Ex-PANTERA Bassist 'Doesn't Give A S**t' About Negative Comments From BLABBERMOUTH.NET Haters

Dan Lorenzo of Steppin' Out magazine last week conducted an interview with former PANTERA/DOWN and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Steppin' Out: I often read the members of PANTERA blamed the press with regards to the breakup of the band. Why do you think most people on Blabbermouth post negative comments? The people who love you, we don't seem to have the time to post anything.

Rex: It doesn't make sense to me and I don't think it's the catalyst for what went down as far as some crazy nut getting a gun from his mother and wanting to kill the entire band, which I have in my office files. I have his little manifesto, so to speak. He wanted to kill all of us. I like going to Blabbermouth and I do... I like reading about "these guys are in the studio, these guys are on tour," or a lot of bands that I don't know about that I've been turned on to. I like that information. The "blogs" [comments from site users/visitors] at the end of it — I don't give a shit. I could care less.

Steppin' Out: Do you trust journalists to print your interviews verbatim or are you concerned that things you say will be taken out of context?

Rex: Both.

Steppin' Out: When you wrote your book ("Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera"),did you actually write it or did you dictate stories to your co-author?

Rex: A little of both also. With technology now, we have the iPad and iNotes. I would either write on my phone when I would think of something — you know, some of the crazy stories or the stuff that I wanted to put down in the book — and we shot from the hip from there.

Steppin' Out: When was the last time you threw on a PANTERA CD to listen to?

Rex: I listened to "Vulgar Display Of Power" about... right after the first of this year. It's been a hectic time with the book and everything, also a week ago Saturday, some kid had sent me a video of us playing in Santiago, Chile. I watched that, and all of a sudden I went, "Oh my God! We were that bad-ass." I haven't watched that kind of stuff in probably five years. It was kind of hard after Dime [late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott] died, but now it will never get out of my system, but I'm closer to where I want to be.

Steppin' Out: When you sent me an e-mail, it had your cell phone number in your signature. I think of you as a private guy. Do you fear too many people will get your number and you'll be harassed constantly?

Rex: I wouldn't give it to you if I didn't acknowledge that you wouldn't use it in any malicious form or fashion. So if you do give it out, I'll know who the hell did!

Steppin' Out: I'll delete it as soon as we hang up.

Rex: You don't have to do that. When I meet cool journalists, I'll put it into my phone so I know who's calling me.

Steppin' Out: You're so low-key. I get the feeling if the money were exactly equal, you'd prefer playing clubs over theaters. Am I right?

Rex: No, I like both. I think the clubs are very cool just because it's so personal when you can see that guy in front. When we started doing this KILL DEVIL HILL thing, the record wasn't out and we did close to a hundred dates and you could really see the response. At first, you have the guys with their arms closed going, "Well, this is Rex and Vinny Appice and we don't know these other two guys, so we'll see," and by maybe the fourth or fifth song, these guys had their arms in the air with their horns out. That's a really good indication of what's going on. Our forum in general is playing to bigger audiences and that's what you want to do. We just went out and did ten shows with ALICE COOPER and we had people coming up that were from ages fifteen to sixty eight that were just saying, "You guys are f'ing wicked. You're on to something." That says a lot.

"Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera" trailer: