Really?
I spent years in a speed metal band. I played guitar, sang and wrote the tunes. I used to love Metallica, Slayer, Pantera and the like. I literally had hair down to my ass. Then I met my wife and went to college and got a haircut and became a dad and got old but there was a phase of my life in which I was the stereotypical metalhead.
Holy shit. I’m not into metal so I don’t know anything about this guy, but it’s sad and scary for live music fans to think that there are loonies like that in the audience. That and the Station fire in RI, but luckily, since I’m in RI, the fire regulations have been made stricter (or at least been enforced more) since then. But what the hell are you going to do about nuts with guns, pat everyone down or have metal detectors as you walk into a club?
I think pat downs and metal detectors would be a good idea. Hell, every stadium concert I’ve ever been to, I had to walk through a metal detector. I don’t see why they wouldn’t have you do it just because it is a smaller venue. Hell, at least have a wand to run over people to a basic level of checking.
Somehow I always knew this. 
Nope, Jeff “Mayhem” Thompson was a different guy than Val. Not really sure what Val is doing - if he’s working for Phil these days or what.
Not to sound like a consumate namedropper, but I hung out with Damageplan in DC on Thanksgiving Day and the day after. Within two minutes of being introduced to each other, Mayhem and I launched right into a serious in-depth politically-based conversation which continued right through our T-day dinner and beyond. He was warm, jovial, straightforward, funny, a proud Texan and overall a good man who died in the line of duty, trying to protect his friends.
So sad to think we won’t get to hang out again. I was really looking forward to their next tour, now there’s no telling what the surviving members will do, but their world must be totally upside down right now. Poor Vinnie’s going to be lost without his little bro sharing the stage with him… 
Well yeah, I think they’ve had wands or something at some dance club I went to. So it’s not unrealistic. But sort of sad that it might have to happen.
Drops her ticket to Twisted X-Mas Concert into a pool of tears
Damn-it.
Why?
This happened <10 miles from my house. Weird. I’m glad I wasn’t there when it happened.
So does that mean that when my wife gets pregnant and we have kids I’ll just be an old cranky metalhead like you? 
Sam
Unfortunately, yes.
[Grandpa Simpson] I used to young and with it, but now what I’m with isn’t “it”…and what is “it” seems scary and weird to me.
It’ll happen to yooouuuuu… [/Grandpa Simpson]
Don’t worry, it’s already begun. I woke up one morning about 2 years ago and looked in the mirror at all of the earrings I had in my ears. I thought to my self “You look like an old dude with earrings”. I took them out that morning and I’ve only put them back on once or twice and only for a few hours.
Sam
Shit. I never heard of these guys and I have a hunch I’d probably not like their music, but it’s obvious they really had something going for them. This totally sucks. Heartbreaking. Scary.
But mostly heartbreaking.
Crap I’m in for the same future too.
/played in a hardcore band for years
Never played, didn’t have no skills. But I used to be big in the local scene and always had friends who were musicians(I think 90% of them were guitarists).
Sam
Too fucking cool. 
Rock on dude, now and forever.
I used to play acoustic, mostly folk, but I always secretly yearned to be able to do Gilmore’s part in Comfortably Numb.
Damn. I’ve been considering taking up the guitar again. I might just do it now.
To hell with that. I can still bang heads with the best of 'em. Pool hall, club, you name it. Older and wiser beats younger and faster every day of the week, and twice on Fridays and Saturdays.
The “old, cool dude” can get you some wierd looks, but once the chickies realize you, like, know shit, the beard, earrings and tatts are babe magnets. The young guys are usually too self-absorbed to treat their ladies right, and the ladies dig a guy who knows how to treat them with respect.
Ohhhh, yeeaaahhhhh…
I’m wondering if (and thinking, yeah, probably) the anniversary of John Lennon’s death played any part of this nut-job’s thinking and motivation.
The Dallas Morning News has a nice profile up on their website. Registration required, but it’s a good newspaper and they don’t spam you.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/121004dnwebdimebag.268db41d.html
Too bad it won’t let me register…
Try the link from the main page, http://www.dallasnews.com/
It’s currently the lead story, titled “Fans, friends remember guitarist.” Should remain free for the next couple weeks before hitting the archives.
Heard about it this morning. Dimebag was a blistering guitarist and a funny guy. One of the best stories I ever heard about him was how Ozzy assigned him to keep an eye on Sharon backstage, and Dimebag proceeded to get her slam drunk on Wild Turkey shots and had to basically carry her out of the place. Good times.
RIP, man.
Yeah.
I’ll never take my nose ring out, old age be damned. And Alex likes Pantera (and Tool and Slipknot and on and on), so… yeah.
Just make sure you have cool kids, Sam.