How do Ozzfest veterans Pantera feel about the fact that this may be the last ever Ozzfest? Is it still exciting and fun to get the call that the Ozzman wants you to join his caravan for the summer? More than a little excited about the upcoming festival, I jumped at the chance to find out how the performers were gearing up and what the Ozzfest meant to them.

Who would we think of here in the Rock N World and at antiMUSIC but those cowboys from hell, Pantera? Because of the phenomenal response antiMUSIC received from the fans when the Pantera CD "Reinventing the Steel" was being released in March, Rex was more than glad to have a chat just before the Ozzfest kick-off and sent a special message to all the Pantera fans out there:

(Debbie Seagle for) antiMUSIC: As a musician I'm pretty excited to talk with you today because I admire your work and because I'm totally into the gear up for the last Ozzfest.

Rex: As far as we know. . .

antiMUSIC: As far as we know. Well, that's a good question to ask, do you think this is the last Ozzfest or do you think it will be done in a different way.

Rex: We will probably have another Ozzfest, I don't know if Ozzy himself will be involved. He'll carry the torch.

antiMUSIC: Well, there's always going to be an Ozzy around, right?

Rex: Oh yeah! We just don't know if he's going to jam up there or not, you never know. You know, this business is kind of fickle. You never know what's going to happen.

antiMUSIC: That's true. Besides the obvious exposure, what are the things that you've taken away from your experiences with Ozzfest?

Rex: Just, you know, there's so many bands that are on the bill, and its pretty refreshing just to go and see the new bands that are up and coming. You know, some of the guys that have been there like us for a while.

antiMUSIC: Right.

Rex: The camaraderie between the bands is pretty special.

antiMUSIC: Looking at the lineup here, who are you looking most forward to seeing besides Ozzy?

Rex: We kind of know those Godsmack guys pretty decently and we're kinda looking forward to seeing them, but there's a whole bunch of bands on that thing, you know? Hell, I want to see everybody, I don't want to be prejudice. I'm looking forward to the whole thing. We've been overseas touring here for the last two months and its like, man, I'm ready to tour the States.

antiMUSIC: Ready to come back home now, huh?

Rex: Ready to come home and tour man, yeah.

antiMUSIC: You don't want to have to worry about what currency you are needing to spend . . .

Rex: Exactly. What you're going to have for lunch, you know, and . . .

antiMUSIC: Well, what's it like, can you give me a little bit of an idea of what the atmosphere is like on the tour and, you know, not just on show days, but days off. Do you all kind of hang and exchange war stories or, how does that go? I bet the fans would love to know a little bit of the inside scoop on that.

Rex: Just depends, pretty much we're playing day on and day off. So, for us, we usually have golf tournaments on those days off between everybody that plays. Which is pretty cool if you're into golf.

antiMUSIC: Yeah!

Rex: If you are into golf like me and Vince are in the band, then from there, after the golf tournament, we'll all get together and have, we usually cook out by the buses at the hotel and stuff. That's just what we like to do. We like to barbecue and drink beer.

antiMUSIC: That sounds like fun, I wish I was going to be there.

Rex: Yeah, its like a paid vacation kinda, in a way, you know? Great golf courses and on the other days you get to play f***ing rock and roll.

antiMUSIC: What kind of lifestyle could be better than that?

Rex: I don't know. That's why I like this Ozzfest so much, its just real relaxed and calm and you get up there and kick ass for your hour and a half or whatever you do, whatever your set time is, and it just brings this whole metal thing together, or the music thing together. There's all different kinds of bands on the bill. You get the kids these days, and there's twenty bands on the bill for them, so the more for your buck, you know?

antiMUSIC: Its a lot for your buck. There's no question about the value there. A lot of the bands who have been on Ozzfest like, for instance, on the second stage, when you look back over the years that its been going on and you look at some of those bands now, there's no questions about what that exposure has done for those bands.

Rex: Sure. Absolutely. And you've got to take your hat off to Ozzy for going up there and giving some of these new and upcoming bands a shot.

antiMUSIC: Oh yeah, no kidding. Somebody's got to carry this on.

Rex: Absolutely.

antiMUSIC: I certainly hope that it does carry on in some form or another, whether its Ozzfest or someone else takes up the reigns and carries it on.

Rex: We'd love to take those reigns!

antiMUSIC: Well, you know what? Talk to Ozzy about that.

Rex: Might have to.

antiMUSIC: You guys are poised to do something like that. Will Pantera be pulling out the stops in any special way for this last dance with Ozzy?

Rex: We've got all kinds . . . we've got a brand new stage set that's pretty unbelievable.

antiMUSIC: Really? In what way?

Rex: Well, its just, for us, its a big set. We've been playing with the old one for about four years now, so we have a record out.

antiMUSIC: Four years huh?

Rex: We've got all kinds of crap up our sleeves but I'm not going to say anything. You'll just have to come out and make sure you see it.

antiMUSIC: I definitely will be doing that, but unfortunately, being on the West Coast, I get to do the wrap up of the tour in September.

Rex: Oh, okay. Cool.

antiMUSIC: So, I'll have to listen to everybody talk about how much fun they had all summer long, so I'm kind of bummed about that. . .

