-stage murder of guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, the group's manager told Billboard.com another release is likely. DAMAGEPLAN's lone album was its 2004 Elektra debut, "New Found Power".

"There were recordings the band laid down prior to Dimebag's death that are near completion," manager Paul Bassman tells Billboard in his first interview since the incident. "[Drummer/Abbott's brother] Vinnie Paul has said there will be a follow-up album down the road, as Dime would have wanted his music to be heard."

Bassman adds, "The outpouring of kind thoughts, sadness and condolences have meant so much to all of us. On behalf of all the families impacted by this horrible tragedy, let me share a public acknowledgement of our gratitude."

Abbott was shot to death by disgruntled fan Nathan Gale during a Dec. 8 performance at Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson, who handled road security for the band, was also shot and killed, as were Erin Halk, who worked at Alrosa Villa in a security role, and Nathan Bray, who was reportedly trying to help Dimebag when he was gunned down. The band's drum tech, John "Kat" Brooks, and tour manager, Chris Paluska, are still recovering from gunshot wounds.

"How this man got onstage without encountering security is the most puzzling question," Bassman says.

"All clubs should be prepared for whatever presents itself to protect any artist they have contracted to perform on their stage," he continues. "In this particular case it may or may not have helped, but it certainly would not have hurt. Hopefully, a tragedy such as this will never be repeated."

Thanks for posting this.
I agree with Vinnie when he said that the unreleased material will see the light of day in the future.

[Malcolm]

Ya NP man..I feel like this stuff should still be reported........

A sellout crowd of 700 marked the reopening of the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio that was the scene of last month's shooting spree in which five people were killed, including former PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

The Alrosa Villa held a benefit concert and auction Friday night (Jan. 14), with all proceeds helping the families of two local victims, Erin Halk and Nathan Bray, NBC 4 reported.

Halk was a security guard at the Alrosa Villa. Witnesses told Halk's family that he was trying to stop gunman Nathan Gale from shooting other people when Halk, 29, was killed.

To make a fresh start at the club and to help patrons feel comfortable, owner Rick Cautela said the public address system was replaced and security changes were made.

"We've had the stage redone, and new carpet, and new carpet in the dressing room," Cautela said.

The head of security at the club said other changes were made.

"We got somebody patting down everybody that comes through the door," Harold Folsom said. "That's something we didn't do before."

Uniformed police officers were on hand outside of the club.

To honor the victims of the shooting, one security worker got a memorial tattoo.

Cautela said he's also placing a statue of the Virgin Mary above the stage.

[F*ck Fear]

Ya NP man..I feel like this stuff should still be reported........

A sellout crowd of 700 marked the reopening of the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio that was the scene of last month's shooting spree in which five people were killed, including former PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

The Alrosa Villa held a benefit concert and auction Friday night (Jan. 14), with all proceeds helping the families of two local victims, Erin Halk and Nathan Bray, NBC 4 reported.

Halk was a security guard at the Alrosa Villa. Witnesses told Halk's family that he was trying to stop gunman Nathan Gale from shooting other people when Halk, 29, was killed.

To make a fresh start at the club and to help patrons feel comfortable, owner Rick Cautela said the public address system was replaced and security changes were made.

"We've had the stage redone, and new carpet, and new carpet in the dressing room," Cautela said.

The head of security at the club said other changes were made.

"We got somebody patting down everybody that comes through the door," Harold Folsom said. "That's something we didn't do before."

Uniformed police officers were on hand outside of the club.

To honor the victims of the shooting, one security worker got a memorial tattoo.

Cautela said he's also placing a statue of the Virgin Mary above the stage.

IMO...If I were an artist,I would never play that club..Not even for benefit....I would just help by paying the families.

[Malcolm]

 The following story by John Futty was published in the January 16, 2005 edition of The Columbus Dispatch:

His high-pitched scream spoke to all of the things William Wever couldn't say.

"It was like he suddenly realized, 'I've got another man's blood on me,' " said his friend Crystal Levings, 25, of Mount Vernon.

Wever was cleaning the blood from his hands, face and clothing in the Alrosa Villa bathroom when he was struck by the horror he had witnessed.

Like other fans at the heavy-metal concert by DAMAGEPLAN, he had watched a gunman shoot guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott in the back of the head, then turn the gun on those who tried to intervene. For reasons he can't explain, Wever climbed onstage to try to save a bleeding victim, even as the gunman, Nathan Gale of Marysville, continued shooting.

