Lasting Effect On Heavy Metal Scene Expected
Band Photo: Kittie (?)
For David Draiman, his safe place has now become a hazardous zone.
Draiman is one of several heavy metal artists who say their lives and careers will be dramatically altered by the death of Arlington-raised guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was fatally shot onstage at a Columbus, Ohio, nightclub Wednesday night.
"The stage is an environment where you tend to feel safe," said Draiman, lead singer for Chicago-based metal band Disturbed, whose last album, "Believe," sold 1.5 million copies.
"There are always guys jumping on and off of it, stage-diving, and prior to this incident, I welcomed it," he said. "But I don't know who might be running up there with a gun now. I'm sure there are people who hate me, too. Everyone's at risk now."
Until Wednesday, rock bands had not been affected by this type of violence. Even fans of Pantera, Abbott's former group, rioted at a 1995 show at Dallas' Fair Park Coliseum, ripping up parts of the floor, setting the boards on fire and then tossing them at the stage.
But Abbott's death shows how vulnerable a band member can be.
"To be honest, we're completely scared to go on stage now," says Mercedes Lander, a member of Canadian metal band Kittie. "That's all that people we know have been talking about -- just how frightening it is that something like this can happen, especially in the metal community, which is so tight-knit.
"How do you get back onstage knowing in the back of your mind that something like this happened -- and can happen again?"
Mercedes' sister, Morgan, a guitarist in Kittie, said the band played about a month ago at Alrosa Villa, the Columbus club where Abbott's latest group, Damageplan, was on stage Wednesday night.
"We've been playing that place for years," she said. "And, even though it didn't cross our minds at the time, it's scary because a lot of places are like that, where people can just jump onstage. It's not that uncommon for someone to just jump up there -- but they've always jumped off."
Read the full article at Star-Telegram.
Source: Star-Telegram
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15 Comments on "Lasting Effect On Heavy Metal Scene Expected"
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3. writes:
As a live band, performing in front of 1,000, 100, or even ten people, you take a risk that you can't predict the actions of every individual. We never gave a second thought to folks coming on stage and jumping off. In fact, it was part of what made the whole thing fun night after night. I think this kind of music (which we played as well) lends itself to passionate fans who feel themselves a part of the "family" of the artists and their fanbase. Pantera was the gleaming beacon of accomplishment in metal, and Dimebag was the pinnacle of talent and wizardry on the guitar. People, not just Americans, but fans from all over the world were passionate about their belonging to the legion of Pantera fandom. I know I felt a sense of loss when Pantera went their separate ways, but now the possibility of a reunion is gone. Now we'll never know if Damageplan could have taken Pantera's place. Dimebag's accessibility and openness brought fans in and made them feel connected to him in a very personal way. I think the kid that did this was less a "violent American" and more a disturbed, probably mentally ill, individual who couldn't let go of his connection to Pantera and let his mind be open to accepting something new. Metal fans are renowned for being fiercely loyal to their icons, and he probably felt his loyalty had been abused and betrayed by Pantera's dissolution. He was a sick, sad, deranged little man. I am glad that police officer shot him before he had the chance to injure or kill anyone else. There is no way to predict who will turn out to be a deranged killer, but I have no doubt this event will bring about dramatic and irreversable changes to the relationship live acts experience with their crowd at a show. How can a band feel safe after this? I think the loss of Darrell is tremendous and deeply saddening, but the long term affects this will have on the relationship between live acts and their audiences are a huge casualty as well. I know if I were still playing and touring I would feel real unsteady about having the audience come on stage ever again, and that closeness is a large part of what makes the metal community and fans so tight. This individuals senseless actions will have lasting affects well beyond what happened in Ohio, and the whole situation is absolutely sickening. My stomach still churns at the thought that Darrell is gone. We (Blindside) had the pleasure of opening for Gasoline (one of his side bands) on several occasions, and met him many times in the Dallas scene. We have lost a good friend, and a legend in the musical community. My heart and best wishes go out to the Abbot family.
