1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: Disgraceland is a production of Double Elvis. The stories about 2 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: Pantera's Dimebag Daryl Abbot are insane. He was a heavy 3 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: metal wonder kid whose guitar playing was so face melting 4 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: that he won teenage competitions. His band, Pantera, is one 5 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time. 6 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: He was famous for his friendliness and generosity to fans, 7 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: beloved by aspiring heavy metal guitarists who worshiped him as 8 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: the groundbreaking guitar hero he was, and he was lauded 9 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 1: by the guitar heroes he worshiped growing up, Edie Van Halen, 10 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: Ace Freeley, and Carrie King among them. But most disgracefully, 11 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: Dimebag Daryl was gunned down by a deranged fan on 12 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: December eighth, two thousand and four, twenty four years to 13 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: the Zach Day that John Lennon met the same exact faith. 14 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: But before that, Dimebag Daryl made great music. Unlike that 15 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: music I played for you at the top of the show. 16 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: That wasn't great music. That was a preset loop from 17 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: my mellotron called Dirt Road Fishtail MK one. I played 18 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: you that loop because I can't afford the rights to 19 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: My Boo by Usher and Alicia Keys, And why would 20 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: I play you that specific slice of First Kiss Cheese? 21 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: Could I afford it? Because that was the number one 22 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: song in America on December eighth, two thousand and four, 23 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: And that was the day Nathan Gale entered the Alrosa 24 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: Vista nightclub with a loaded nine millimeter bretta and ended 25 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: the life of one of heavy metal's most talented and 26 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: beloved musicians. On this episode, a deranged heavy metal assassin, 27 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: a real life superhero in Pantera's dimebag Daryl. I'm Jake 28 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: Brand in This Is Disgrace, Lad roll Call was boring 29 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: him and a handful of other cops plopped down in 30 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,839 Speaker 1: metal chairs, some hungover, most disinterested, others grab assing talking shit. 31 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: They looked and sounded more like high school kids settling 32 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: into a classroom before the biology teacher arrived than they did. 33 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: Authority figures. That's in part because that's what they were kids, 34 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: despite their age, fucking juveniles, despite graduating from the academy, 35 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: despite whatever experience they had when it came to maturity, 36 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: at least when they weren't on their ship are in 37 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: the line of duty, They were still just kids out there, 38 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: full grown men in here, juveniles ranking on each other, 39 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: their digs, cutting, brutal weight, looks, suspected sexuality, intelligence, None 40 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: of it was off the table. Whatever God blessed you 41 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: with or denied you of, one of your fellow cops 42 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: was gonna use it against you, sometimes to knock you 43 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: down a peg, but mostly to bond with you in 44 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: that hard ass blue collarway. Too fat, too bad, lose weight, 45 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: you fucking homp it. Too short, too bad, too, You're 46 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: fucked for life? Too good looking, Yes, there was such 47 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: a thing, you pretty boy, better watch your ass in 48 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: the shower. Too stupid, Get in line with your short 49 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: friend because you too my friend? Or moosho fuckoed and 50 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: too smart? What do you think you're fucking better than 51 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: everyone else? Asshole? The putdowns soon gave way to whatever 52 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: other bullshit was on their mind. Whose little league team 53 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: was about to be coached by their brilliance into the playoffs, 54 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: Whose mother in law was a bigger pain in the ass, 55 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: Which corner had the hottest pro. There were a few 56 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: female cops, and they were given no quarter. They were 57 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: just other guys born with the wrong genitulia as far 58 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,839 Speaker 1: as their male counterparts were concerned. Unfortunate for them out 59 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: in the real world, sure, but policing was a numbers game. 60 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: One sex didn't really matter as long as they were 61 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: there when the shit got heavy, and of course they 62 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: were so they were welcome editions and ragged on mercilessly 63 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: alongside the men. The patrol supervisor came in blowing hard, 64 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: barking out operational formalities, date time, blah, blah blah. The 65 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 1: din dulled but didn't totally dissipate, so the patrol supervisor 66 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: barked louder and began handing out photocopied papers stapled together 67 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: with whatever relevant information was needed for that night's shift. 68 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: Scant attention was paid to the materials, less to the 69 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: patrol supervisor more grab assing. The patrol supervisor was now 70 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: behind the podium at the front of the room, and 71 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 1: visibly pissed. He lifted it with both hands about an 72 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: inch off the ground and slammed it down hard onto 73 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: the floor attention. Finally, the officers clammed up and settled 74 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: into the inevitable another shift. More shitbirds on the prowl 75 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: like this one here item number four on their handouts. 76 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: A local Tom last seen lurking in missus McNally's bushes 77 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: with his dick in his hand, peering into her window 78 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: at night. Male white, thirties, balding, known cross dresser, partial 79 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: to long skirts and loose fitting blouses and big round 80 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: red Sally Jesse Raphael glasses, and there were plenty of 81 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: snickers from the assembled patrolmen, random cat calls, the sound 82 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: of nightsticks clinging up against metal desk and chairs banged 83 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: out as the last of the officers, the tardy ones, 84 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: some smelling of last night's jamison, some just unable despite 85 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: their best efforts to ever be on time, shuffled into 86 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: roll call, and the other cops already in the room 87 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: quickly made mental notes to dismiss them as the unreliable ones, 88 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: and the patrol supervisor continued to wrap. The captain, seated 89 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 1: at the table to his left, took notes, and the 90 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: lieutenant stood in the back observing. The room tone did 91 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: what it always did around this time of the nightly ritual. 