"I have no clue why I jumped up there," said Wever, a 33-year old Mount Vernon man who is trained in CPR for his job in store security. "I wasn't thinking anything. I just did it."

Gale was waving a handgun behind a wall of amplifiers as Wever began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the victim while another fan, Jimmy Van Fossen of Reynoldsburg, did chest compressions. Both assumed they were working on Dimebag.

But even that was a matter of confusion. The men recently learned that the victim they were trying to save was Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson, DAMAGEPLAN's security chief, who died later at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Other fans had dragged Dimbag off the stage and onto the floor, where they attempted CPR until paramedics arrived and pronounced him dead.

Confusion continues to swirl around the night of Dec. 8, when Gale rushed onto the stage of the North Side nightclub during DAMAGEPLAN's opening song.

In the three minutes of chaos that between the first shot from his Beretta 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and a Columbus police officer's shotgun blast that killed Gale, the gunman fatally shot four people and wounded three others.

"It was mass hysteria," said Van Fossen, a 35-year old EMT who was one of the fans closest to the stage when the shooting began.

Ty Stewart, a Worthington firefighter and paramedic who was among the first responders, described the scene as "organized chaos."

The Dispatch interviewed more than three dozen witnesses, rescue workers and law-enforcement officers to clarify what happened that night.

The picture that emerges is of a mentally ill man determined to kill and a number of individuals willing to risk their lives to stop the shooting or assist the gravely wounded.

The daylight hours of that Wednesday had passed with the mundane routines of a rock club preparing for a show.

DAMAGEPLAN's tour bus had arrived in the parking lot early that afternoon after an overnight drive from a gig in Buffalo, N.Y. Long before the Alrosa doors were to open, while DAMAGEPLAN's crew began setting up and the band relaxed on the bus, a few hard-core fans began to show up.

Kevin McMeans, 26, of Hilliard, arrived about 1:45 p.m. determined to meet Abbott and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, before they went inside.

The Texas siblings were stars of the heavy-metal world, gaining fame with the band PANTERA, which they formed in 1982. The group's down-tuned sound evolved into a relentless hybrid of punk and speed-metal and the band began playing big heavy-metal festivals, including Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest. PANTERA's 1994 album "Far Beyond Driven" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

With his high-pitched, lightning-quick, Eddie Van Halen-inspired solos, Dimebag was one of metal's most influential guitarists by the time PANTERA disbanded in 2002. The brothers then formed DAMAGEPLAN with lead singer Patrick Lachman and bassist Bob "Zilla" Kakaha.

Once featured in stadium shows, the brothers and their new band were working smaller halls such as the Alrosa, a modest, stucco-sided club at 5055 Sinclair Rd. that has featured local and national metal acts for more than three decades.

Vinnie Paul stepped off the bus about 3:40 p.m. the day of the show, followed about 50 minutes later by Dimebag. McMeans chatted with the brothers, who were known for mingling with fans, and got their autographs on several CD booklets. Dimebag joked about the leopard-print jacket and fuzzy multi-colored hat he was wearing while a crew member prepared to snap a photo.

"This picture will be a classic," the guitarist told McMeans as they flashed the two-fingered heavy-metal salute. [see Dimebag's final photos here]

McMeans wasn't the only person who came looking for the brothers behind the club.

A man later identified as Nathan Gale approached the bus shortly before the band took the stage to ask if the brothers were on board.

Aaron Barns, the group's sound man, told him the Abbotts were already inside.

Before the doors of the club opened, three other men met up in the parking lot to share beers.

Billy Clark had com east from New Carlisle, a small city north of Dayton, while his Army buddy John Muirhead had traveled from his home in the northern Pennsylvania town of Snow Shoe.

[Malcolm]

STORY CONTINUED The friends had trained at Ft. Campbell, Ky., and served together for six months in Afghanistan. Clark also spent six months in Iraq.

Clark, 23, and Muirhead, 25, were there as fans of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN, but it was the first heavy-metal show for Clark's other friend, Troy McKelvey of Dublin.

"Billy had been talking about Dimebag for three weeks," said McKelvey, 27, who also served in the Army. "He was pumping it up, telling me Dimebag was the greatest."

They watched the four warm-up bands, moving closer to the stage as the time approached for DAMAGEPLAN to begin performing.

