METALLICA are the latest band to pay tribute to the victims of the DAMAGEPLAN killings in OHIO last week.
Guitarist ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott was one of four people murdered by gunman Nathan Gale at the Alrosa Villa Club last Wednesday (December 8).
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has left this tribute to his friend on the band’s [url=]official website.
He said: “This is unbelievable. To sit here and talk about Darrell in the past tense seems so wrong, so unfair, so unjust, I don’t even know what to say. My heart goes out to Vinnie, to their families, to the other band members, and to the families and friends of the other people who were killed or injured in this fucking senseless act of selfishness and stupidity.
“In 1985 I was fortunate enough to meet both Darrell and his brother in Dallas on tour. The first thing me and my friend did as soon as the tour was over was to head straight back to Dallas and hang out with Darrell and Vinnie for a long time, cuz they were the coolest mutherfuckers that we had met after criss-crossing the States for three months. This was the beginning of a friendship that was anchored in love, respect, fun, outrageousness, music, booze, sweat, late nights, early mornings, hangovers, headaches, pounding eardrums, sore bodies… the list goes on.
“Darrell and his brother were the cornerstone of musical adventures that were always groundbreaking, pushing boundaries, challenging to themselves and to their fans, respected by their peers and always true musicians’ musicians, and today the rock world is worse off because of this untimely and senseless waste.
“Much love and respect and thanks for letting me be a small part of your life and I know you are already having fun and throwing it down with Bon Scott, Keith Moon, Jimi, Cliff B and the rest of the musicians and troublemakers that you are hanging with so prematurely.”
Meanwhile, the Abbott family have said that the funeral will be private, with a public memorial planned for a later date.