Sad Breaking News in the music industry....

[Mamba]

Band Attacked Onstage In Ohio Nightclub, 5 Killed
Witnesses: Alleged Gunman Went Onto Stage, Fired Shots

POSTED: 10:32 pm EST December 8, 2004
UPDATED: 1:10 am EST December 9, 2004

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- At least five people died and two others were wounded after a shooting at a Columbus, Ohio, nightclub on Wednesday night, television station WCMH reported.

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

Two members of the heavy metal band Damageplan were reportedly shot and killed, including Dimebag Darrell, formerly with the band Pantera, WCMH reported. The other band member's name was not released. The alleged gunman also died at the scene, Wayne reported.

Shortly after the band began playing its first song, a man reportedly ran onto the stage and began shooting, according to a witness who identified himself as Sean. Some members of the audience reportedly thought the man running onto the stage with a gun was part of the band's act, the TV station reported.

Witnesses said that several shots were fired at the band. Witnesses said that a bouncer at the club tackled the alleged gunman before that person was shot and killed. It was unclear as to whom shot the alleged gunman.

WCMH reported that of the surviving victims, one person was in critical condition while the other was in fair condition. Several others were treated at the scene, suffering from various injuries.

Alrosa Villa is a popular north Columbus nightspot for young adults, featuring rock and heavy metal bands, WCMH 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 were joined by vocalist Patrick Lachman and bassist Bobzilla, according to their Web site.

A sad day in music once again.....RIP Dimebag

 

[jacs]

thats some messedup stuff

 

[Mamba]

Very sucky jacs .....btw, take my girl off your avatar

 

[VirusX]

GOD D*MNIT

I swear I would beat that piece of **** to death with my bare ****ing hands..

This really pisses me off...

Going to find a RIP Dimebag shirt this is messed up.

My thoughts go out to Rex, Vinnie, and Dimebags family.

 

[jacs]

take my girl off your avatar

ill think about it http://img.***BLOCKED***/albums/v194/dmxinsd/scratch.gif

 

[trickblue]

The members of Pantera were big Cowboy fans... sorry to lose one of the faithful...

 

[IAMBG]

First off, I am a new guy here and a Skins fan.

I never thought of posting here until I saw this news. Not a fan of trash talking, but since I am a huge fan of everything the brothers and Pantera have done, I knew some Boys fans would be talking about this if it were true.

Now I actually believe this is true.

I am deeply saddened by this.

Being a musician myself, I've gained so much from listening to these guys, but mostly from their attitudes towards life and having fun. Regardless of what team they root for.

I was fortunate enough to meet Dime and get to tell him in person how much a fan of his music and guitar playing I was despite the fact that he hated the Skins. Had a beer, laughed and saw compromise that both orgs are winning franchises with tradtion and long history.

What a great guy. Funny as all hell too.

So my condolences to you all on your loss of two die-hard fans of your organization.

I first heard on our Skins site :http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=1059808#post1059808

for those that need more info or articles.

Peace.

Dime and Vinnie RIP. We will miss you.

 

[Khartun]

Dime and Vinnie RIP. We will miss you

It doesn't say Vinnie was the other dead band member, does it?


This news has totally bummed me out. Vulgar Display is one of my all time favorite albums. I still listen to it quite a bit. Dime, you will be sorely missed.
RIP

 

[CowboyPrincess]

It doesn't say Vinnie was the other dead band member, does it?


This news has totally bummed me out. Vulgar Display is one of my all time favorite albums. I still listen to it quite a bit. Dime, you will be sorely missed.
RIP

According to the news I heard a few minutes ago.. the drummer was the other member killed... I'm pretty sure that was Vinnie

But there is still a lot of confussion going on, so it may be wrong

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

WOW!!!

I was a HUGE Pantera fan...not really a fan of damage plan.

But I have always thought that Dime and Vinnie were one of the best musicians of their genre...Vinnie Paul was so under-rated as a drummer in any genre really.


Wow that is just shocking.


RIP Guys and thanks for the great music over the years.

Wow...just shocking.

 

[Duane]

More on the story...

Dec. 9, 2004, 9:52AM

Gunman kills 4, wounds 2 at Ohio rock concert
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A gunman charged onstage at a packed nightclub and opened fire on the band and crowd, killing top heavy metal guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and three other people before a police officer shot him to death, authorities and witnesses said.

Police spokeswoman Sherry Mercurio identified three of the victims of Wednesday's shooting as Abbott, who played for the Texas-based band Damageplan, and two other men, Nathan Bray, 23; and Erin Halk, 29.

She identified the gunman as Nathan Gale, 25, of Marysville, 25 miles northwest of Columbus. She said there was no information on a motive or any connection to the band.

Damageplan had just begun its first song at Alrosa Villa club when the man shot Abbott five or six times at point-blank range, a witness said.

Abbott, 38, one of metal's top guitarists, and his brother, Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, were members of Pantera, the Grammy-nominated thrash-rock pioneer that enjoyed wide popularity in the early 1990s.

The witness, 22-year-old Chris Couch, said he was standing about 30 feet from the stage when he saw a man wearing a hooded sweat shirt walk up to the stage, followed by a bouncer and another club employee.