92 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: It shifted to seriousness. Item number six. The patrol supervisor 93 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: called out, this local looney bird has been more looney 94 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: than normal, you all know, mister Gail White, male twenty 95 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: five six foot three, two hundred and fifty pounds, buzz cut, 96 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: broad shoulders, ex marine, likely schizophrenic to this point, largely nonviolent. 97 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: Nothing major needed here, Just be aware. We've received multiple 98 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: calls about his behavior. He's erratic, seems menacing to those 99 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: in a circle, vaguely threatening. He was arrested last month 100 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: for driving with a suspended license, has a prior for trespassing. 101 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: Nothing major, nothing to do, and just putting mister Gayle 102 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: on your radars. We've been receiving calls about him again, 103 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: nothing to do, Just be aware. As usual, heroes need 104 00:06:53,400 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: not apply, heroes need not apply. It was familiar refrain 105 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: in the precinct. It meant, don't be too aggressive, don't 106 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: try to be a hero. Heroism was instinctual. You either 107 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: had it at the right time or you didn't. And 108 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: if you did, and God willing, your actions resulted in 109 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: someone's life being saved, least of all yours in the process, 110 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: then you never admitted your heroism. You denied it because 111 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: as a cop, that's what you believed. You were no 112 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: fucking hero. Those men with their pictures on the wall, 113 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: they were the heroes, the ones with the flags draped 114 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: over their coffins, the ones with the fucking bagpipes at 115 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: their funerals, the ones who got stretched out on the 116 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: bar at your local while you and your brethren did 117 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: final shots of Jamison and Cutty to send them off 118 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: on a proper drunk. They couldn't feel anymore, so why 119 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: should you fuck it? Those bagpipes still echoed in your ears, 120 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: fucking haunted you. They were gone, and thus they not 121 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: you were the only ones worthy of that filthy fucking 122 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: word hero. Being a hero meant a lot of things. 123 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: It meant you stood up when it mattered. It meant 124 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: you were either brave, stupid or both. That also meant 125 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: you were dead. You, no matter what you did, were 126 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: not a hero. You were just a hump trying to 127 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: get through a shift and live up to the example 128 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: set by those who came and went before you that 129 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: departed on the wall. Roll continued. You were present, but 130 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: not really. Presence of mind was reserved for patrol, not roll. 131 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: You hit the streets and your crews are alone, no partner, 132 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: just you. There, two heads out in front of the speedway, 133 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: passing a joint. You flash your blues and give the 134 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,119 Speaker 1: sir on a quick, short blast at the same time, 135 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: and the head see you drop the joint and sprint 136 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: off behind the Speedway, you consider giving chase. But for 137 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: what they were small time kids, aimless, broke, and most 138 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: definitely not holding more than a dimebag. Fuck van Halen, 139 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: what you heard me? Fuck van Halen. The two heads 140 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: were now settled into the front seats of the shipbox 141 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: they had borrowed for the night, safe from the clutches 142 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,080 Speaker 1: of the local Columbus, Ohio cop recently scared them off 143 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: their night we post in front of the Speedway gas station, 144 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: and they were talking about something of great concern, whether 145 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 1: or not van Halen was as good as their hero 146 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: Pantera guitarist Darryl dimebag Abbott had told him they were 147 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: You're wasted, man. You heard Dime. Van Halen is the 148 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: fucking greatest. He was talking about the man, the guitarist, 149 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: not the band, as in, fucking Eddie van Halen, the 150 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: band isn't that good, dude, You're wasted. A few months back, 151 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: the two had managed to catch up and hang with Dime, 152 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: as they called him in person, a fucking dream come 153 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: true for the two heads outside one of Dime's gigs 154 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: in the parking lot next to his band's new tour bus. Pantera, 155 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 1: his old band, his groundbreaking heavy metal band, a band 156 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: the two heads both loved, was broken up. It was 157 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: a fucking shame man. After twenty years as one of 158 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: metal's premier bands, emerging from their eighties glam origins to 159 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: a previously unheard heaviness, to sell more than forty million records, 160 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,719 Speaker 1: score four Grammy nominations, and more important, seamlessly meld the 161 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: effortless Texas groove of Zzi Top with the skull crushing 162 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: intensity of Slayer and Metallica, Pantera had finally run its course. 163 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: Dimebag's new band was called Damage Plan. As always, his 164 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: brother and fellow founding member of Pantera, Vinnie, was at 165 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: Dime's side and Damage Plan and Damage Plan brought it 166 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: that night on stage. But for the two heads, Nick 167 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: called so because he was obsessed with dimeback Darryl and 168 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: played guitar merely half as good as Dime did. Dime 169 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 1: have a Dime Nickel aka Nick and Nick's friend Speed 170 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: called so because well, for as long as anyone could remember, 171 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: he could be found hanging out in front of the 172 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: Speedway gas station, scamming for a buyer scamming for Bud's 173 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: chicks grass whatever changed to by a gas station hot Dog, 174 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,079 Speaker 1: Speed and Nick were joined at the hip and they 175 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,559 Speaker 1: loved damage plan that night. But for them, the real 176 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,439 Speaker 1: thrill was getting to meet Dime before the gig, getting 177 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: to hang with their hero out in front of the 178 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: tour bus, seeing Dime back Daryl in the flesh, and 179 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: hearing him generously impart his wisdom not only on the 180 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: glory of Van Halen, but a quick tutorial on how 181 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: to mix his favorite drink, the blacktoothed grin. Two shots 182 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: of whiskey and a plastic cup preferably crowned Royal rocks, 183 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: and just a tiny splash of Coca cola. But before that, 184 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: shots a tray full of more crown and an endless 185 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: flow of cold Core's life and cans. Dime was so 186 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: damn cool and down to earth, he made it seem 187 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: like they were doing him a favor by hanging out 188 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: with a pre show. They literally couldn't believe how fucking 189 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: lucky they were to be hanging out with Dime and 190 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: his brother Vinnie. The two were metal royalty, more important 191 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: to them than the Van Halen brothers. Eddie and Alex 192 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: Dimes chosen pre show topic of conversation were not imparting 193 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: metal head mixology tutorials. Eddie van Halen was the best, 194 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: second to none, a class above all other guitar players, 195 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: even Ace freely. Take that to the bank, young, and 196 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: its advice worth its weight in gold. When your guitar 197 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: hero gives you the secret who his guitar hero is, 198 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,560 Speaker 1: you listen. But Eddie van Halen was one thing. Van 199 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 1: Halen the band was another thing, entirely David Lee roth 200 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: Ra Okay, Nick got it, But that's Sammy Hagar bullshit 201 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: he could do without. Didn't matter. Speed reminded him Eddie 202 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: was the shit no matter who he was playing with. 203 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: Dime and Vinnie pretty much told him so that night 204 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: with their ritual just before showtime, seconds before and seconds 205 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: after their last pre show shot, the Abbot brothers grabbed 206 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: each other by the shoulders stared each other in the eyes. 207 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: If you were lucky enough to witness this ritual, you 208 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,559 Speaker 1: could practically see the brotherly ties binding the two Texas 209 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: boys in real time. Vinnie, the older of the two, 210 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: asked the question. It was a question that begged one thing. 211 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: Are you fucking ready. But what And there was of 212 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: course only one answer, Hell fucking yes, but they said 213 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: it with different words. Vinnie looked at his little brother 214 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: and spoke. He asked Van Halen. Dime held his brother 215 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: stare and with the same intense conviction he'd had they 216 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: first started playing gigs together over two decades ago, replied 217 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: in the affirmative, Van fucking Hallen, and with that the 218 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: brother's Abbot headed to the stage. The venue was a 219 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: step down from the arenas Pantera was filling a few 220 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: years earlier before their breakup in two thousand and one. 221 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: In two thousand and four, Damage Plan, Dimebag Daryl and 222 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: his brother Vinnie Abbot's new band was starting over. Their 223 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: debut album, Newfound Power, was selling, but it wasn't selling 224 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: anywhere near the amount Pantera Records had. Meanwhile, Pantera's former 225 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: front man Phil Enselmo's side project Superjoint, Ritual and Down 226 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: were garnering it tension in the heavy metal press and 227 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,320 Speaker 1: selling their fair share of albums, but like Damage Plant, 228 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 1: neither of Phil's projects were succeeding at a Pantera level. 229 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: Nick and Speed, like most Pantera fans, wanted a reunion, 230 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 1: but it wasn't in the cards. The acrimony between Phil 231 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: and Salmo and the Abbot brothers was too heavy and 232 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: for what Pantera fans didn't really know for years, the 233 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 1: partnership between them had taken Dime, his brother Vinnie, and 234 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: Phil to New heights. The Abbots had started Pantera with 235 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: some high school friends in Texas in the early eighties, 236 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: soon settling into an early lineup that included Rex Brown 237 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: on bass. At first, they were a regional glam rock 238 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: band with a major Van Halen influence, right down to 239 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: the brothers on drums and lead guitar. Darryl soon emerged 240 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: as a wonder kid on the acts, and with the 241 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: help of their father, Jerry, a songwriter producer who'd written 242 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: country songs for Buck Owens and Emmy Lou Harris, among others, 243 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: Pantera had studio access and soon started producing records and 244 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: the label their old man had started just for them. 245 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: It was a sweet setup for a band just starting out, 246 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: but the creative and commercial leap wouldn't arrive until Phil 247 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: and Solmol joined the band on lead vocals. At the 248 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: end of nineteen eighty six, Pantera had finally found a 249 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: true frontman and the whole band, influenced by the metal 250 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: breakthroughs of Metallica and Slayer, quickly turned to a heavier 251 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: sound that would define them and make them famous in 252 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: the nineties with the release of their major label debut, 253 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: Cowboys from Hell. Cowboys from Hell is an excellent record, 254 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: a groundbreaking record as a heavy metal album. There were 255 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: few like it at the time. No metal band before 256 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: Pantera's Cowboys from Hell had truly captured the mainstream potential 257 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: of metal in a way that was this heavy. There 258 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: was a groove that was present on this record that 259 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: Metallica wouldn't find until a year later with the help 260 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 1: of producer Bob Rock, and that Slayer would never truly find. 261 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: Cowboys from Hell rageous with anger and palm with skull 262 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: crushing rifts like the best of Slayer of Metallica, but 263 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: it also grooves like Ceci Top and like van Halen, 264 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: at least David E. Roth van Halen. It never takes 265 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: itself too seriously. As forward looking as the metal arrangements 266 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: on Cowboys from how are as angsty as phil Enselmo gets. 267 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: The album always keeps one shit kickers stuck in the 268 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: strip club and the record is fun as the best 269 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: heavy metal should be. On Cowboys from Hell, Pantera literally 270 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: found its groove, and later on their next record, nineteen 271 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: ninety two is Vulgar Display of power. That groove exploded 272 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: with a heaviness and a ferocity that it yet to 273 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: be heard in commercial heavy metal. The record slams with heaviness, 274 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: and unlike most every other metal album before that reached 275 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: for a new kind of heaviness, Pantera didn't suffer for 276 