Phil Anselmo’s past is coming back to haunt him, and the fan backlash is already having ripple effects.
Lead singer of legendary thrash band Pantera, Anselmo’s actions from a 2016 concert have prompted German and Austrian organizers to cancel upcoming shows for the band’s reunion tour. The New York Post reported the decision was based on “intensive conversations with artists, our partners and you, the festival fans.”
What happened? Six years ago, Anselmo was performing at a tribute concert for Pantera’s thrash guitar god, “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, who was shot and killed onstage in 2004. At the end of Anselmo’s set, he closed things out with a Nazi salute and a shout of “white power.”
That could have the Pantera reunion tour sliding off the rails as fans rally against the singer. The backlash has resulted in promoters dropping the band from their planned stops at Germany’s Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals followed by Vienna’s Gastometer festival, which was set to take place in May.
For what it’s worth, Anselmo made a public apology video that he posted to YouTube in 2016, in which he mostly blamed the incident on “heavy emotions,” saying:
“I was at the Dimebash, and it was extremely late at night. There was heavy-duty talk between myself and those who love Dime. And heavy emotions were flowing, jokes were made backstage that transpired upon the stage, and it was ugly.
“It was uncalled for. And anyone who knows me and my true nature knows that I don’t believe in any of that; I don’t want to be part of any group. I’m an individual, and I am a thousand percent apologetic to anyone that took offense to what I said because you should have taken offense to what I said.”
While some fans accepted his apology, others weren’t having it.
Pantera has several shows on tap for North America, including touring with death metal giants Lamb of God and opening for thrash icons Metallica on their 2023 tour. As of the time of writing, no American dates have been canceled.