By Tyler Crooks
May 23rd 2013, The Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles CA: It was a beautiful, sunshine filled day over Hollywood, CA, as Jeff Hanneman’s memorial at the Hollywood Palladium was set to take place. Upon arrival, it was noticed that the entry line was around 2 miles long; a truly incredible sight to behold, as everyone in line was there for one reason: to celebrate the life and legacy of Slayer’s late axeman, Jeff Hanneman.
As we entered, we immediately noticed the many tributes to Jeff scattered around the venue. The poster cases now housed electric picture frames, playing an endless slideshow of photos of Jeff, solo, and onstage. I couldn’t help but think of how absolutely classy that little touch to the halls was.
We entered the main floor and saw the stage with all available space taken up by Jeff’s impressive collection of guitars, Marshall faux-walls, and his signature half-stacks. An iron cross made of flowers stood next to a traditional memorial wreath; a lovely nod to Jeff’s passion for WWII memorabilia collecting. In the middle of the stage sat a single Marshall cabinet, surrounded by flowers. Atop the cabinet, a small black box containing Jeff’s ashes. At that moment, it had finally hit me. Jeff was gone. It was a humbling, sobering moment that I will never forget. Seeing with my own eyes, one of my idols, one of the reasons I picked up a guitar in a tiny box atop an amp cabinet…emotionally crushing.
As the service began, we were greeted by Nick Bowcott from Marshall Amplification. He regaled us with stories of Jeff, made us laugh, and I think, made us feel a little more at ease about the whole situation, as tragic as it was.
There was a multitude of speakers, and the first up was Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records. He told us more stories about Jeff, reminisced about the good times, and told us all how much Jeff meant to him. His presence was unexpected, but very vibrant. I quite enjoyed his speech.
Up next was Dino Paredes from American Recordings. The air turned somber as he took to the podium to speak. He was visibly and audibly distraught. While he was telling his stories, he took frequent rests to compose himself, as he was crying and incredibly emotional. I was really taken aback by this, as most people in attendance, both fans and speakers, all seemed pretty composed and calm. Dino really opened Pandora’s box, and allowed us all to let our guard down and show some emotion. His speech was incredibly moving and from the heart.
After Dino spoke, Kerry King came onstage to talk. He had several great stories that had us laughing at what a goofball and all around funny guy Jeff was. His speech was admirable, although he seemed to show little emotion. I can’t blame him for that. Some people mourn in different ways. Kerry was much stronger than I expected him to be.
Now was the time for the guest speakers. Most notably, Greg Khaler (inventor of the whammy bar), The Rick Sales Management Team (Slayer’s management company), Shavo Odajian from System of a Down and Robert Trujillo from Metallica all came up to pay their respects and give their love to Mr. Hanneman. I was truly moved by how humble all these behemoth heavy metal stars were.
The guest speaking ended, and it was time for the video slideshow. At this point, I left my spot in the photo fit and joined the crowd. The music was fitting, starting off with Metallica’s “Fade to Black.” As I watched the slideshow, I couldn’t help but cry over what an amazing person we lost. It was, however, a beautiful sadness, as we all collectively knew that Jeff was there with us in spirit and was watching over us, as cheesy and cliché as that may sound.
And of course, what Slayer slideshow would be complete without Raining Blood as the soundtrack? The track started and a circle pit broke out immediately. I had no other option and joined in. It was an incredible sight to behold. A huge circle pit at a memorial service…absolutely fitting. Our pit lasted until they decided to cut the song and play something a little less…intense.
The service was ended by the man who started it, Mr. Nick Bowcott by announcing that we had a new god up there with Ronnie. And he was right.
All in all, it was an absolutely beautiful service. We laughed, cried, and simply enjoyed the memories of Jeff. The only qualm I have with the event was that the alcohol sales were in excess, and some of the more thrashy kids were getting piss drunk and causing a bit of a ruckus. Other than that, it was amazing.
As we left, the sun was setting. Another chapter in the book of heavy metal had ended, albeit very tragically. We lost an incredible musician, Slayer lost a brother, and Kathryn Hanneman lost a husband of 30 years. As horribly sad as the circumstances were, we all felt a little bit of closure today.
To the men in Slayer, I’d like to say thank you for this incredible event. It was more than generous of you to offer this to your fans and I am forever grateful that I got to attend. Thank you.
To Mrs. Hanneman, if you ever read this, please know that you’re in our hearts and thoughts, and the Metal Assault family sends our deepest sympathies, condolences, and love. Stay strong.
And to all everyone reading this, be good to each other. Your friend today might not be there tomorrow. Love your friends and family, and be righteous to each other. Thank you.
Rest in peace, Jeff.
[Videos by Andrew Bansal]