Alrosa can accommodate up to 700 music fans, some of whom mingle around the pool tables and bar near the front of the nightclub, but most of whom descend into the mosh pit ? a sunken floor where fans sometimes collide to the music? and squeeze toward the stage.

By the time DAMAGEPLAN took the stage around 10:15 p.m., Clark was standing against the chest-high, metal barricade separating the crowd of about 400 fans from the stage.

The band was playing it's opening song, "Breathing New Life", when Gale ? a 6 foot-5, 268?pound semipro football player wearing a Blue Jackets jersey and blue jeans ? emerged from behind the 7?-foot-high wall of amplifiers and headed across the stage for Dimebag. With many in the crowd thinking they were witnessing a stunt, Gale pulled a handgun fired three shots at close range into the back of the guitarist's head and another that struck his hand.

Dimebag collapsed, his right leg twisting awkwardly under his body, his head and shoulders toward the crowd. Feedback screeched from his guitar.

As patrons realized it was no stunt, the club erupted in chaos.

Some fans and crew members moved to grab Gale or help Dimebag while others headed for the exits, toppling tables and chairs adjacent to the pit. At least 10 people placed frantic calls to 911, several from inside the club.

"The person is still loose with the gun," a breathless Lisa Moore, 42, of Columbus, told an operator as she fled the club. "Please hurry, please." [download an audio file containing some of the 911 emergency calls that were placed as the tragic events of Dec. 8 were unfolding at this location]

Alrosa security guards think Gale, 25, got inside by scaling a 6-foot wooden fence on the north side of the club. One saw him enter through a patio door and work his way through the crowd toward the stage.

A longtime PANTERA fan, he had no previous history of violence. But his mother and a former employer have said that Gale told them he was discharged from the Marines because of a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.

His mother, Mary Clark, also has said he was not taking medication for his illness ? a claim confirmed by an autopsy conducted by the Franklin County coroner's office, which found no trace of drugs in Gale's system.

Former acquaintances in Marysville said the symptoms of his illness included claims that PANTERA had stolen some of his songs.

Gale was discharged from the Marines in October 2003, less than two years into a four-year stint. Military records appear to link the discharge with his weight. One document from April 2003 criticized him for weighing 243 pounds, 23 pounds above his permitted maximum.

His mother bought him the gun he used at the Alrosa ad a Christmas gift during his military service and before his illness was diagnosed.

Clark said she won't tell the story of his life.

"Nothing I say about him is going to erase what happened in the end, in those few minutes," she said. "People don't want to hear it. They'll just think, 'Well, she's the mom, what else is she going to say?"

"I'm sorry for what happened, I'm sorry for those people who were killed, but I lost a son, too.

With more than 200 interviews to sort through, Columbus police detectives are still figuring out the details of what happened after Gale shot Dimebag.

"We may never know exactly," said Sgt. Jeff Sacksteder.

Witnesses speak of a struggle on stage, with one or more fans or crew members wrestling with Gale after Dimebag fell.

The commotion ? and the sound of more gunfire ? moved behind the wall of amplifiers on the right side of the stage and out of view for many concertgoers.

Lachman, the band's singer, leaped off the front of the stage and told fans that what was happening was real and to call 911.

Witnesses think all of the victims after the 38-year-old Dimebag were trying to help the guitarist or subdue the gunman.

Thompson, the 40-year-old crew member who some say was the first to grab Gale, was shot twice in the body and once in the leg.

Erin Halk, a 29-year-old Alrosa employee from Columbus, was shot four times in the chest, once in the hand and once in the leg.

Nathan Bray, a 23-year-old fan from Grove City who apparently had jumped onstage, and Chris Paluska, 39, DAMAGEPLAN's tour manager, each were shot once in the chest.

John Brooks, 34, the band's drum technician, was shot twice in the leg. A bullet also grazed the arm of Travis Burnett of Gahanna, 23, a crew member for VOLUME DEALER, one of the warm-up bands.

As victims fell, others tried to grab them and pull them to safety.

Billy Clark was among the fans who climbed over the barricade and reached for Dimebag. He put one knee on the stage for leverage and shouted for his friends, Muirfield and McKelvey, to help.

"I said, 'We've got to get him out of here. He's still a target.'

"I'm not sure if the soldier in me took over. He was up there bleeding and needed help."

The trio and at least one other man pulled Dimebag off the stage and carried him to the floor, where Clark began CPR after searching unsuccessfully for a pulse.

Mindy Reece, a 28-year-old Columbus nurse, was scrambling from the mosh pit with a friend when she turned and saw Dimebag being carried from the stage. She went to his side, identified herself as a nurse and asked for someone's shirt to place against Dimebag's wounds.

McKelvey pulled off his T-shirt, which they slipped under the guitarist's head.

Meanwhile, Van Fossen and a friend, Andy Meravy of Gahanna, worked their way from a spot on a platform left of the stage to Thompson. The bodyguard, a giant of a man at 6-foot-8 and 346 pounds, was on his back on the right side of the stage, one of his feet dangling off the edge.

Van Fossen, who has worked for two Columbus hospitals, detected a weak pulse and began chest compressions. Wever quickly climbed onto the stage beside him. He could see Gale behind the speakers, waving the handgun.

"I'm certified in CPR," Wever told Van Fossen and began mouth-to-mouth after Meravy, also trained in CPR, cleared Thompson's airway.

"I had to spit blood out a couple of times," Wever said.

As sporadic gunfire continued, Meravy convinced Van Fossen that they needed to leave. Outside the back door, they bumped into Columbus Police Officer James D. Niggemeyer.

Niggemeyer had just started his shift at the 18th Precinct, about 2 miles away at Morse and Karl roads, when the report of shots fired at the club came in at 10:18 p.m.

He pulled into the Alrosa parking lot, grabbed the 12-gauge shotgun that police are trained to use even in situations that involve crowds, and headed for the back door of the club. Meanwhile other officers ran past panicked concertgoers fleeing through front and side doors.

"People were screaming, 'Get in there, get in there. He's killing people,' " said Officer Ricky Crum, who head three or four shots as he approached the building.

[Malcolm]

STORY CONTINUED When Gale realized officers were closing in, he grabbed one of his victims and began using him as a shield. A handful of bystanders, some onstage, pointed at Gale and screamed for officers to shoot him?

"He got spooked and started retreating," said Officer Kevin G. Ferencz. "That could have been just pure by luck, but I believe he did see some of us coming at him."

Crum, armed with a shotgun and climbing steps on the left side of the stage, thinks that Gale was preparing to fire at officers in the pit when Niggemeyer stepped through the stage door.

With the shotgun raised, Niggemeyer moved around the abandoned drum set and killed Gale with a single blast of lead pellets to the face.

"I had to do it. I had to do it," he immediately told bystanders and fellow officers.

Niggemeyer has not publicly discussed the incident because it still must be reviewed by a grand jury, as is standard protocol for al fatal shootings by police officers.

Meravy, who was among the concertgoers who witnessed the scene, said, "He seemed floored that he had to do it."

Niggemeyer's shot took on added significance last week, when police revealed that Gale had enough ammunition to do much more violence.

Another five rounds remained in Gale's gun, and he was carrying 30 more live rounds. Sacksteder said the gunman had fired 10 shots, reloaded the magazine and fired five more rounds before he was killed.

"He had the gun in his armpit and he was putting bullets in the clip," recalled Marvin Woodruff, of Mount Vernon, who attended the concert with Wever. "It seemed like it took two seconds to reload that gun."

After Gale went down, Crum saw the hostage scramble away and roll off the front of the stage.

Some of the bystanders who remained on the stage had to be ordered out of the building after they cursed at and kicked Gale's body, Crum said.

Although investigators have declined to name the hostage, Barns, the club's sound man, identified him as Brooks, the band's drum technician. Officers who responded to the scene have said the hostage had gunshot wounds in the leg, which is consistent with Brooks' injuries.

He and the other surviving victims have declined interview requests.

"Jim (Niggemeyer) prevented further injuries and deaths," Crum said.

"The suspect wasn't going to stop unless someone stopped him."

After the shooting had ended, Lt. Rick Schoch of the Columbus Fire Division was the first paramedic to enter the club, walking through the same patio door that Gale used on his way to the stage.

"There was an overall feeling of shock and despair and agony about what had just happened," he said.

Dimebag was on the floor, Thompson and Halk were on the stage and Bray was in the dressing room. He considered all to be in level-one trauma, or critical condition. Gale was pronounced dead.

Columbus firefighters Mark Williams and Bryan Cross arrived aboard Medic 24 six minutes after the first report of shots fired and took their stretcher and other equipment through the patio door.

"People were still leaving," Williams said. "Some were screaming, some seemed to be in shock, with blank stares on their faces."

Schoch directed Williams and Coss to Dimebag's body. They found Reece, the Columbus nurse, performing CPR, and asked her to continue while they hooked up monitors and checked his condition.

He was pronounced dead within minutes. "His heart activity had stopped," Williams said.

Williams and Coss then moved to the small dressing room, stepping over Gale's body to reach Bray. He was alive, with a bullet wound to the chest, but died after they took him to Riverside.

On stage, Tinnerman and two other firefighters from Worthington determined that Halk was dead.

Nearby, Clinton Township Firefighters Chris Biasella and Kellie Ruetsch found Van Fossen and Wever performing CPR on Thompson.

"Dude, we had a pulse right before you got here," Van Fossen told Biasella.

With the help of police officers, they moved Thompson from stage onto a gurney. Van Fossen continued chest compressions until Thompson was loaded onto the Clinton Township rescue squad for the trip to Riverside, where he was pronounced dead.

Paramedics found tour manager Paluska slumped against a vehicle in the parking lot, still conscious but with a serious chest wound. Brooks, the drum tech, wound up on the band's bus after fleeing the club.

Both men were taken to Riverside, where they recovered from their injuries.

Burnett was treated at the scene for a bullet that grazed his arm, but he declined transport.

The remaining members of DAMAGEPLAN haven't spoken publicly since the attack. For many of the other people who witnessed the devastation of that night, the memories are unforgettable.

Niggemeyer, in his only comment to The Dispatch, said he is dealing with the killing, "as good as can be expected."

Alrosa manager Rick Cautela remembers his last view of Dimebag's brother, Vinnie Paul, who took refuge in the club's front bar.

"He was wrapped in a blanket, and he was clutching Dimebag's guitar."

Justin Caudill, of Mansfield, a fan who tried unsuccessfully to pull Dimebag off the stage, cried off and on for a week after the shootings.

"I'm a 28-year-old metalhead covered with tattoos and this is killing me," he said at the time.

"My life's changed, man. I'll move on from it, but it will never go away."

[F*ck Fear]

I had a hard time reading that,but thanks for posting.

Where are the last photos though?...Were they on the site you go this story from?

[Malcolm]

I had a hard time reading that,but thanks for posting.

Where are the last photos though?...Were they on the site you go this story from?

Ya i never figured out how to post links and stuff..but ya its on blabbermouth

[F*ck Fear]

I had a hard time reading that,but thanks for posting.

Where are the last photos though?...Were they on the site you go this story from?

Ya i never figured out how to post links and stuff..but ya its on blabbermouth

Thanks!

[Malcolm]

 Former PANTERA/current SUPERJOINT RITUAL frontman Philip Anselmo has posted the following message at his official web site, PhilAnselmo.com:

"I've been stumbling around in a coma of loss. No truer lyric has been written than 'You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.'

"To explain my side of things with the hiatus of PANTERA, please give me a moment and think about what I say. Think.

"I joined the band in late '86/early '87, and the chemistry clicked like a vice grip, we hit it off like four bad mother fuckers could. Perfection. Dime, Vince and Rex could play fucking anything. You pick the style, they could pull it off. So in reality we had to find out where our musical hearts lay strongest. After short deliberation, our intention was to be the most devastating 'hardcore-heavy metal' band in the world.

"You know, when the so-called heavy metal press first got wind of 'Cowboys from Hell', they were absolutely unsure what to think. More bad reviews than good at the time. The reason? They had never heard a band quite like us before, and I can't blame the press or anyone for not hearing the full experience, but there were flashes in songs like 'Primal Concrete Sledge', and 'Message in Blood'.

"Once again, as I have said before, the press remained basically unimpressed, BUT, with the heavy metal audience, the phenomenon of PANTERA had already begun. Slowly but surely, the fan base grew larger and larger (the best fans in the world, I say still!)

"The LP that I believe was the first 'true' PANTERA LP was our second major release, 'Vulgar Display of Power'. As a band, our brotherhood and obvious originality and musicianship cemented us as one of the most feared and loved bands ever to step on a stage. That is what we all lived for. We figured as long as our awesome audience was moved (headbanging, skanking, stage-diving, of course), we would play for us and them. Of course, we had a deep connection with both our music and our audience, and we were also very different, image- and attitude-wise? It was extremely rare to see a lead vocalist or anyone with a shaved head unless you looked deep into the underground with bands like the CRO-MAGS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, ROSE TATTOO, etc?(I didn't mean to leave anyone out). The difference between us and these great bands was the fact that we also had an insanely great guitar player who was respected alongside the best of the best, and a rhythm section so unique and tight ? goddamn they were tight. Tight is and always will be the word. I guarantee throughout our 17-year existence it would be extremely difficult to have one memory of Rex or Vince messing up or playing a part wrong ever. That, to some people, may be amazing or impossible, however, I mean what I say 100 times over. They were the best damn musicians I'd ever seen or heard. Period.

