PANTERA's Former Manager Says 'The World Needed To See' The Band Again

During an appearance on the Nashville On The Rocks podcast, Scott McGhee of 1 Degree Music Entertainment, who has worked with bands like SKID ROW, DOWN and BUCKCHERRY, and who was involved in the early stages of PANTERA's current comeback, spoke about how he first got hooked up with the legendary Philip Anselmo-fronted outfit. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Back in the day when PANTERA was first kind of coming on to the scene, I was managing SKID ROW, and we had brought PANTERA on to open. And I remember seeing the first night in New York City… I saw the band play, and I'd heard their music; they were on a sister label. I'd heard the music. I was, like, 'This is just crazy good.' And the band guys, a couple of the guys were all friends with one another. So they played the first night, Madison Square Garden, and I saw them play before SKID ROW went on, and I went back and said, 'Y'all better fucking strap it on, 'cause these people are crushing it right now. Okay? So I don't know what y'all are thinking, and I don't know why the hell they're out there, but they are just kicking people's asses.' So I just became a really big fan. And I loved the band; they've toured with us. And as odd as it sounds, [the pairing of] SKID ROW [and] PANTERA, at the time, it actually worked — it really, really worked. So, years later, they were blowing up and they blew up and on and on. And when the unfortunate things that happened with Dime [late PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott] and the band was no longer, I was managing [Anselmo's post-PANTERA band] DOWN with Snake [Dave Sabo] from SKID ROW at the time. And we were doing some really great things around the country. And I love DOWN. Those records were just killer records and the band was great. Years went by and I was no longer involved — there was a lot of issues that had gone on — I was in New Orleans, and Phil was making records [and] touring with a band called THE ILLEGALS. And they were doing their own thing, but they were doing these sets that were kind of PANTERA cover sets. And I had seen it. People had sent it to me, and I was, like, 'No, this can't happen, man.' This goes back about three or four years ago. I was, like, 'Shit.' It was the pandemic, the beginning of the pandemic. I was, like, 'I can't listen to that.' I mean, I was just such a PANTERA fan. And not that it was — there was nothing awful about it, and I understood it. And people wanted to hear those songs again live. And they hadn't heard them in 20 years live. I just didn't think that was the presentation at the time, the right presentation to kind of bring that back again, if you will. So, I went to see a DOWN show and I was staying at Phillip's house, and we just got on the subject. And one night, a few years back, I said, 'Let's not do that anymore. Don't do it. I won't see it.' It was kind of bold. I was, like, 'Let's not… No one wants to see that.' And I didn't mean it to be… It wasn't them being disrespectful to Dime and Vinnie [late PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott]; it was just kind of like… That's not what… PANTERA, there's a legacy there. And there's so much more. That band could have been the biggest band in the world. And aside from all the issues and all the things that went on, we all had growing pains through all those times. So Phil and I had a conversation, and Kate, his wife, and they were putting a tour up in Europe, and I was, like… We started talking about putting a band. I said, 'If you're gonna do it, let's put it together.' And he [initially] was [like], 'No.' I don't think him and Rex [Brown, PANTERA bassist] had talked for 16 years at the time."

Regarding what it was like to help Anselmo and Brown bring PANTERA back as a touring act with the addition of Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) on guitar and Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) on drums, McGhee said: "It was an incredible experience. And finding the right people and the right fit. Forget all the business side of it and the estates and the this and the that and other people that were involved and all these other people that wanted to be involved — all that stuff was a disaster, it was a mess, the outside noise — but we got through it. And I got to really spend some fantastic times with Zakk and Charlie, which were a tremendous fit. Zakk Wylde was just incredible. And I've known Zakk a long, long time, but never the amount of time I got to spend for a couple of years. And Charlie, who's just absolutely one of the sweetest people in the world. And those two guys, I think if Vinnie and Dime were looking down, [they] would be, like, 'That's it, man.' That was big shoes to fill. And Philip — God bless him, man. That dude is just a brother. I love him. He had really, really rose to the occasion. And the shows are incredible."

