Ride for Dime is an event where legendary musicians come together in celebration of the one and only Dimebag Darrell to raise Money and Rock Dallas, TX. Get the first of our instalments from the event inside! Words: Sara Harding
Texas, the historical home of George W. Bush, cowboys, cheerleaders, big ass steaks, JR Ewing and rock star of the people the late, great Dimebag Darrell. “Are you ready to getcha pull on?”, drawls Dime’s widow Rita Haney in her unmistakable Texan twang as she sashays to the bar to get the round in. On order is the drink of the day – the Black Tooth – a heady mix of Crown Royal Whiskey and just a splash of coke. This was the tipple of her man and the axeman we are all here to honour – Dimebag Darrell Abbott.

We’re at the Palladium, a huge arena sandwiched between the oil rich skyscrapers of Downtown Dallas and we are all gathered here for the fifth Ride for Dime annual fundraiser. The first black tooth of the day is going down nicely and i’m in great company. Joining me and my good buddy Rita are bonafide members of rock royalty who’ve flown in from all over the planet to raise some dollars for Dime’s favourite charities. Clinking glasses and raising a toast to the ‘man upstairs’ are Kiss legend Ace Frehley, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, Phil Demmell from Machine Head, Tim King from Soil, Aaron Lewis from Staind, Byron Davis from God Forbid, Bobzilla Dime’s brother Vinnie Paul. Rita is thrilled that everyone has taken time time and travelled thousands of miles for this the ultimate rock star jam. She’s stoked as every rock star on her hitlist gave up their own time to fly to in and play a setlist like no other. As Rita looks around at her rock compatriots she smiles and flashes her big Texan teeth, ‘If Dime was here right now he would be so happy. This year’s event is bigger, better and more bad ass than ever. I’m overwhelmed. What happened with Dime bought alot of people together – all sorts of rock genres and i hope that this event can continue to be about this unity as well as raise money and maintain Dime’s legacy’. A load of ‘hell yeah’s’ are to be heard as Rita speaks and once again we raise a glass to the air. It’s nearly time for the first big event of the day.

We are expecting thousands of bikers to descend upon the venue. Bikers from all over the world have flown in to take part in the Ride for Dime – the rock ‘ride by’ as its known in these parts. Their journey began earlier today at the Fortress, the Arlington home of Darrell and Rita and continued past the Moore’s memorial garden where Dimebag is laid to rest and then a couple of hours later was due at the Palladium where the all star jam is about to take place.
Part 2 of our report from this year’s Ride For Dime event – including stories from god Forbid and Ace Frehley!. Ride for Dime is an event where legendary musicians come together in celebration of the one and only Dimebag Darrell to raise Money and Rock Dallas, TX.
We all step outside into the 107 degree heat. It’s seriously hot and I’m sweating like a sex pest in a wet suit but I wouldn’t miss this for the world. My sunburnt skin turns to goosebumps as the distant grumbling of thousands of cc’s of pure horsepower can be heard and the scene as these bikes come roaring into view is unlike any other. Thousands of motorbikes, mostly Harley Davidsons, are roaring towards us and we are all stopped in our tracks with our jaws dropping to the melting pavement. It’s been a long, hot and sweaty ride for them all but just by the look on their faces as they pull up – you could just tell it was worth it.

Cold drinks are on offer to us all as well as the biggest barbecue I’ve ever seen – Texan hospitality at its best and the ‘tater’ salad was the nicest i’ve ever tasted. Rested and watered it was nearly time for the main event, the Ride For Dime All Star Jam. I head backstage to be nosy and come across a very nervous Phil Demmell from Machine Head. He’s practising like crazy as it’s not every day you get to play next to Ace Frehley but like he says as he noodles away ‘this is for a very good cause’. A very tired Corey Taylor is warming up his vocals ‘I’m really tired but I just had to do this, I was honoured to be asked and although i have a real sore throat and I’m back on the road with Slipknot next week, I just wanted to be here in honour of Dime’. I catch up with axeman and icon Ace Frehley (who diehard Kiss fan Dime had a tattoo of across his heart) and he’s happy to share his favourite moment with Dime. “Darrell invited me back to his pad and i spent a whole weekend there. It was a crazy house and I remember there was barbed wire on the ceiling. I survived the weekend but can’t get into too many details – but I did have a hangover for a week. And that’s why I can’t wait to jump on stage. Everyone here is kicking ass and I can’t wait to do my bit. I’m happy to be here for both Rita and all the fans’.

As i leave Ace. I bump into a very tanned and slim Aaron Lewis from Staind is grinning like the Cheshire cat – he’s as happy as Larry to have been asked to take part and is clearly enjoying catching up with all his rock star brothers. The bromance going on backstage is genuine and, although you can tell Dime is clearly missed, his friends and colleagues are all chuffed to be here. The venue is filling up with fans, all with a Dime story to share with me. All are pretty much the same – how they met Dime and although they were only fans, he treated each and everyone of them like an individual and was more than happy to spend time listening to their stories. God Forbid’s Byron chips in, ‘Dime was the first rock star to accept me and my band – with him there was no boundaries or bigotry – he just treated everyone the same’.