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: it commercially, quite the opposite. The album went double platinum 277 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: and to date is the group's biggest selling record. For 278 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: what it's worth, the critics loved it as well, with 279 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: Rolling Stone magazine naming it the tenth greatest heavy metal 280 00:16:56,320 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: album of all time. But later, while recording their album 281 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: with the Great Southern Trendkill in nineteen ninety six, Phil 282 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: and Salmol recorded all his vocals in New Orleans at 283 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: Trent Reznor's studio, away from the band, with the rest 284 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: of the band recorded in Dallas. It wasn't all out 285 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: in the open yet, but the band could barely stand 286 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 1: to be around one another anymore. Phil had fallen into 287 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: booze and heroin, supposedly to help with back problems. But 288 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,400 Speaker 1: back of no Back. Shortly after the album came out, 289 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: Phil odeed on his dope and was without a heartbeat 290 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:29,919 Speaker 1: for nearly five minutes. He recovered, but Phil's addiction and 291 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: devolving personality led to real tension with his bandmates, and 292 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: with Phil taking on various side projects, communication broke down 293 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: further until Pantera officially broke up in two thousand and three. 294 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: Phil and Salmo let the world know in the December 295 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: two thousand and four edition of Metal Hammer Magazine just 296 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,719 Speaker 1: how he felt about one former bandmate, saying, quote, Dimebag 297 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: deserves to be beaten severely. None of that mattered to 298 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 1: Nick and Speed. On April fifth, two thousand and four, 299 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 1: Phil's fighting words against Daryl were months in the future. 300 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 1: They had driven more than two hours up from Columbus 301 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 1: to Toledo, Ohio to the fifteen hundred capacity club Bogarts 302 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 1: to see damage plan, and before a note was even struck, 303 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: they got to hang with dime and Vinnie. On that alone, 304 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: the trip had already been worth it. When the band 305 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: kicked in on stage, din Bag was in it, laying 306 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: into that patented heavy groove, his brother dutifully keeping time 307 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 1: like a fucking Machine Die was in that familiar heavy 308 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: metal guitar player stage dance, knee slightly bent back, slightly arched, 309 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: guitar tight against his lower torso, his head circling round 310 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: and round and rhythm with his monster riff, a hurricane 311 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,360 Speaker 1: of hair swirling around his shoulders, and the other two 312 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,679 Speaker 1: members of the band, bassist Bob Zilla and singer Patrick Lachman, 313 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: were in the groove as well, eyes closed, feeling it, 314 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:53,640 Speaker 1: oblivious to the crowd other than feeling its energy, which 315 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: was all good. And the crowd was in it too, 316 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: especially Nicking Speed, who now felt like they had a 317 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: special secret, their newfound kinship with their hero on stage, 318 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: who was just now laying it down. They fucking knew 319 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 1: that guy, they knew Dime. They were just doing shots 320 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: with him. Man fucking ah. But then out of nowhere, 321 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: a big man, a bald man, buzz cut, broad shoulders, 322 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: workers jacket, big black boots, rushed the stage. The band 323 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: was clueless, still rocking out, and the audience was immediately pissed. 324 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: The hell was this guy interrupting what was shaping up 325 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: to be a glorious set. Then the big man stormed 326 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:34,440 Speaker 1: forward on stage in the direction of Dime Security pounced immediately. 327 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: Dime had no idea what happened, neither did the rest 328 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: of the band. Security struggled to contain the Big Man, 329 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,880 Speaker 1: and they stumbled. The Big Man latched onto a stack 330 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: of amplifiers, refused to let go. The crowd booed. The 331 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: band saw what was happening, and they knew security would 332 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: straighten it out, so they did the smart thing and 333 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: kept playing so it as to not draw further attention 334 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 1: to the problem and giving the over excited fan what 335 00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:00,159 Speaker 1: he wanted attention. Security clumsily hauled the resistant Big Man 336 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,959 Speaker 1: off stage. On the way, he reached out and grabbed 337 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: and toppled a small lighting rig. Rodies and stage hands 338 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: were quickly dispatched to fix the rig, and the band 339 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: literally didn't miss a beat. The Big Man was gone 340 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,120 Speaker 1: like nothing happened, But Nick saw it Speed did too. 341 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: From the crowd, they could see the Big Man wasn't 342 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: fucking around. He wasn't just some ordinary over excited fan 343 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: jumping on stage to wash around and then dive off 344 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: after four seconds of glory. It was a look in 345 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,200 Speaker 1: his eye. It was more than menace, was something else, 346 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: and it scared the hell out of them. We'll be 347 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 1: right back after this word word word. The music in 348 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 1: his headphones was at such an extreme volume that it 349 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: didn't matter where you were situated in the Leemath Thunder 350 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: Simi Pro football team's locker room, you could hear it. 351 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:02,720 Speaker 1: Pantera fucking hostile screaming out of the headphones and into 352 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: the ears of Crazy Nate, the Thunder's starting offensive lineman. 353 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: The Marine spit Crazy Nate out. Damaged civilian life wasn't taking. 354 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 1: Football was a release. Crazy Nate could find a bit 355 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: of himself out on the gridiron and pummel all comers 356 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: with his massive frame, just like the Thunder's logo indicated 357 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 1: a sledgehammer pounding downward, the same pounding sound as the 358 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: Pantera music. He used to psych him up before games. 359 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: But football didn't last, and off the field, Crazy Nate 360 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 1: was just Nate Nathan. To his mom, she was proud 361 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 1: of him, proud of his service in the Marines, even 362 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: though he was discharged over two years early mental health issues. 