Dimevision, Vol.2: Roll with It or Get Rolled Over by Dan Slessor
Dimevision, Vol.2: Roll with It or Get Rolled Over is scheduled to be released on November 24th 2017 by Metal Blade Records, Let’s hear from the recording label what they got to say about this.
With 2006’sDimevision Vol 1: That’s The Fun I Have, fans of Dimebag Darrell and his work with Pantera and Damageplan, were afforded the chance to see into the world of the legendary guitarist. Compiled from the many, many hours of video footage captured between the mid 80s and his later years, it was a funny, touching and poignant memorial. Its follow up, Vol 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over, is a true celebration of the man and how he lived his life. “He had a unique way of seeing things, and he always lived with a video camera,” states his longtime girlfriend Rita Haney. “No matter where we went he was always capturing what was going on, and myself and others around him were filming a lot too. In putting out these videos I just want people to see the way he was, 24/7. What you saw on stage and backstage, that was how he lived.” Fans of the original know that this way of life involved a lot of whisky, an insane amount of fireworks and a contagious desire to have fun – and like its predecessor, the title is also drawn from the words of the man himself. Having a habit of latching onto a saying or a phrase, this soon became part of his particular dialect, affectionately dubbed ‘Dime-bonics’. “It comes from something he was saying a lot in 2003 and 2004,” Haney recalls. “He’d call from the road and he’d say ‘man, I’m beat up out here, but that’s the highs and lows of rock and roll. You gotta roll with it or get rolled over.'”
Going into the second volume, Haney worked in collaboration with Daryl “Bobby Tongs” Arnberger, who was not only one of Dimebag’s closest friends both on and off the road, but also worked as an official videographer for Pantera, Damageplan and a plethora of A-list musicians, from Slipknot to Dolly Parton. The first task was going through everything that had been accumulated over the years. “We sifted through hundreds of tapes and narrowed it down to forty-three hours of usable footage for this and the next few DVDs,” Arnberger explains. “As I watched, I envisioned certain segments and ideas coming to life in my head, and rather than it serving as a memorial, this second DVD is more about the vision Dime had in his head for this footage, what heactually wanted it to become. This one is more uplifting, funny, and it stays 100% true to his idea for Dimevision.” This was of course a very emotional process for both Arnberger and Haney, coming upon some true gems and classic Dimebag moments, some of which reduced them to tears of laughter. “There was a time he was having trouble sleeping and he was having sleep apnea, waking himself up at night. So we did a sleep study to see if we could fix that, and this doctor was coming over really early to fit him for his CPAPmachine, and to show us how it worked,” Haney recalls. “But Darrell and his friend ST had stayed up all night drinking, and when the guy showed up he’s still half lit. The doc’s there trying to be all serious and its just not happening, it was hilarious, and it was all caught on camera!” Unsuspecting visitors to the couple’s home were regularly drawn in – another memorable segment involves girl scouts selling cookies – and events as mundane as taking a friend to get a pedicure become hilarious, thanks to his particular way of seeing the world. As endlessly entertaining as Dimebag was, there were of course other, deeper sides to his personality, which are also reflected in both volumes. “He was a very complex, perceptive, and outgoing individual, and each new Dimevisionwill show more and more of his true complexion, and the love he had for everyone in his path,” Arnberger says, and Haney is happy to include clips of some more poignant times, many of which were unearthed as the many hours of video were catalogued. “There were some really touching, deep, heavy and emotional moments in the first one, where he’s talking about himself to the camera while in the shower. Filming himself like that was something he did a lot, and you’d have no clue until you’re looking through the tapes and come across them, and when you do the goosebumps crawl all over you. People that love and know Darrell are going to be touched by what he has to say, because it’s him telling you for the first time.”
Accompanying the DVD are five previously unheard demos, picked from a vast catalog he accrued since Haney gave him his first 4-track in 1984. As was the case with the video camera, he always ensured he had this with him, and he would often lose himself in recording when having a day off from partying on the road and the ‘booze anxiety’ struck. “He wanted to keep his mind off the fact he wasn’t boozing or playing, so he could relax and sleep and focus on things, and of course he turned to music, which was his salvation,” Haney says. Dimebag not only wrote down the lyrics and dates of everything he recorded but also his thoughts on it at the time, which Haney will also be sharing with fans. However, she’s quick to point out that no one should expect high production standards (“It’s called a 4-track for a reason!”) and that these are not ‘lost’ Pantera tracks. “These songs come from his off-time, it was entertainment to him – one of them was even inspired by a George Michael solo record coming out back in the 80s!” she laughs. “But he loved making music and he appreciated all kinds of music, whether he was making a joke of it or not, it still caught his ear, and I hope people can enjoy these songs for what they are and the spirit they were made in.”
With so much footage left over, Haney and Arnberger are determined that the next volume of Dimevision will be emerging in the near future, and fans can rest assured that as fulfilling as Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over is, there’s still a lot to look forward to. “We originally wanted to put out one of theseevery year, but time just got away from us, and now we really want to make that happen,” Haney enthuses. “This one will be released in the fall and we hope to make it an annual thing. It will all depend on if the fans want it and support it!”
Dan Slessor / MHF Magazine
