One is hard-pressed to think of a tragedy that was more shocking and upsetting to the metal community than the murder of “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott in 2004. While performing at the Alrosa Villa nightclub with his band Damageplan, Dime was shot and killed by mentally ill ‘fan’ Nathan Gale, along with Damageplan’s head of security Jeffrey “Mayhem” Thompson, Alrosa Villa employee Erin Halk, and concertgoer Nathan Bray. Now, it’s been revealed that the club will be torn down to make way for affordable housing.
As reported by Metal Injection, while many bands have played Alrosa Villa both before and since Dimebag’s senseless murder, its legacy will forever be that of the place where metal lost one of its brightest talents. The property was sold for $1.3 million and the city plans to contribute a total of $4.35 million to the project over the next two years. The housing development that will replace the club will consist of three- and four-story buildings providing one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments.
Everyone at The Pit sends their heart out to all of Dime’s friends, family, fans and collaborators.
The Pit staff aren’t the only metalheads who are still reeling from Dimebag’s murder. Slipknot guitarist Jim Root still owns a wah pedal that Abbott gifted him which he can’t bring himself to open.
“We were on tour and played Dallas,” wrote about the pedal on his Instagram. “Dime and Vinnie were there. The whole crew… and they had a crew. Tight bunch of dudes. Dime gave me this @jimdunlopusa cry baby from hell and he had written a note to me on it. To ME? From one of if not the most influential guitarists of all time. His flow and style were and are undeniable. One of those dudes that inspired you to be better. Not just at guitar playing. But being cool… being happy… being present. I was and still am blown away by it. (And [Daryl “Bobby Tongs” Arnberger, longtime videographer for both Pantera and Damageplan] chimed in on the note as well!)
“I didn’t know Dime well. I’d only met him a handful of times. But that he would think to gift me something like this… The note more so than the wah. I mean what can I say. A rare and missed human. He’d probably want me to bust that thing out and beat the shit out of it. I can’t bring myself to.”
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Words by Chris Krovatin
