When I first heard about the shooting in an Ohio club that took the lives of four people, including the band's guitarist and two crew members, I was horrified–but I must admit I didn't know who DamagePlan was. I figured it was a local club deal where something got terribly out of hand. It's strange how when I found out the next morning that the guitarist was Dimebag Darrell from Pantera, it hit home. I was never a big metal guy or Pantera fan, but I know people who worked for them, and that made it much more personal. I dropped a quick e-mail to Ken "Pooch" Van Druten, who I met while he was doing KISS, interviewed while he was doing the Summer Sanatarium tour with Limp Bizkit and who is nominated for the FOH Parnelli this year for his work with Kid Rock. Pooch used to mix monitors for Pantera, and I wanted to pass along my condolences. The note I got back sent a shiver right through me.
Hey Bill,
Thanks for the kind words. Actually, my best friend that I have known since I was five is the lead singer of DamagePlan, and I introduced him to the Pantera boys. He was not hurt or injured in the madness. For a minute there I thought that I had lost my best friend and Dime. I am totally distraught about Dimebag but thankful that Patrick (lead singer) was not injured. Anyway–this world is crazy these days and there are crazy people that live in it. Live each day like it is your last. Thanks again for the e-mail.
I was in a pissy mood (an all too common thing…) about some internal editorial and production issues with the magazines, and generally being my usual "do we have to go through this holiday crap again" self, but this note put things in perspective like few other things I can think of might have.
As you will see in the story we picked up from Roadie.Net elsewhere in this issue, it appears from comments of the crew on the scene that, though the band traveled with their own security (indeed, the security head was killed trying to disarm the gunman),
security at the venue itself was badly lacking. People we have talked to who are familiar with the club in question say that security there has always been a joke, and the club's usual FOH mixer (who was doing monitors that night) says the gunman entered from stage right–from backstage. While we can't confirm that and it is contrary to initial news reports, let's–for now–assume it is true and take a look at what it says about staying safe on the job.
It may be easy to write this off as something that only happens at shows featuring extreme musical forms–like metal or rap–and that if you don't work those shows, you have nothing to be concerned about. But it now appears that the gunman in this situation was an obsessed Pantera fan, and wacked-out fans know no musical boundaries. Hell, this could have been a
disgruntled employee on a corporate gig. You never know where insanity will raise its ugly head.
When you are doing a show, be it mixing or teching or managing production or whatever, be aware of the environment. Does it feel safe? Is there a buffer zone between you and the audience? Is the venue security appropriate to the nature of the event? Yes, show budgets are tight and corners are being cut every day. But this is one area where you should be able to expect at least the minimums listed above. An obsessive fan may be after the artist, but, as we can see, the crew gets put in harm's way as well–sometimes with deadly consequences.
Most of all, be aware of what is happening around you. If something doesn't "smell" right, then let someone know about it. Let's be careful out there. I would hate to get another note like the one from Pooch.