Scott went on to say that "it was not easy" bringing PANTERA back. "It never is. But it was something that I felt like the world needed to see again. And I really felt like fans need to see this. And you've gotta remember — this was their older brother's band or their father's band. And there were so many kids, particularly … my kids. They only listen to PANTERA music. They've never seen them play. And there was so many kids that have never seen the strength and the power that that band could bring and how they bring it. I mean, there's no better frontman [than Philip] in the world, I don't think. I don't know, but I put him up there, in that genre of music, from a delivery and belief in what he does, there's no one stronger than Philip, man, and how he delivers it. And we went through a lot, we went through a lot to get there, but they persevered. And I love what we accomplished and I love what they're accomplishing today. And it was really, really an honor to be a part of building that back again. And I hope the fans got to see something they thought they would never, ever see again. And I'm really proud of the fact that I was able to be part of doing that."

McGhee was also full of praise for how Wylde and Benante approached playing PANTERA's music, saying: "Playing what Dime played and what Vinnie played was… I mean, those two, between guitar and drums, were like blood harmonies. You don't just fill that. That shit was done from childhood. And for those two, for Zakk and Charlie to be able to do what they did… They've done it respectfully and they've done it, to a certain degree, in their own way. Charlie's spot-on. Zakk's done it because he's — they're very different. Phrasing-wise, it's very different. They're very, very different players, but Zakk's really, really done it in a very extremely respectful way."

PANTERA is currently being managed by Q Prime Management, who have played a significant role in the success of METALLICA, DEF LEPPARD, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and many more. Their management roster currently also includes MUSE, DISTURBED, VOLBEAT and BARONESS.

The reformed PANTERA is headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of its own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.

It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

In a recent interview with Sweetwater, Brown spoke about the decision to tour with a reformed version of PANTERA. The lineup has reportedly been given a green light by the estates of PANTERA's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. Rex said: "The last show, man, I had a creepy, like a cold — something came by me. It felt like there was a cold feeling. And I've gotten this a couple of times before. When we were down recording with Charlie — me and Charlie just went down [in late 2022], put up eighty to a hundred hours of tape before Zakk [started rehearsing with us]. Zakk was still on the road. So we wanted to get the bass and the drum real tight, and we had this scratch guitar player. I felt that same chill. And, to me, they're angels. And I think you know who they are. Those guys, I think they're looking down, or they're looking around us, with us, and I think they're digging what they're seeing, man. I really do. And that's the only kind of way I can look at it, and get as close as we can with Charlie and Zakk. And God, it's getting really, really good. And there's so much more potential to get even tighter."

Speaking about the opportunity to perform PANTERA's music to new generations of fans who never saw the band before, Rex said: "There's a lot of memories in this band that are hard to put down. And losing the brothers, I just never in a million years thought that something like that would happen. Here we are 22 years later, and to see these new fans' faces. You've got one kid sitting there, or man, woman or child crying, and you have this other guy just going, 'You did it right.' It's just amazing."

In April, Rex spoke to American Musical Supply about how touring with PANTERA in 2024 is different from how it was in the band's heyday. He said: "This is a completely different thing, man. We have Charlie and Zakk now, and they're just — number one, they've been great friends of ours for all these years. We get along extra super cool. Charlie and I went down, probably put about eighty, hundred hours on tape of all the songs we were gonna do for the set, and others that we would want to do. Charlie and I worked on this for six months before we ever got into a rehearsal room. That's just how good friends we are. Charlie has been one of my best friends for years. So, this is another band. It's hard to fill the shoes of the brothers. At the same time, this has become a really tight unit. And Zakk just puts the extra… Dime was a very unique guitar player, and he was my best friend, and it's good to see those boys up on the screens and with us. And that's what this is about tonight, for me."

Regarding how he and the rest of the current PANTERA lineup have balanced honoring the band's legacy with any new creative goals they might have, Rex said: "There's many ways that we wanna keep this legacy alive, 'cause the music is still played all over. We have a whole new generation of fans that, they probably wouldn't have heard this stuff if we weren't playing out here playing these shows. And so, that generation of fans — let's say the 15-to-18-year-old kids that come out — they'll shortly have children, and that keeps that new generation alive. And Phillip even says it in the set, the parents of the '90s, which I'm a parent of the '90s, it's a very important statement in the set because it's about the gratitude.