363 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: She bought him a gun for Christmas, a Bretta nine 364 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: millimeter semi automatic. Nathan loved that gun. It gave him confidence, 365 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:53,919 Speaker 1: gave him a sense of self and he was in 366 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: need of both. He was going to do it finally, 367 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 1: he banked enough courage after the Marines, after football. This 368 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: was going to be the next move. This move was 369 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: going to set him up. It was going to be 370 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: his future. He was gonna make like his favorite band, Pantera, 371 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: to make a career of being in a band and 372 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:18,159 Speaker 1: become a rock star. Nick and Speed sat on the 373 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:21,120 Speaker 1: bench seat in the back of the Forida' conline, long 374 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: since liberated from the working man's van. The bench seat 375 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: now occupied the corner of their friend Dave's garage, next 376 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: to the weightlifting bench, a few feet from the dorm 377 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,920 Speaker 1: room fridge, and positioned perfectly across the wall of Marshall lamps, drums, 378 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: and cheap pvy vocal pa system that never seemed loud 379 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,400 Speaker 1: enough for the vocals to be heard over the crushing 380 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: metal riffs and rhythms of Dave's new band. The vocals 381 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: were a fucking problem. Dave's new band had an endless 382 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: parade of riffs. Nick and Speed were plenty satisfied, but 383 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: Dave and his band had no singer, no singer, no band, 384 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: no band, no gigs, no gigs, no chicks, no chicks, 385 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: and he was still just a loser in a garage. 386 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:01,880 Speaker 1: Nick and Speed were content to hang in Day's garage, 387 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: though at least there was action between shows from their 388 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 1: favorite bands. Nothing could beat that hang with Dim before 389 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: the Damage Plant gig up in Toledo a few months earlier, though, 390 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: and Nick and Speed were especially stoked about another Damage 391 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,400 Speaker 1: Plant gig with their hero dimeback Darrow in a few weeks, 392 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 1: this time in Columbus, Ohio and making it even better 393 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: on Nick's birthday, December eighth, John Lennon's death day. Actually, 394 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 1: Nick thought that was cool, the rock and roll tie 395 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,679 Speaker 1: in the darkness of Lennon's death, so evil, so metal 396 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,679 Speaker 1: mark David Chapman, John Lennon's murderer, was indeed evil. He 397 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: didn't know it, though, he was that batshit crazy. Nick 398 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:42,639 Speaker 1: was a bit of an obsessive when it came to 399 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: serial killers. Chapman wasn't a serial killer, but he was 400 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: high profile enough for Nick to dive into the lenin 401 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: murder Warmhole even wrote Chapman letters in prison, same as 402 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,919 Speaker 1: he did with Son of Sam David Berkerwitz and the 403 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: Green River killer Gary Ridgeway, and none of them ever 404 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: wrote back. Nick suspected and serial killers only wrote back 405 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: to chicks typical except Mark David Chapman was still married, 406 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 1: still married to the woman he was married to before 407 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: he went to prison. Now that Chick was committed, Nick 408 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 1: and Speed's friend Dave and his bandmates could use that 409 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,440 Speaker 1: type of commitment behind Mike or else. They were all 410 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:22,000 Speaker 1: going nowhere. Singer after singer paraded through and they all sucked, 411 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: all ripoffs, and they could be categorized into three metal 412 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 1: hardcore singing styles. Number one the Prince of aquinet the 413 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:31,679 Speaker 1: guys who didn't get the memo that the fucking eighties 414 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: were over man that nobody wanted to hear some sunset 415 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: strip has been trying to sound like Ozzy Osbourne or worse, 416 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: Sebastian fucking Boch. It was a reason Ozzie sounded like 417 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 1: Ozzy because he was fucking Ozzy and you weren't. Number two, 418 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: the cookie monster. This dude grabbed the mic, pulled it 419 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: off the mic, stand started stomping around with his head down, 420 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: his face buried into the microphone while straight up barking 421 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: into it like he was choking on a bone, or 422 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,439 Speaker 1: more specifically, like he was choking on a bunch of 423 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: poorly chewed cookies and sounding like well fucking cookie Monster 424 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 1: instead of some dude from an East Coast hardcore band. 425 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: And number three the Phil, the guy who combined the 426 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: Aquinet hair metal style with the Cookie Monster hardcore style, 427 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 1: just like Phil Ensamo from Pantera did, and the approach 428 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:16,640 Speaker 1: was dead on. But none of the dudes who tried 429 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 1: out had pipes like Phil, so inevitably they were drown 430 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: out by the crunching power of Dave and the rest 431 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: of his band. But today it was a new day, 432 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: and that meant a new audition. Nick and Speed sat 433 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: on the bench seat, sharing a joint and pulling on 434 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: forties while Dave and his band tuned up. When Nick 435 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: saw the big dude who was auditioning walk in, he 436 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:40,879 Speaker 1: immediately started to choke on the grass he was trying 437 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: to inhale. No shit, Speed Saw too, was just as freaked, 438 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: was him. No shit, that's him. The big dude from 439 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: Boguards who rushed the stage on Diamond Vinnie, who was 440 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: tackled and hauled off by security, the dude with all 441 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: the crazy in his eyes. Neither of him said anything, 442 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,879 Speaker 1: and their inner monologues quickened the parent from the Weed 443 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 1: and they watched the Big Dude make awkward introductions with 444 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: Dave in the band. He told him his name was 445 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: Nathan and told him not to call him Nate. He 446 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 1: fucking hated me. Okay. They made brief small talk, and 447 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 1: then the band got down to it. Counting in their 448 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: first song. Nick and Speed loved the riff, one of 449 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 1: Dave's best, was totally original. It was no easy thing 450 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: to do in the world of heavy metal create an 451 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: original riff. The rhythm section kicked in big behind Dave's guitar, 452 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: mid tempo, heavy awesomeness, a massive groove. Nick couldn't help 453 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: but think that Dime would approve the Big Dude. Nathan 454 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: grabbed the mic and Nick called it immediately. Oh no, 455 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: oh no, no, he's gonna do it. Don't don't do it. 456 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 1: Here comes Yep, Mike off the stand, head down, Billy Mulino, 457 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: big man. Stop. Here comes the fucking Cookie Monster. But 458 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: wait a minute, what the fuck? This was worse than 459 00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 1: Nick or anyone could have expected. Dude wasn't only doing 460 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,440 Speaker 1: the cook Monster those lyrics, Those lyrics weren't his lyrics. 