"With 'Far Beyond Driven', our third major offering, going to #1 on the Billboard Top 200, it seems appropriate to say that some rock magazines were taking notice, one way or another. Guitar magazines throughout the world were right on the money by calling Dimebag the best axeman of the time. That was absolutely true and within his lead style, influenced by the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Ace Frehley, and himself (it's true, I believe most all great lead guitar players have their own style to hear and influence. By god, Darrell had that type of talent and then some). His rhythms he came up with, in ways, probably became even more influential. His influences were extremely varied and unique from guys like James Hetfield (METALLICA), Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman (SLAYER), JUDAS PRIEST to MOT?RHEAD, AC/DC, ZZ TOP, ROBIN TROWER and even some of the ultra-underground bands I would play him.

"In all honesty, he preferred a more accomplished guitar player than some of the rawer sloppier stuff that I adored, but what he did love about the rawer stuff was its all out assault on the ears. Bless him, he did love that. Within his style, he commanded and demanded the best out of himself, and all of us around him.

"So I will say to everyone in Texas that ever called me a friend, and especially all of my brothers that helped work with us as PANTERA on the road crew; I love all of you.

"To the fans in Texas, and the rest across America and the world, beware of the shit you read in rock magazines. When these pathetically titled 'journalists' (not all of them, but a lot still) had finally caught on to the fact that we, PANTERA, had beaten all the odds a band could, and the press had no choice but to build us up until it seemed that they were all of a sudden desperate to make us supermen in the magazines, it was an assignment. It wasn't true to them, they were getting paid for it. We weren't supermen, just a great band.

"During our whole career, there were always those interviews where you could tell that the 'journalist' didn't know shit about our band, using wrong facts, whether they made us look good or bad, not knowing a thing about our characters, our musicianship, or our careers; asking the same questions, or as 'journalists' love to do, just plain making up whatever they wanted.

"For every 'journalist' out there, these facts may or may not fit in with the way you personally do your work, but I know and so the fuck do you that this load of bullshit behavior, that thousands of fans read on a regular basis, is absolutely irresponsible, and it's obvious that you truly don't care about your responsibilities to the fans, or how many lives you truly destroy. It's all about what sells magazines, isn't it?

"A month has gone by since we, his former bandmates, his current bandmates, his friends and fans around the world, have lost Dimebag. I can't necessarily speak for them, but for me, it's the first thing that comes to mind when I awake, if I sleep at all, still. It is also the last thing I think about as I lay down to rest. Goddamn, it still hurts me.

"I want to be there for Vinnie Paul no matter how long it takes. I want to be there for Rita, if she'll have me. I want to be there for the Kat and the rest of the crew as well, people that have been a part of my life for 17 ? years. Once again, I'm hoping my biggest hope; that they realize that the bad stuff written about our bands and ourselves was coerced nonsense made to sell magazines.

"Bear with me, please. I beg you all.

"By the way, all of the level-headed fans that write in and offer support, that in itself is the best therapy I've received yet.

"I have considered retirement because of a broken heart, but also in my heart, I cannot let my fans down. As the days go by, I realize that I'm at war with some things inside of myself, that I don't mind sharing with you: I always [believed], truly always, no matter if it was my own dreams just coming to the surface, if we, just the four of us, were to sit in a room together, we'd have been laughing, crying, and laughing again. The weight of the world would be lifted off of our shoulder as we hugged each other. Play together again? I have a suspicion that our fans would demand some type of reunion. My god, I thought of that so many times, and because what our fans wanted, they usually got. It may have taken a little longer, but think about how long it took the original BLACK SABBATH to play together again!?

"Then in one night early December 2004, an event changed the entire year and our entire lives into one of the cruelest sort. Some mentally disturbed individual ?crushed the dream. He took one of the most talented, extroverted people ever to grace this earth.

"I'm crushed for the loss of my friend that I loved, for Vince, his brother, for Jerry, his father, for Rita, his life companion, for all of his good friends, for every music fan that was inspired and loved his playing; especially those who were lost or were injured that night we lost Darrell. None of what I have said will ever bring him back, and it hurts so bad. I add very humbly in hope that no one else out there ever has to go through something like this: Keep your loved ones close.