"We're not doing this for ourselves; we're doing it for the name and the brand PANTERA," he continued. "And by God, this music needs to be heard again. It does. It needed to for a long fucking time. And that's what we're here doing tonight… It's just wonderful to be able to do this and pay homage to my music, the riffs that I wrote, or the riffs that Dime wrote, or the patterns that Vinnie played, and for what Phil came up with — tremendous impact on this music."

In April, Rex told Rolling Stone Australia about performing with PANTERA in 2024: "Two of our beloved brothers that just aren't here anymore man, that's life, you know? They're just not with us man. That's just fate; it's the way the ball rolls, dude."

He added: "This is no tribute band — Philip and I get to play these songs of ours that we haven't played in 23 years. And to be able to do that and connect with the enormity of what's happened is just extraordinarily fucking insane, you know?"

Regarding PANTERA's latest additions, Rex said: "We knew who would fit and who wouldn't. We knew what the obstacles were in front of us, and we knew after… I'll put it this way — Charlie and I came down in September [2022] before we played that [first] show in December [2022], and we have probably one hundred hours of tape of us playing every fucking PANTERA song that I could remember. And so, you know, me and Charlie lockin' in like that… the drummer and the bass player, that's your foundation. So when Zakk came in, there were certain things we had to go over and over and over, to get tight. And today, this band is about as tight and about as badass as I fucking want. You know what I mean, and that's all I'm gonna say on that."

"But, man, this band is on fuckin' fire, and I couldn't be happier, man," he added. "I just can't explain that as much as I need to, I could not be happier."

Rex previously told AndrewHaug.com that he was "absolutely" open to writing new music with the reformed version of PANTERA. "Yeah, I could tell you more but I'm not going to," he teased.

Earlier in the chat, Brown talked about what is has been like to go out and perform as PANTERA to a whole new generation of fans.

"You can't see it on the YouTube. You can't feel that vibe until you actually come to the show," he explained. "And we haven't been doing interviews just for the fact we want people just to come to the show. It's not about anything prior past or present that I wanna talk about today — just the show tonight.

"We're pinching ourselves over these new fans that have never seen this before, and it's a whole another generation that we either didn't know a) that were out there, b) that were still listening to us, and the turnout has just been unbelievable," Rex continued. "Of course, at first you had the naysayers and all that stuff, and as we played gig by gig, it's made us tighter. And I've been trying to rehearse this band as much as I can within schedules, and we'll just go down for no fucking reason and just jam. That's what makes a band tight."

Asked how it feels playing those "timeless" songs again, Rex told AndrewHaug.com: "You just said it — they're timeless. So getting to play them again is a… These were a big part of Philip and I's songs too. Of course, respect to the brothers. I think that looking down on us and giving us a big — and they're with us. It's just uncanny. That's the glue. Those guys are hanging around with us.

"Look, I'm not some crazy old man, man. I know that we're here for reasons," Rex added. "And this time he gave us a heavy load, and we have come through in spades. And I'm very proud of Charlie and Zakk and Phillip for stepping up… All of us [were very close back in the day]. We were intertwined. There was a close-knit family of friends — Jerry Cantrell and all those guys, ALICE IN CHAINS. We were all brothers and we all had each other's backs — even as fucked up as we got. We're fine now, I'll put it that way. But it's just such a different time and we're older men and can appreciate this more. And I feel 25 years younger, man. It's just insane."

Addressing complaints from some fans that Brown and Anselmo are going out and touring under the PANTERA name even though Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are not involved, Rex said: "I don't call it anything. I call it PANTERA. The show itself is a celebration of the lives of all four of us. Two are sadly not with us, and we cannot bring them back. God, do I want them back. But that's just not possible. So we're doing the best thing that we can to keep our music alive. And I think they're smiling down and saying, 'You guys are doing all right, man.' And they're with us. And I'm not shittin' you."

Asked what his initial thoughts were when he was first approached about relaunching PANTERA as a touring act, Rex said: "Philip and I talked for several months before. He got on the phone and said, 'Hey, man, you wanna do it? I didn't have — maybe a six-second… not a hesitation, but just to wrap my head around the full gravity of the enormity of it. I went, 'Okay, I've got a couple of questions.' And, man, ever since that call we've worked really, really hard to get this thing going. And we've jumped over a lot of mountains."

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.