461 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:08,159 Speaker 1: Those were fucking Pantera lyrics. Dave and the rest of 462 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: the band immediately identified the lyrics for what they were 463 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 1: as well, stolen Pantera lyrics, and stopped playing. Dave wasn't 464 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: won the fuck around? The fuck do you think you're doing, Nate? 465 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:21,880 Speaker 1: What do you mean? And it's Nathan by the way. 466 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: Dave explained to him that those weren't his lyrics, that 467 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: he was no dumby, he knew who fucking Pantera was. Man, 468 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 1: those were Phil Nselmo's lyrics. Nathan denied it. There were 469 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: his lyrics, his lyrics. Those weren't anyone else's. He wrote them. 470 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: He said it with such conviction that everyone in the 471 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: garage almost believed him. Almost get the fuck out of 472 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: here and stop wasting our time. Dave was pissed, but 473 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: not as pissed as the big man, Nathan, or as confused. 474 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: Nathan stormed out of the garage and hit the sidewalk, 475 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,920 Speaker 1: utterly humiliated by the experience, hands jammed in his work 476 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,160 Speaker 1: as jacket pockets, head down, chin tucked against his chest, 477 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: eyes peering up, pushing his brow, and who his clinched forehead, 478 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 1: walking fast, but somehow sinking into himself. He heard the voices. 479 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 1: They multiplied and came at him, fast loser, wannabe lard ass, 480 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: fucking schizo looney Fuck you. He'll never be anything. Shitty marine, 481 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: shitty football players, shitty singer. No one likes you, No 482 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: one ever liked you. You'll never get laid you big 483 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,639 Speaker 1: fucking load. What did you expect. It wasn't your fault. 484 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,120 Speaker 1: It was his fault, their fault. You didn't do anything wrong. 485 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: They fucked you, man. They stole your lyrics, Pantera did. 486 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,479 Speaker 1: Those weren't Phil fucking and Salmo's lyrics, they were yours. 487 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: Pan Terra stole from you. You're not a loser, You're 488 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: a wrong fucking man. Man. Fuck them. They're stealing pieces 489 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: of shit. They deserve to be humiliated. He's not you. 490 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: They deserved a fucking gay. Twenty two year old Nathan 491 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: Gale was hurriedly walking down the street in the midst 492 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: of a manic schizophrenic episode. Inside of his head, swirling 493 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: voices competing for attention, untethering him from whatever grip on 494 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: sanity he still had. The locals who spotted him suspected something, 495 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 1: but had no idea. Neither did the cop prowling by 496 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: in his cruiser. He just knew something about the Big 497 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: Dude was off December eighth, two thousand and four, Columbus, Ohio, 498 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 1: Al Rosavilla Nightclub, Nick's birthday, twenty minutes past roll call 499 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: at the eighteenth precinct. The Big Dude, who was looking 500 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 1: for a place to park his Pontiac Grand Dam. The 501 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: cop was eighteen minutes into his patrol in his cruiser 502 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: on his own rolling through Columbus. Nick and Speed were 503 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: settled up front near the stage at al Rosavilla, absolutely 504 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 1: hyped on seeing Damage Plan for the second time in 505 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: an even month period. Damage playing guitar player ex Pantera 506 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: guitarist Dive Back darryl Abbott, again up close and personal 507 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: on a tiny stage. At the moment, Diame was backstage 508 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: with his brother Vinnie and the rest of the band 509 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: about to embark upon their nightly ritual shots and then 510 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: Van Halen, Van fucking Halen. The Big Dude was now 511 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: outside his car, pacing in the albro Sevilla Nightclub's parking lot, 512 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: hands stuffed in his pants, pockets in that familiar walking 513 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: post of his head down, chin tucked eesa all menace. 514 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: He was, of course, drawing attention to himself. Club security 515 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: had taken notice it was cold. What the hell was 516 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: he doing out here all by himself. Security wanted to 517 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 1: know if he had a ticket to the show. The 518 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: big dude mumbled something and kept walking. The security shrugged, 519 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,680 Speaker 1: not his problem and headed back inside, where anticipation for 520 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: Damage Plan was building with the crowd. The house lights 521 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: were killed. A quick roar went up from the audience. 522 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: Dark figures walked on to the dark stage. It wasn't 523 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: the band, not yet, roadies, one of them a massive 524 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: man that Nick and Speed remembered from the last Damage 525 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: Plant show, A guy who went by the name Mayhem, 526 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:15,080 Speaker 1: who headed up security for the band, posted up by 527 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 1: the drum riser. Now more dark figures, long hair, purpose 528 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 1: walking with drinks in their hands. They put them down, 529 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 1: picked up their instruments. The band another roar, whistles, cat calls, 530 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: more damage Plan chanting, and someone hit the lights. The 531 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: fuck there they were, in the flesh, right there, mere 532 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: feet from the crowd. The feeling never failed to surprise Nick, 533 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: that feeling of oh my god, these guys are actually 534 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 1: real and I'm actually in their presence, breathing the same 535 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: fucking air man. No one is as lucky as I am. 536 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: Right now, dinback Daryl pulled some feedback up of his guitar. 537 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: His brother Vinnie laid in a beat behind him. The 538 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:01,400 Speaker 1: rest of the band kicked into their sets for a 539 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 1: song breathing life outside the club. The sound from the 540 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 1: stage bled out into the Columbus Knight. The Big Dude, 541 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: Nathan Gale, ex marine, ex semi pro football player, ex 542 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: Pantera fan, he of the begrudged identity, believing that his 543 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 1: lyrics were stolen by dine Bag Daryl's band two manic, 544 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: too schizophrenic, too insane to realize he'd beved the lyrics himself, 545 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: that he committed the act that led to the humiliation 546 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,840 Speaker 1: back in Dave's garage, that Pantera, that din Bag Daryl 547 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: had nothing to do with it. When Nathan Gale heard 548 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 1: the first sounds from damage Plants set, he turned on 549 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 1: his heels and, with the most purpose he'd ever felt 550 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: in his short life, stormed back toward the Alrosavilla Nightclub. Inside. 