The man in the sweat shirt climbed onto the stage, started yelling and opened fire on the guitarist, then shot a bouncer who pulled him off the musician, Couch said.

Police spokesman Sgt. Brent Mull said that after shooting at band members, the gunman fired into the crowd. The gunman was shot and killed by patrol officer James D. Niggemeyer, who arrived shortly after the shooting began, police said.

"If the officer wasn't as close as he was, I think this would have been a lot worse," Mull said. "It was a chaotic scene, just a horrific scene."

Mercurio said Niggemeyer, 31, was patrolling nearby when he heard the call about the shooting. He entered the club through a back door and was directed to the stage, where he saw one person lying dead and the suspect holding onto another person, Mercurio said. His deadly shot probably saved other lives, Mercurio said.

The name of the fifth person killed was not immediately released. Mercurio said family members were still being notified.

This morning, a dozen yellow roses, still in plastic wrap, lay near the entry to the low-slung beige building that since 1974 has hosted mostly heavy metal acts. The 641-person-capacity club, just off a freeway exit on the city's north side, sits amid motels, small businesses and office complexes.

After the shooting began, Couch and a friend headed for the exit along with a tide of hundreds of fans.

"It was definitely a grudge. It was against something," Couch said.

Amanda Stankus, 19, who attended the show with Couch, said she initially thought the shooting was part of the show. "I just saw the guitarist fall down, and we decided to get out of there," she said.

The Abbott brothers produced Damageplan's debut album, "New Found Power," which was released in February. Other band members are vocalist Patrick Lachman and bassist Bob Zilla.

"Damageplan carries on the tradition Pantera started, the ... hell-raising tradition we were all about," Vinnie Paul Abbott told The Dallas Morning News in October. "We do play some Pantera songs. Me and Dime wrote them, and we feel like we have the right to play them. But the focus is on Damageplan.

"It took awhile for some of the Pantera fans to accept it; we knew that was gonna be the case," he said. "Change is something that people have a hard time accepting. But me and Dime intended on doing this our whole lives."

A message left with Atlantic Records Group, which oversees Damageplan's label Elektra, was not immediately returned.

Damageplan's Web site said Darrel and Vinnie Abbott grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where their father, country songwriter Jerry Abbott, owned a recording studio.

Telephone numbers for Darrell and Jerry Abbott are unlisted and could not be reached early today by The Associated Press.

Pantera, known for its fast, aggressive sound, recorded several albums in the 1990s, attracting a massive cult following. The third release, "Far Beyond Driven," debuted at No. 1 in 1994, surprising chart-watchers and critics alike. Other hit albums were "The Great Southern Trendkill" and "Reinventing The Steel." A song by the band became the Dallas Stars hockey team's signature tune in 1999.

Pantera was nominated for Grammies for best metal performance in 1995 for "I'm Broken" and in 2001 for "Revolution Is My Name."

The video "The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits" hit the top 10 for music-video sales earlier this year; another video, "3-Watch It Go," hit the top 10 in 1998.

The shootings came exactly 24 years after John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York apartment building by a deranged fan.

Dozens of messages were posted to the Dallas band's Web site after the shootings.

"This is the worst day in metal history," one posting read.

"The metal world feels your pain," another wrote.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

So I take it from the article duane posted that Vinnie Paul was not killed?

 

[Duane]

So I take it from the article duane posted that Vinnie Paul was not killed?

Looks like it Brain. Three band members and the gunman make four killed. However, they said in the other article that someone else was seriously injured, maybe Vinnie.

 

[CowboyPrincess]

So I take it from the article duane posted that Vinnie Paul was not killed?

I hope thats what it says... leave it up for broadcast news to jump to conclusions. Confussion causes false reports..

But.. the article says he killed 4 and wounded 2. One name isn't being release pending notification of family. There were 5 killed including the gunman

Such a tragedy for all involved.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I hope thats what it says... leave it up for broadcast news to jump to conclusions. Confussion causes false reports..

But.. the article says he killed 4 and wounded 2. One name isn't being release pending notification of family. There were 5 killed including the gunman

Such a tragedy for all involved.

Yes a tragedy at an event that is to entertain and make people happy.

Shades of the band Great White and that whole situation.

 

[CowboyPrincess]

Yes a tragedy at an event that is to entertain and make people happy.

Shades of the band Great White and that whole situation.

That was actually the first thing I thought of after hearing about last nights tragedy. Whether it were fire or gun fire, a stabbing at tha Rolling Stones or Aerosmith concert; a stampede at a Who concert, an overdose at a Grateful Dead concert.. an evening out to a night club to watch your favorite rock band may not be such a happy thing...

 

[hardcorebob]

www.damageplan.com

Check out the pic, great stuff.

I grew up with Pantera here in Austin and chatted with all the members on a fairly regular basis. They used to come quite often to the Back Room and I had the chance to go back stage when they did. Diamond was the coolest of the bunch, really laid back and down to earth. I'll definitely miss him, secretly I was hoping for a Pantera reunion someday in the future. I'm glad I had the chance to jam it out hardcore on many occasions at Pantera shows and I'm glad I kept my pictures, guitar pics, and my concert tickets stubs from those great times. I still can't believe this actually happened......

