10 Most Shocking Moments In Rock Music History
6. Dimebag Darrell's Murder
The art of someone coming up on stage in the middle of a metal band's set is nothing new at this point. For any other rock act, the idea of someone stage diving is as much a part of the show as the actual music you're playing. However, no one was expecting things to turn as ugly as it did for Damageplan in 2004.
After the fallout of Pantera, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul's latest outfit pulled into Ohio at the Alrosa Villa club to work the circuit. Only a few seconds into the first song though, one mentally unstable fan stormed the stage with a gun, shooting Darrell down where he stood. The mayhem only continued from there, with the shooter eventually firing into the crowd and even killing a few fans before eventually being shot down by police. For as much relief came over the crowd, the damage had already been done.
In just a few horrifying seconds, the world had lost one of the greatest metal guitarists in rock history, which would be felt around the world within hours of the incident. Coming together as an act of respect, Dime's funeral was a poignant memorial to one of the nicest men in metal who would do anything for his friends and fans. Though something like assassination isn't uncommon in the rock world, no one would think that they were risking their lives playing the music they love.