The Pantera shooting.

[Tyler Durden]

What a crazy tragedy.



Pantera killings (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/09/nightclub.shooting/index.html)

[bernie]

Think of how much the ticket stub, along with the ticket stubs for the great white show and the Sig and Roy show will be worth as collectors items.

b

[Tyler Durden]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNN) -- A 25-year-old man stormed the stage at a heavy-metal rock concert Wednesday night, shooting and killing Pantera founder and Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and three others before a police officer shot and killed him, Columbus police said.

On Thursday, police identified the suspect as Nathan Gale of nearby Marysville. A spokesman said police had no information about a motive or possible link to the band.

"Right now we don't see any connection at all, but that could change," Columbus police Sgt. Brent Mull said. "Unless he left a note or there's something else, we may never know the motive."

At least two people also were wounded in the attack, which occurred shortly after Damageplan began its performance at the Alrosa Villa nightclub on Columbus' north side.

James Niggemeyer of the Columbus police was nearby and responded to a call about the shooting. He slipped in a back door, and someone directed him to the stage, Mull said.

"We got the call about 10:18, and by 10:20 he was in there," Mull said, adding that "it was probably less than a minute before he engaged" the suspect, who was holding a hostage.

"The officer was able to strategically gun this guy down before he was able to kill his hostage," Mull said. "It appeared he was about to kill his hostage before this officer put an end to it."

Mull said the hostage was unharmed and that Niggemeyer's action saved lives.

"The officer ran in without any backup ... obviously put himself at risk," he said. "The community has a real hero here."

Abbott, 38, and his brother, Vinnie Paul Abbott, 40, formed Damageplan after the breakup of Pantera -- a group they formed in the 1980s. Their father is Jerry Abbott, a country and western songwriter and producer. (Dimebag profile)

Pantera's third release, "Far Beyond Driven," debuted at No. 1 in 1994. The band was nominated for Grammys in 1995 and 2001.

The band dissolved at the end of a tour last year -- amid much speculation on fan Web sites that the split was not amicable. The two brothers, however, played down any bitterness during an April 1 interview with CNN.

"It just kind of got narrow-minded, and we just wanted to bust it open a little bit more and just broaden it up, go for the Baskin-Robbins 31 flavors instead of the one, you know what I mean?" Darrell Abbott said.

Vinnie Paul Abbott said: "We had 13 years of really, really good success. And basically the singer wanted to move on, do some other things and really lost his focus."
At least 1 audience member among deaths

At least one of those killed Wednesday night -- Nathan Bray, 23 -- was a member of the audience. Mull identified another deceased victim as Erin Halk, 29, although it was unclear if he was a concertgoer or an employee.

Mull did not identify the remaining fatality. Abbott was the only band member confirmed dead "at this point," he said.

One of the wounded is in critical condition, the other hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Two others were hurt and treated at the scene, although the nature of their injuries was unclear.

Mull said homicide detectives are checking possible amateur video shot inside the club during the shooting but said they weren't sure if the footage would be useful.

Police roped off a huge area of the nightclub's parking lot as 60 detectives questioned hundreds of witnesses. Police brought in buses to keep the witnesses warm as they waited.

Witnesses described the gunman as a heavyset man, wearing a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey jersey.

Calvin Bota said he saw the shooting from the mosh pit in front of the stage shortly after the band began playing.

"Somebody came -- I don't know where they came from, out of the audience or whatnot -- but they come onto [the] stage and ... he shot the guitarist at first, fired a couple of other shots and then he hid behind the stage a little bit," Bota told CNN affiliate WSYX.

"Everybody started scattering, you know, there's mayhem everywhere. And then a police officer came into the building, you know, came in professional with his gun raised, and then he proceeded to shoot the guy."

Mull said Columbus police have responded to previous incidents at the club, including several he characterized as minor as well as a shooting in the parking lot. He said he was unaware of the club's security practices, except that it had no surveillance camera or metal detector.

"They are in charge of their own security inside," he said. "There are times they hire off-duty Columbus police for parking lot security -- we are prohibited by law from working inside a liquor establishment -- but last night there were none."

[kerssens]

Damn rap music...oh, wait a minute..

[Lazymeatball]

Has anyone listened to any DamagePlan? Is it any good, or would it come as a dissapointment to any Pantera fan?

[Rob Blackburn]

It sounds just like Pantera.

SJR Phil's project is pretty intense too.

[astroglide]

there's a thread on this already

[daveymck]

Anselmo is so far up his own arse these days I would not listen to SJR just out of principal, but I havent been impressed with what I heard.