4. writes:
i agree, you can't say a place is violent just because one halfbreed went haywire. its a tragedy that could not be foreseen even though measures are usually taken to prevent incidents like this.
condolences to the abbot family, the pantera family and to you guys Fatty
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6. writes:
Yea, the media does tend to overhype on whatever it is they feel like. Alot of the violence is embellished. Ive seen a few things about Dimebag's shooting on TV news, heard something on Howard Stern, and here on the internet. So far the tragedy of Dimebag being killed hasnt been overdone yet. I hope the media won't take this the wrong way and blame heavy metal, because it's not to blame. Ive seen some other instances where heavy metal has been blamed, such as in this article- http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/s_196285.html
It is Nathan Gale's fault, and nobody elses.
RIP DIMEBAG, WE LOVE YOU, YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER
7. writes:
the whole live scene is going to change.
i don't think that they will stop the show, but alot of parents will start to not let their kids go, so you'll see less kids there in the next year or so.
it's not heavy metal's fault, this lifestyle doesn't even have violence onstage, the reason this happened was some psycho had a grudge and went up onstage and killed him. there is no reason to blame this on the genre, it's like when those parents sued ozzy over the lyrics in "suicide solution" it's like when those parents and DA's blamed columbine on Marilyn Manson. this isn't how you work a case, you don't blame his life and love on his death when someone else pulled the trigger.
MAY DIME REST IN PEACE! WE MISS YOU! AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN THAT BIG OL' GIG IN THE SKY WHEN THE TIME COMES!
Member
9. writes:
HAVING BEEN INFLUENCED BY DIMEBAG AND JOHNNY WINTER MYSELF
I DEEPLY FEEL THE LOST OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY TEXAN HUMAN BEING...MUSIC
UNITES ALL WALKS OF LIFE , PANTERAS MUSIC SURE DID ITS PART IN MAKING
MUSICIANS AND MANY BANDS A LOT MORE INSPIRED AND CREATIVE...MAY ALL OF US THAT LISTEN AND PERFORM METAL MUSIC KEEP DIMEBAG IN OUR MINDS AND
HEARTS AS LONG AS WE LIVE... HAIL PANTERA ,THE ABBOT BROTHERS AND THEIR MUSIC.... HTTP://GROUPS.MSN.COM/ORGUS
Member
11. writes:
HAVING BEEN INFLUENCED BY DIMEBAG AND JOHNNY WINTER MYSELF
I DEEPLY FEEL THE LOST OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY TEXAN HUMAN BEING...MUSIC
UNITES ALL WALKS OF LIFE , PANTERAS MUSIC SURE DID ITS PART IN MAKING
MUSICIANS AND MANY BANDS A LOT MORE INSPIRED AND CREATIVE...MAY ALL OF US THAT LISTEN AND PERFORM METAL MUSIC KEEP DIMEBAG IN OUR MINDS AND
HEARTS AS LONG AS WE LIVE... HAIL PANTERA ,THE ABBOT BROTHERS AND THEIR MUSIC.... HTTP://GROUPS.MSN.COM/ORGUS
Member
12. writes:
'you can't say a place is violent just because one halfbreed went haywire.'
Not quite my point. Your country has many halfbreeds going haywire. I don't have the statistics on me, but your rate of handgun murder is phenomenally huge compared to anywhere else, even when taken on a per capita basis. The media hypes any shootings out here too, but they're pretty rare, so it doesn't come up much.
My question is more about America seemingly feeling the need to arm itself at all times. How did your country get so f***ed up as to get to that point? If guns weren't so easily available, maybe Nathan Gale wouldn't have been able to shoot Dime. I understand that Gale's case is exceptional in that he was clearly a complete f***ing fruitcake, but it's just another question raised by this tragedy.
13. writes:
f*** you nathan gale, you f***in sh**head, you better enjoy your time in hell while i aint there, cause imma commin, and all the pansy handgun shots you got can't stop me. you f***in tempered with metal, and metal is my life, so therefore, u f***ed with me... so now ur f***in over, ur gonna wish u can die all over again, u f***in b****, f*** U NATHAN GALE
RIP DIMEBAG
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Member
1. ac666 writes:
I'm a more than a little concerned for the future of live music. Will the suits try and shut us down? In Australia it is rather difficult to get insurance coverage for any metal show (Damn personal liability and those pigs who think they deserve something for nothing), after this, I fail to see it getting any easier. Especially when keeping in mind the Cradle Of Filth concert stabbing a few weeks back.
Why is the US such a violent place? (at least that's how it seems from out here)