"Yours truly, I can take no more at this time. Philip H Anselmo"

[Malcolm]

VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Dave Kushner recently spoke to New Zealand's Stuff.co.nz about the murder of PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott at a nightclub in Columbus, Ohio in early December.

"You know, it was weird," Kushner said. "Their tour manager called us only a few nights before it happened and when we heard we weren't sure who had been shot. Each time we got a phone call it would be someone different.

"We (had) just played a month or so ago with DAMAGEPLAN, on a radio show. Dimebag was such an amazing guitar player, and Matt and the guys were friends with Dime and Vinnie (Dimebag's brother) from their PANTERA days. It's a real tragedy and really disturbing to think that something like that can happen to you. It shakes the foundations of what we do."

[Malcolm]

DAMAGEPLAN's official fan site, Damageplan.net, has opened up a new message board dedicated to "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and the fallen heroes of the tragic shooting at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Colmbus, Ohio.

"We ask you be respectful on the new board," the site's webmaster writes. "No disrespectful comments will be tolerated on the new message board. There will be no warnings you will be banned, and I will not respond to banned peoples emails like I did on the old DAMAGEPLAN board. If you bring up anything related to PANTERA, talk about the great accomplishments that were achieved and how you were affected by it. If you bring up anything negative about that subject or members of DAMAGEPLAN or PANTERA you will be banned.

"Let's celebrate the life of Dimebag Darrell. We all have our stories to share and now we have a place to share them. Please think before you post."

[Malcolm]

DAMAGEPLAN's official fan site, Damageplan.net, has opened up a new message board dedicated to "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and the fallen heroes of the tragic shooting at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Colmbus, Ohio.

"We ask you be respectful on the new board," the site's webmaster writes. "No disrespectful comments will be tolerated on the new message board. There will be no warnings you will be banned, and I will not respond to banned peoples emails like I did on the old DAMAGEPLAN board. If you bring up anything related to PANTERA, talk about the great accomplishments that were achieved and how you were affected by it. If you bring up anything negative about that subject or members of DAMAGEPLAN or PANTERA you will be banned.

"Let's celebrate the life of Dimebag Darrell. We all have our stories to share and now we have a place to share them. Please think before you post."



http://www.damageplan.net/phpBB2/index.php?sid=5245d25cff05b5a2c1d067d936db3bab

[Malcolm]

www.dimebagforever.com

New memorial stickers are avaliable and its a cool site so check it out

[Malcolm]

 Guitarist Paul Crook (ex-ANTHRAX, SEBASTIAN BACH) has sent the following message to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"I really enjoy my work with [the QUEEN musical] 'We Will Rock You'. It's been running in Las Vegas since August 2005 and I perform eight shows a week. I can't believe how much satisfaction I get when I plug in that Red Special and play those guitar solos. I think most of it has to do with the love and respect I have for my boss, Dr. Brian May. This man continually amazes me with his kind heart and gracious manner. His lack of ego is incredible. He is voted by Guitar Player magazine as one of the greatest guitar players to ever walk the earth and he doesn't even realize it or care!

"This brings me to another point: Dimebag Darrell, another extraordinary human being. His energy was beautifully bright. His guitar playing was terrifying and he didn't care either. When in his presence you were treated with respect, 'southern hospitality.' It didn't matter who you were or what you did. He wanted you to feel welcomed and most of all he wanted you to laugh.

"At the theatre backstage in Las Vegas, I have several photos of Dimebag taped to the outside doors of my locker. I see him every time I go to open them and I give him the horns every night before I hit the stage. As I'm looking at him with horns, I say to myself, 'For the next two hours I am going to play to the best of my ability with as much passion as I can.'

"Last night (May 4) was extra-special for me. Thanks to Brian May, Dimebag made his debut at the theatre during the song 'No One But You'. As the song is performed, images of fallen rock stars are shown on these huge screens. What's so great about Dimebag's segment is that it's a video. The video piece is of Dimebag ripping up the fretboard during the song 'Domination' from the PANTERA concert in Moscow. It brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful gesture from Brian. A mutual love and respect from a fellow human being/guitar player. There Dimebag was, lighting up the stage, as usual. There he'll always be.

"I can't wait to get to work tonight so I can see my friend again."