 

[Kchunda]

I'm so saddened by this. Can't believe it. . . no more Dime. . . only in our memories, on VHS, CD, and DVD.

Here's what I want to know/think:

1) What's up with Phil not saying anything? Or Rex?

2) You know the next BLS/Zakk Wylde album is going to be a tribute. ***, every heavy album that comes out in the next 2 weeks or so on will have somthing about Dime in it.

3) Anyone know where I can get a Dimebag screensaver? When I come home it would be nice to see my computer's thinking about him. . .

 

[Rayman]

Ohio Club Shooter Obsessed With Band

Fri Dec 10, 4:21 PM ET Entertainment - AP


By ANITA CHANG, Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The man who shot former Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and three other men to death at a nightclub was obsessed with the heavy metal band and made bizarre accusations against the group, a one-time friend said.


AP Photo



AP Photo
Slideshow: Former Pantera Guitarist Killed on Stage

Former Pantera Guitarist Killed on Stage
(AP Video)



Nathan Gale apparently believed Pantera musicians were trying to steal his identity and the lyrics to songs he had written, former friend Jeramie Brey told The Columbus Dispatch in Friday's editions.


Gale, 25, charged the stage Wednesday at a show by Abbott's new band, Damageplan, and gunned down four people including Abbott before a police officer shot him to death. Two others were wounded.


Investigators said they may never know Gale's motive. Some witnesses said he yelled accusations that the influential heavy metal guitarist broke up Pantera, but police had not verified those reports.


Brey and former friend Dave Johnson said they had become frightened by Gale's behavior and distanced themselves from him several years ago. By that time, Johnson said, Gale had begun talking and laughing to himself and once appeared to be holding an imaginary dog.


"He used to be Pantera's No. 1 fan and has liked them for as long as I've known him," Johnson told the newspaper. "After a while something happened. He just kind of snapped. He went from being a cool guy to being a guy you didn't want to be around."


Johnson said he met Gale, known as Nate, in the late 1990s through a mutual friend in their hometown of Marysville, about 25 miles northwest of Columbus. They shared a love of rock music, held jam sessions and attended concerts together.


Brey recalled that Gale once showed up at his house with some songs he had written, but the words appeared to be copied from Pantera. Gale told Brey he planned to sue Pantera over the lyrics and for stealing his identity.


An imposing figure at 6-foot-3, Gale had made people uneasy at a Marysville tattoo parlor, staring and locking them into conversations about heavy metal music.


When he played offensive line for the semi-pro Lima Thunder football team, he psyched himself up before games by piping Pantera music into his headphones, coach Mark Green said.


"He seemed like a normal guy you would meet any other day," said Anthony Bundy, 20, who lived on the same block as Gale. "He was a keep-to-yourself type of person. He was real quiet."


Hours before the shootings, Gale got into an argument with a worker at the tattoo studio over some equipment he wanted the studio to order for him. He later angrily walked out of the shop.


The worker, Bo Toler, said he thought Gale had come to the tattoo parlor because he wanted somebody to hang out with. "I just thought he was quiet. I thought he had low-self esteem because of his thick glasses," Toler said.


Gale had had minor run-ins with police since 1997 but wasn't considered a troublemaker, authorities said.


He served in the Marines in North Carolina until November 2003, when he was discharged after less than half of the typical four-year stint, Marine spokeswoman Gunnery Sgt. Kristine Scarber said. She declined to explain the discharge, citing privacy rules.


Gale's mother, Mary Clark, did not return phone messages seeking comment.


The violence at the Alrosa Villa club came just after the opening chords by Texas-based Damageplan, the band formed by Abbott and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, after they left Pantera. Gale dodged two band members, grabbed Darrell Abbott and shot him at least five times in the head, witnesses and police said.





In less than five minutes, Gale had also killed Erin Halk, 29, a club employee who loaded band equipment; fan Nathan Bray, 23; and band bodyguard Jeff Thompson, 40.

Two other band employees, tour manager Chris Paluska and drum technician John Brooks, remained hospitalized Friday with bullet wounds. Paluska was listed in serious condition and Brooks in good condition.

Vinnie Paul Abbott thanked fans for their support in a statement the band released Friday.

"With all his greatness and accomplishments on the guitar, DIME will be missed more for his giving personality, charisma, caring for others, love and most of all his HEART!! Twice as big as the state of TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!," Abbott said.

___

On the Net:

http://www.damageplan.com

http://www.pantera.com

 

[Bobo]

I'm not from Dallas, but some of my best days have been when I've traveled to Dallas.

My 1st NFL game was at Texas stadium on Thanksgiving. Saw my favorite team play a few more games there, all lots of fun.

Another day was when my band traveled to Big D to play a show. Afterwards, we got to meet Dime and Vinnie. We got some autographs and talked with them for awhile. Very cool guys, no egos to big to talk to anyone.

I grew up a Pantera fan, and loved trying to figure out Dime's rifs. RIP Dime