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While preparing for the upcoming Pantera celebration shows with the surviving members of the band, Zakk Wylde says YouTube proved to be an invaluable resource when he was confused about 'Dimebag' Darrell's guitar parts.
Wylde is taking up Dime's mantle for the upcoming shows with Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante.
"Phil called me up one night and he was just like, 'Zakk, I was talking with Rex. We're thinking about doing this. We wondered if you would want to honor Dime,'" Wylde recalled in a new conversation with Ola Englund. "I was like, 'Well, of course!' How am I gonna say no? Send me the songs and the set list so I can start learning this stuff, man!"
Although Wylde is a longtime friend of Pantera, and a musical kindred spirit to his late-friend Darrell, that didn't mean that he knew Darrell's parts inside and out.
"Any of these things that I got stumped on, I was like, 'What the hell was that?' I would just [type] 'How to play 'Hostile'' or whatever — I'd go onto YouTube and just see all these other amazing players playing the stuff."
Wylde says woodshedding his old pal's songs was more enjoyable than it was frustrating. While he has a handle on the setlist now, he added that one thing he can't quite reproduce is Dime's sound.
Wylde is even incorporating some of Dime's own gear into his rig, including guitars and pedals, but he says their touch on the guitar so wildly different he will still sound like himself out there.
The first Pantera tribute shows will kick off next month in Mexico before heading to South America.
The band is expected to add more dates in the U.S. and Europe in 2023. Go here for more information.