Power metal fans are not always portrayed as the heroes they sing about. In truth, among metal subgenres, power metal is often seen as pure fantasy, loved by nerds who’d never lift a sword much less ride into battle. But one power metal bassist deserves a hoisted flagon or two, having been shot in the leg while confronting a gunman outside of a venue.
As reported by Loudwire, bassist Darin Wall of Seattle old-school metallers Greyhawk confronted one Ethan Byrd outside of Boise, Idaho, venue The Shredder. Apparently, in the wee small hours after the night’s show, Byrd began acting belligerently to concertgoers and staff, and eventually started pointing into the venue with finger-guns and miming shooting people. This understandably struck Wall as pretty fucked up, and he and a member of another band decided to make sure Byrd stayed outside of the venue.
“I don’t know if anyone else saw it,” Wall told news station KTVB. “I got a weird feeling right away. Sometimes you confront really wasted people, or really drunk, they’re really angry and they’re shouting and they’re belligerent. This guy was really cold, I would say.”
Apparently, Byrd went back to his car, and then returned with a firearm. Wall responded by kicking Byrd in the leg, and they two began struggling.
“I saw him reach behind his back and grab the gun,” said Wall. “That’s when I moved in. No other options went through my head. The gun was in the pocket of his pants And he shot me through his pants, and got me in the upper thigh.”
According to a post on Greyhawk’s Facebook page, Darin is expected to make a full recovery: “Darin’s injury is thankfully not life-threatening, and after a night in the hospital and a long day of travel, he is safe at home in Seattle, resting and beginning his recovery. The shooter is in custody, awaiting arraignment on multiple felony assault charges. We are rattled and exhausted, but grateful to be alive and breathing! If it were not for quick thinking on the part of Darin and others on the scene, it is very possible that lives would have been lost.”
Everyone at The Pit wishes Darin a speedy recovery, and commends him for being brave enough to confront this nutter butter and keep others from being hurt.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