551 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:45,880 Speaker 1: As was their vibe, the band was in it, especially 552 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 1: Die in that stance, the one that was instantly recognizable 553 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 1: to any dine Bag Daryl fan. The Texas lead, the 554 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:57,000 Speaker 1: metal head swirl, the horricane of long curly hair, putting 555 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: on a master's course and how to riff and not 556 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 1: just for Hea, for groove. It was all Field van Allen, 557 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 1: van fucking Halen. The crowd rocked inside. Outside, Nathan Gale 558 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 1: stormed his way toward the club. His hands still in 559 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: his pockets, he removed them to scale the fence surrounding 560 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 1: the back of the club's exit. The fence was no 561 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: match for the Big Dude. He pounced down on the 562 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,160 Speaker 1: other side, his sight square on the back exit, ignoring 563 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 1: the random fans smoking cigarettes giving him shit for his 564 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 1: blatant attempt to sneak into the show. He jammed his 565 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: hands back into his pockets and made his way to 566 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: the door to get in, where Nick Speed and two 567 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty other fans were now rocking out in 568 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: a shared heavy metal trance, a stone cold Texas groove 569 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 1: right there in old fucking Ohio with their heroes on stage. 570 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 1: Nathan Gale bounded into the back door of the club, 571 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: straight past a member of security. Security asked the big dude, 572 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: what's up. He got no answer. Nathan Glee was gone. 573 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: Inside in the dark, Nick and Speed broke their trance. 574 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: By the time Din back, Daryl hit the solo. Nick 575 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: was watching dim intently studying the master intent himself on 576 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: one day matriculating on guitar from a mere nickel to 577 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: a dime, maybe even getting up the courage to ask 578 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,320 Speaker 1: Dave to jam with him. In his garage, dime was shredding, 579 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: putting on a fucking clinic. And that's when Nick's saw 580 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 1: the big dude from day's garage from the last damage 581 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 1: planned showed Toledo too there at the side of the 582 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 1: stage moving the big Dude, Nathan Gale, walking with purpose, 583 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: unmistakable menace, even in that oversized Columbus blue jacket's hockey jersey. 584 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 1: What the fuck was he doing? Nick felt it immediately 585 00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 1: fear for himself for speed for Dimebag on stage, because 586 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 1: it was clear to Nick instantly that that was who 587 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 1: the big Dude was headed for. But now on stage, 588 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,319 Speaker 1: Nathan Gale's hands were out of his pocket as he 589 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:00,399 Speaker 1: continued to walk. His arms were outstretched in his right 590 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: hand a gun, his left hand cupping his right a 591 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: proper shooter stands in motion, moving straight toward Dimebag. Daryl Abbott, 592 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: who was oblivious to what was about to happen, as 593 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 1: was the rest of his band. It was happening so fast, 594 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 1: but Nick saw it in slow motion. He froze, paralyzed 595 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,919 Speaker 1: in fear, watching the opening moments of a real life 596 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 1: horror show, and unable to do anything, unable to scream, 597 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:26,279 Speaker 1: unable to run, unable to look away. He saw it. 598 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,200 Speaker 1: Nathan Gaile fired his nine millimeters Bretta handgun point blank 599 00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 1: into the side of Dimebag Daryl's head. He shot off 600 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: three more rounds, one in the face, one in the year, 601 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: one in the hand. Nick watched his favorite guitarist all 602 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:44,160 Speaker 1: dead on the stage, and then all hell broke loose. 603 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:48,720 Speaker 1: Damage Planned Security. The mountain of a man they called Mayhem, 604 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,720 Speaker 1: sprinted at Gail from behind. Gail got off another shot. 605 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:54,400 Speaker 1: The bullet hit Damage Plans tour manager, who was also 606 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 1: given Gail chase. Then Gail, struggling in the grip of Mayhem, 607 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:00,480 Speaker 1: loosened his hand with a gun and pumped shot him 608 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,319 Speaker 1: in Mayhem's chest, then another in his leg, and then 609 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 1: another in his back, and Mayhem died almost instantly in 610 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: the opening seconds of the melee. The crowd had no 611 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 1: idea what was happening. Once they figured out that there 612 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,280 Speaker 1: was a crazed gunman in their midst firing off rounds. 613 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:18,280 Speaker 1: It was fight or flight. Most understandably ran toward the exit. 614 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:21,440 Speaker 1: For others, their instincts compelled them toward the stage, toward 615 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 1: the shooter. One of them was twenty three year old 616 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:28,280 Speaker 1: damage planed fan Nathan Bray, who rushed straight at Nathan 617 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: Gale after seeing the shoot and killed Dinbag, Daryl and Maham. 618 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:35,520 Speaker 1: Unarmed himself, Bray tried to disarm Nathan Gale. Gail shot 619 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: him in the chest. Gray died from his wound later 620 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 1: that night at the hospital. Another brave Al Rosa Vista 621 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:43,960 Speaker 1: attendee on that night was club employee Aaron Hawk, who 622 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: was also an ex marine. He took a different approach 623 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:49,919 Speaker 1: toward the gunman from behind, sneak attack over the drum 624 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 1: riser onto the stage. Nathan Gale was not surprised. Aaron 625 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:55,920 Speaker 1: Hawk was met with six shots in the legs, in 626 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: the hand, and four deadly ones in the chest. Aaron 627 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:02,439 Speaker 1: Hawk died on the spot. Nathan Gale was intent upon 628 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,920 Speaker 1: a full ar public blood path. He was rampaging, firing 629 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: off rounds on stage inside the club outside on the streets. 630 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:14,240 Speaker 1: The cop took the call at his cruiser just eighteen 631 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: minutes after roll call. He was the only black and 632 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:22,759 Speaker 1: white nearby l Rosa Vista three Rio inside the hour 633 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:29,760 Speaker 1: page with the three three shots of the fire active shooter. 