If there’s one thing that you should never joke about onstage, it’s Nazis and “White Power.” Unfortunately for former Pantera member Phil Anselmo, he did both at a performance at Dimebash 2016 last month. Anselmo came under fire for what he claimed was a joke after a fan video surfaced online of Anselmo performing a Nazi salute and shouting “White Power.” In the wake of the scandal, he has gone as far as offering to quit his band Down.
Anselmo posted an open letter to his website which in part reads, “Never in my lifetime would I drag my bandmates down with me, and I’ve privately suggested to them that they move on without me. I’m repulsed by my own actions, and the self-loathing I’m going through right now is justified by the hurt I’ve caused. I realize we live in a society where apologies are NOT accepted easily, yet long for a day when they can be, but I also understand if I’m shunned till I hit the dirt.”
Anselmo had originally claimed that the “White Power” reference was a joke about the white wine that the band was drinking backstage.
Anselmo formally apologized for the Nazi salute at Dimebash 2016, which is a festival held annually in Hollywood in honor of the deceased Dimebag Darrell. Machine Head frontman also came out to call Anselmo a “bully.” Following his actions, Anselmo was accused of being an extreme racist as well as a white power supporter.
In a comment on the original fan video posted Anselmo owned up to his actions but also said that there would be no apologies made for what happened.
But in a formal apology video that he uploaded to his Youtube on Jan. 30, Anselmo said that “I don’t want to be part of any group. I’m an individual and I am a thousand percent apologetic to anyone who took offense to what I said. And I am so sorry. I hope you give me another chance… I love all of you. Anyone who knows me knows I love all of you.”