I don't know if you guys know this or not, but your fans kind of staged their own special type of rally on antiMUSIC.com, which is the website that this interview today is for. They did it prior to your latest CD being released in March and it was actually a combination of a "We love Pantera" and "Kill the Boy Band Trend" type of a rally. And I've never seen such dedicated fans in my life.

Rex: We've got some really dedicated fans. I think we've always stayed real honest to em, and I think they get it and that's why they are so vocal about it at times. I wouldn't trade those fans for anything in the world. We wouldn't be here. We're just honest with what we do and, you know, take integrity and pride with us also, and I think the fans like that in a band.

antiMUSIC: Well, they're certainly slating you (Pantera) for long term entertainment in their lifetime. I've heard things like, "Pantera, we're going to soldier them into the next ten or twenty years of metal euphoria. They've got to pick up the torch and keep it going." What does it feel like to have that kind of dedication from your fan base? It must be fantastic.

Rex: I think its great. I hope that we can do that, you know? We're into the thing for the long term. We just kind of take it a step at a time and do what we do. I think that's great. I think that shows real dedication for them to say that.

antiMUSIC: I understand with the band that you all kind of have your own little niche, your own little things that you like to do, like for instance, Vinnie and Dime were doing the production of the CD this time, and I think Dime likes to get into the video and merchandising. What is it that you like to think of as your defining characteristic or your part in keeping the rock show going?

Rex: Me and Vince take care of the whole lot of the business side. That's what I do.

antiMUSIC: You and Vince take care of a lot of the press too.

Rex: He likes to do all the press, which is fine.

antiMUSIC: So how did you get suckered into this today? (laughing)

Rex: Well, I'm actually doing a whole lot of press lately. Just to take a load off him since he's done so much. And, so I don't have a problem with it at all.

antiMUSIC: Well you're certainly a good spokesman for the group.

Rex: Oh thank you.

antiMUSIC: Now, I noticed that in a lot of the interviews I've seen with the band, the influences have been really diverse. As far as where you all came from and getting into the Southern roots, it must have been difficult being in the South and not adopting that Southern rock type of a flavor and adding your metal sound to it.

Rex: Well, I think that's what kind of set us apart from everybody else here when we were coming up. We paid our dues for sure, played the clubs you know, six nights a week - seven. Three sets a night, doing all that kind of stuff and just, some people would sew it down to others you know? That's where we got our loyalty from. Apparently that's all you would hear on the radio was nothing but Southern rock, you know, your Marshall Tuckers and your Skynyrds and of course ZZ Top's an influence, but . . .

antiMUSIC: Of course!

Rex: But, you know, we tried to find our own style and stick with it and it took us a while, just like anything. But, we just found, when we got Phillip in the band we really found what we were all looking for and we just naturally progressed through the years and here we are.

antiMUSIC: And Phil is the only non-Texan, right?

Rex: Yes, he's from New Orleans.

antiMUSIC: Have you adopted him as a Texan?

Rex: Well, yeah, he lived here for about six years when we were getting going and after I think, "Vulgar" he just decided to go on home, go back to New Orleans.

antiMUSIC: But he has safe passage through the entire state then, right?

Rex: Oh yeah.

antiMUSIC: He has his Texas passport?

Rex: Absolutely! He's here quite a bit. You wouldn't believe it.

antiMUSIC: A couple of the members of the band have listed KISS as one of their influences. Were you also influenced by KISS?

Rex: Oh, absolutely. I mean, that was like, growing up it was like everybody was totally infatuated with KISS. You know, its so weird, twenty years later you get to go open up for them and stuff.

antiMUSIC: Well, yeah, how cool. I mean, that and Ozzy, what does it feel like to actually perform with and learn from your childhood heroes?

Rex: Its incredible. Sometimes its just, you can't even speak anything out of your mouth, and we're peers with them now, which is great, you know? At first its hard to fathom something like that but, you know, you look back and its very special for us. All those guys hanging out. I'm a big Cheap Trick fan and just hanging out with Rick Neilsen and stuff and you're going "wow," this is incredible, you know?

antiMUSIC: Sounds great.

Rex: Yeah, doing photo shoots with Gene Simmons and him playing on your bass rig, you know? Its mind boggling so you just go with the flow and let it happen.

antiMUSIC: I would think that it would be a bigger compliment to say, not to necessarily say that you are a rock star, but to say that you are a peer of somebody that was a hero of yours growing up.

Rex: I don't know too many people that would be able to say that.

antiMUSIC: Exactly. So that has to be the ultimate in success markers for you.

Rex: Probably so. Yeah, that would be right up at the top of the list.

antiMUSIC: Right up there with your platinum records and what have you.

Rex: Exactly, and the fans. You've got to put them on the top too.

antiMUSIC: Yeah, they're definitely the reason we are talking today. The fans for Pantera have been, at least with the publications and web site I've worked with, have been probably some of the most devoted fans. Just to conclude for today, because I know you are short on time, is there anything you would like to say to the fans out there in the Rock N World and antiMUSIC who have made their support of you known?

Rex: Get your ass out to Ozzfest, and just stay true to yourself and stay true to Pantera.