634 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: Thinking didn't enter into the equation. The cop sped straight 635 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:37,680 Speaker 1: toward the scene by himself, with no partner, with no backup. 636 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 1: He didn't hesitate. Heroes need not apply. It didn't even 637 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 1: enter into his mind. The only thing he could think 638 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,040 Speaker 1: of was the two hundred something people trapped inside that 639 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:49,279 Speaker 1: club with a madman firing off bullets. He made the 640 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:52,440 Speaker 1: scene in what seemed like seconds, popped open the driver's 641 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:55,680 Speaker 1: side door, pulled the shotgun off the rack, hustled to 642 00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:58,200 Speaker 1: the first door. He could see the side door toward 643 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 1: the back of the stage. There were shows shocked concert 644 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: goers stumbling out in there. They yelled, he's shooting everyone, 645 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 1: He's got a hostage. The cop pushed his way through 646 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:10,480 Speaker 1: the exit and into the bottleneck of fans attempting to 647 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,919 Speaker 1: escape on the other side. Nick and Speed saw upon entry, 648 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:17,799 Speaker 1: the cop hoisted his shotgun to his shoulder. Nick and 649 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:20,200 Speaker 1: Speed were by now bottlenecked with the others trying to 650 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: escape at the exit behind the stage. Nick was the 651 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: first one the cop saw. When he entered, the cop 652 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 1: looked him in the eye and yelled, you're my witness. 653 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 1: I had to do it then, and opening at the 654 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 1: exit speed split, Nick stayed he now had a job 655 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: to do to bear witness. He turned and watched the 656 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:40,319 Speaker 1: cop slowly make his way toward the back of the 657 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:45,880 Speaker 1: stage below him. On stage with his back to the cop, 658 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:49,600 Speaker 1: the shooter, the big Dude Nathan Gale, now had a hostage. 659 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:52,280 Speaker 1: He had his burly left arm choke holding the hostage 660 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:54,400 Speaker 1: by the neck while he frantically took game with his 661 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:56,719 Speaker 1: bretta in his right hand at Crab members who were 662 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,400 Speaker 1: now bravely threatening to rush the stage. While the gunman 663 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:03,840 Speaker 1: aimed at the The cop moved slow, very aware that 664 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,280 Speaker 1: at any moment the gunman could turn around and spot 665 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 1: him and pump that baretta straight into the skull of 666 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:10,960 Speaker 1: the hostage, or quickly get a shot off at him, 667 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:14,720 Speaker 1: taking him out, and the cop creeped. The crowd freaked. 668 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:17,680 Speaker 1: The shooter kept waving his gun frantically at the crowd 669 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:21,120 Speaker 1: offstage and then shooting wildly into the crowd, all the 670 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,160 Speaker 1: while keeping his choke hold on the hostage and the 671 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:27,200 Speaker 1: cop moved closer to him from behind. The crowd saw 672 00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:29,680 Speaker 1: the cop approaching it with the shotgun aimed, and they 673 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: started yelling shoot him, shoot him, and the cop pinched 674 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 1: forward twenty feet behind the shooter with the hostage in 675 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:39,200 Speaker 1: a headlock, the hostage's head just below the shooters no 676 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 1: room for error. The cop took aim. The shooter sensed 677 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:45,000 Speaker 1: the energy and the room shift. He started to turn 678 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,319 Speaker 1: his head back toward the cop. The cop knew it 679 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:50,880 Speaker 1: was right now or never. He didn't hesitate. He pulled 680 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:59,360 Speaker 1: the trigger on a shotgun. The shooter, the big Dude, 681 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:03,799 Speaker 1: Nathan Gal, died instantly, shotgun blast in the back of 682 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:06,760 Speaker 1: the head with a half full clip still in his biretta, 683 00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 1: his business unfinished. Clearly, there would have been more carnage 684 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:13,239 Speaker 1: had the cop not shown up when he did and 685 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:17,440 Speaker 1: heroically entered into the fray and taken bold action. Heroes 686 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 1: need not apply. The cop was no hero, not by 687 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 1: his standards anyway. He had just done his job, protected 688 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:31,680 Speaker 1: those who needed protecting. In the end, there were no bagpipes, 689 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 1: there was no Irish wake, just another roll call under 690 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 1: the harsh glare of the real heroes framed on the walls. 691 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:40,360 Speaker 1: Of the precinct. But Nick knew a hero what he 692 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:42,720 Speaker 1: saw one, be it the cop who ended the blood 693 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:45,880 Speaker 1: bath that night, the cop who told him you're my witness, 694 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:50,280 Speaker 1: or his guitar hero dimeback Daryl Abbott, who was senselessly 695 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:54,040 Speaker 1: murdered that night, or dimes hero Eddie van Halen, who 696 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 1: showed up at Diebag's memorial service, and in true rock 697 00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: and roll fashion, drunkenly bumbled his way through a few 698 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:03,719 Speaker 1: words in Dimebag's honor at the mic, and then laid 699 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:07,720 Speaker 1: his iconic black and yellow tape striped guitar in dimes coffin. 700 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:11,319 Speaker 1: Not a reproduction, mind you, but the very guitar he 701 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 1: held aloft on the back of Van Halen too, to 702 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:19,440 Speaker 1: rest with Dimebag eternally. After all, these were the last 703 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:28,240 Speaker 1: words dime ever spoke Van fucking Halen. I'm Jake Brennan 704 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: in This is Disgraceland. Disgraceland was created by Yours Truly 705 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:55,360 Speaker 1: and is produced in partnership with Double Elvis. Credits for 706 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,760 Speaker 1: this episode can be found on the show notes page 707 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:01,560 Speaker 1: at disgracelambpod dot com. If you're listening as a Disgracelan 708 00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:04,440 Speaker 1: All Access member, thank you for supporting the show, We 709 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 1: really appreciate it, and if not, you can become a 710 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 1: member right now by going to disgracelampod dot com slash Membership. 711 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:15,680 Speaker 1: Members can listen to every episode of disgracelan ad free, 712 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:19,560 Speaker 1: Plus you'll get one brand new exclusive episode every month, 713 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:24,080 Speaker 1: weekly unscripted bonus episode, special audio collections, and early access 714 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:29,080 Speaker 1: to merchandise and events. Visit disgracelampod dot com slash membership 715 00:42:29,120 --> 00:42:31,680 Speaker 1: for details, rate and review the show, and follow us 716 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:35,719 Speaker 1: on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook at disgracelampod and on 717 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:40,960 Speaker 1: YouTube at YouTube dot com slash at disgracelampod, rock a ROLLA, 718 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: He's adn