Listened to damageplan a couple of times and wasnt that impressed but I went off Pantera after first few albums, Great Southern Trendkillk was the last thing I bought by them.

The opening riff from Cowboys from Hell will stay with me forever though, some songs you hear and know exactly where you were when you heard them, and that is one of them.

[MelK]

[ QUOTE ]
there's a thread on this already

[/ QUOTE ]

You have to distinguish between the DamagePlan thread and the Pantera thread. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Rushmore]

Superjoint Ritual is just over the top lyrically and speedwise, and not particularly tight. And you're right about Anselmo.

Trendkill was a masterpiece. The impressive thing about Pantera making The Great Southern Trendkill was that it was as great as it was after they had made Far Beyond Driven and Vulgar Display of Power, which were gigantic, unbelievable pieces of art.

Very few bands have the ability to evolve like that. The stuff was never "better" or "worse," it was "just as great, only different."

Well, up through Trendkill, at least.

[astroglide]

people that like HARD speed and precision should check out dillinger escape plan's "calculating infinity"

[daveymck]

Vulgar display of power was when I went off them to be honest, havent listened to it more recently to see how it sounds now but at the time I was dissapointed. Was the same with Sepultura as well everyone raves about roots but for me it was the nail in their coffin mainly cos I loved beneath the remains and arise so much.

Anselmo the last few weeks has been having a war of words in the media with dimbag the last few weeks, culminating in him saying he wished someone would beat him up and also being pictured with a knife with Dimebags picture on it, even if this wasnt the cause it has come back to haunt him.

Also I had not realised how much metal had slipped over ion the states Damageplan were playing 4,000 capacity venues over here in the UK hearing they were playing to 250 in the states was a surprise but not I guess unsual, I think Anthrax and Slayer are playing bigger venues round europe thna in the states.

This could be the thing that brings metal back there has been so much activity on message boards etc its unbeliveable.

[sthief09]

[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone listened to any DamagePlan? Is it any good, or would it come as a dissapointment to any Pantera fan?

[/ QUOTE ]


I don't listen to much Pantera so I don't know who was part of it, but I think one or two of them had a side project "Down" that I heard at Ozzfest 2 summers ago. they were pretty sick

[thirddan]

i saw slayer last semester with arch enemy/hatebreeed at the warfield, i think its maybe a couple hundred seats tops, i prefer the smaller venues as im sure most do...

I think hatebreed is the only metal act that was better in a huge field than in a club...there is something about hatebreed that was insane at ozzfest a couple years ago when everyone start circle mosing and the dust is flying, pretty crazy...

and Roots is an ok disc, much better than chaos AD though, i saw soulfly a while ago, not great but they played some sepultura stuff which was good...

[bugstud]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone listened to any DamagePlan? Is it any good, or would it come as a dissapointment to any Pantera fan?

[/ QUOTE ]


I don't listen to much Pantera so I don't know who was part of it, but I think one or two of them had a side project "Down" that I heard at Ozzfest 2 summers ago. they were pretty sick

[/ QUOTE ]


that would be anselmo

[dr. klopek]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
there's a thread on this already

[/ QUOTE ]

You have to distinguish between the DamagePlan thread and the Pantera thread. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have to distinguish, why is this called the Pantera shooting thread?

[ChristinaB]

WHY THE 'METAL' GUNMAN CRACKED (http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/21292.htm)

selected quotes:

Fans said the shooter, Nathan Gale, 24, a tall, heavy-set offensive lineman for a semi-pro football team, seemed to be an angry Pantera fan who blamed Abbott for the band's demise.

"My friend heard him yelling, 'Darrell, Darrell! You're the reason Pantera broke up. You ruined my life,' " Brian Windzigl, 22, told The Washington Post. "I saw him pull out a gun and shoot him in the face. It was point blank."

Cops said Gale, of nearby Marysville, Ohio, listened to Pantera music to psyche himself up before football games

[IndieMatty]

Huzzzah!

Dillenger Escape Plan is the best "metal" act out there. I go with math hardcore instead of metal, but whatever.


The new one, Miss Machine is awe inspiring. These guys grew up in my scene, and even when they were playing at the VFW hall in front of 30 kids, they would put on the sickest shows.

[Paluka]

I'll add another vote: Dillinger Escape Plan is sick.

[daveymck]

What I have heard is a bit too jazzy for my liking a bit like an old death metal band called atheist who had jazz influences as well.

I saw slayer last year as well but again they played two nights at a 4,000 people venue was a fine gig though.