Editorial

Dimebag Darrell Lives On and Some Other Thoughts

I must admit, it is impressive how much the metal world still rallies around Dimebag Darrell. Granted, his legacy is getting a little overblown (I heard some knucklehead say that Dimebag was the greatest guitarist ever. Relax buddy), but it is great that his memory remains, and more importantly to a selfish dude like me that has never met him, his music remains. Hard Attack, the heavy metal station on Sirius Satellite Radio, dedicated Wednesday to Dimebag Darrell and his music (it would have been his 42nd birthday). It got me thinking of my favorite Pantera songs and concert moments.
Quite possibly the greatest arena rock show I saw was at the Boston Garden when Black Sabbath did their first reunion tour with Ozzy and the opening bands were Deftones and Pantera. That is probably three of my favorite seven bands. Each band was phenomenal (Deftones even did a Depeche Mode cover). Pantera blew the roof off the place like no other opening band I had seen. As they walk off stage, Phil Anselmo said, "Thanks Boston. You were okay (gesturing with his hand). I hope you treat Sabbath better than you treated us." Are you shitting me? I saw people trying to rip the seats out of the cement when they played 'Fuckin' Hostile' and the crowd was 'okay'?
Another time I saw Pantera at Ozzfest and again they were the direct support to Sabbath. It was dusk at the ampitheater outside of Boston. And Pantera walks on stage. No lights. No announcement. Nothing. You could barely see them because of the dusk shadows. Just a "We're Pantera and we're the fucking kings of metal" and boom! right into 'Revolution is My Name.' Phenomenal.
I have also been to the venue where Dimebag was shot and killed, the AlrosaVilla in Columbus, OH. I went to college an hour south in Dayton and twice made the trip, once to see Gravity Kills with Local H. And another time to see the Deftones with an unknown opening band named Limp Bizkit. The Gravity Kills show was the first, and only time, that a transvestite hit on me (or was it a transexual? Whichever one is a dude dressed like a chick; that was what hit on me). My friend and I were under age and between bands this dude offered to buy us a couple of beers. We declined. But it sat down anyway and started flirting with us. I should mention, this dude was not fooling anyone. He was big and was wearing a pleather outfit. The only thing bigger than his gut was his adam's apple. Anyway, he really wants to buy us booze. And I had just read 'The Basketball Diaries' and recently discovered '53rd and 3rd' was about Dee Dee Ramone sucking cock for drugs. So admittedly, I had a fascination with blowing dudes to get fucked up, but no beer or whiskey was worth a facefuck. Okay, I'm way off track.
The other show I saw at the AlrosaVilla was one of the few shows I've been to with stage diving. In fact, when Limp Bizkit opened, Fred Durst walked out, said "Hi, we're Limp Bizkit" and jumped into the crowd as they started playing 'Jump Around.' It was insane. Chino Moreno of the Deftones was the same way. This was when 'Around the Fur' came out so they were still playing their heavier stuff. At one point, he jumped in the crowd and was blatantly smoking weed with a group of dudes. Then someone stole his shoe and their was nearly a fight. Security was a tad lax. It was phenomenal.
It will never happen again.
One asshole ruined it.  

In conclusion, my 5 favorite Pantera songs:
5. 'Goddam Electric' - Reinventing the Steel is an underrated album
4. 'Drag the Waters' - So is 'The Great Southern Trendkill'; I'll take them both over 'far Beyond Driven'
3. 'Cemetary Gates' / 'Hollow' - I'll put both ballads together in one gay slot
2. All their covers - 'Cat Scratch Fever', 'Electric Funeral', 'Hole in the Sky', Planet Caravan' are all awesome
1. The first five songs on 'Vulgar Display of Power' - Okay, technically this list had 13 songs. But Pantera is that good.