Watch Pantera celebrate what would have been Dimebag Darrell’s 57th birthday in Texas
The newly-revamped Pantera have paid tribute to late guitarist Dimebag Darrell on what would have been his 57th birthday. Find footage of the moment below.
The tribute took place during the band’s recent stop in Austin, Texas – the same state in which the late guitarist was born in 1966.
Taking to the stage on Sunday (August 20), the new line-up told the crowd that the day would have been his 57th birthday towards the start of the show. They also launched into a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’, while encouraging the audience to sing along.
Later in the show, the members also took a brief break during the set to have a drink in honour of the musician – who was killed in 2004. Here, Randy Blythe, the frontman of opening act Lamb Of God, rolled out a beverage cart and passed out a round of Dimebag’s favourite drink, a “black-tooth grin” (whiskey with a splash of Coca-Cola).
The guitarist’s longtime girlfriend Rita Haney also appeared on stage to join in with the celebration. Check out footage below.
Dimebag Darrell – whose real name is Darrell Lance Abbott – was murdered by a fan while he performed on stage in Ohio. His brother and bandmate Vinnie Paul died suddenly in June 2018 from severe coronary artery disease. The brothers were aged 38 and 54 respectively.
Pantera announced plans to reunite with a revamped line-up back in July 2022 – this saw Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne) on guitar and Charlie Benante (Anthrax) on drums joining frontman Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown.
The heavy metal veterans current string of live shows marks their first headline tour in 22 years. It kicked off earlier this month with a opening show in Pennsylvania.. They are also playing multiple shows as support for Metallica and their ‘M72’ tour.
This is far from the first time that those close to Dimebag have celebrated his life since his death. Back in 2019, Haney paid tribute to her late partner on the 15th anniversary of his death with a social media post. She thanked fans for “loving him and remembering him”, adding: “You guys remind me why you live your best life!!! I still have the best life.. Thank you Darrell.”
Tonight (August 23), the band will play their first show since their gig in Austin. It will be held at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, and followed by a stop at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Friday (August 25). Find remaining tickets here.
In other Pantera news, last week, the band were once again joined by Haney and Blythe during the first of their three Texas shows. Taking place at Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands on Thursday (August 17), the latter joined the four-piece for a rendition of their hit track ‘Walk’.
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
