Part 2 of our report from this year’s Ride For Dime event – including stories from god Forbid and Ace Frehley!. Ride for Dime is an event where legendary musicians come together in celebration of the one and only Dimebag Darrell to raise Money and Rock Dallas, TX.

We all step outside into the 107 degree heat. It’s seriously hot and I’m sweating like a sex pest in a wet suit but I wouldn’t miss this for the world. My sunburnt skin turns to goosebumps as the distant grumbling of thousands of cc’s of pure horsepower can be heard and the scene as these bikes come roaring into view is unlike any other. Thousands of motorbikes, mostly Harley Davidsons, are roaring towards us and we are all stopped in our tracks with our jaws dropping to the melting pavement. It’s been a long, hot and sweaty ride for them all but just by the look on their faces as they pull up – you could just tell it was worth it.

Cold drinks are on offer to us all as well as the biggest barbecue I’ve ever seen – Texan hospitality at its best and the ‘tater’ salad was the nicest i’ve ever tasted. Rested and watered it was nearly time for the main event, the Ride For Dime All Star Jam.  I head backstage to be nosy and come across a very nervous Phil Demmell from Machine Head. He’s practising like crazy as it’s not every day you get to play next to Ace Frehley but like he says as he noodles away ‘this is for a very good cause’. A very tired Corey Taylor is warming up his vocals ‘I’m really tired but I just had to do this, I was honoured to be asked and although i have a real sore throat and I’m back on the road with Slipknot next week, I just wanted to be here in honour of Dime’. I catch up with axeman and icon Ace Frehley (who diehard Kiss fan Dime had a tattoo of across his heart) and he’s happy to share his favourite moment with Dime. “Darrell invited me back to his pad and i spent a whole weekend there. It was a crazy house and I remember there was barbed wire on the ceiling. I survived the weekend but can’t get into too many details – but I did have a hangover for a week. And that’s why I can’t wait to jump on stage. Everyone here is kicking ass and I can’t wait to do my bit. I’m happy to be here for both Rita and all the fans’.

As i leave Ace. I bump into a very tanned and slim Aaron Lewis from Staind is grinning like the Cheshire cat – he’s as happy as Larry to have been asked to take part and is clearly enjoying catching up with all his rock star brothers. The bromance going on backstage is genuine and, although you can tell Dime is clearly missed, his friends and colleagues are all chuffed to be here. The venue is filling up with fans, all with a Dime story to share with me. All are pretty much the same – how they met Dime and although they were only fans, he treated each and everyone of them like an individual and was more than happy to spend time listening to their stories. God Forbid’s Byron chips in, ‘Dime was the first rock star to accept me and my band – with him there was no boundaries or bigotry – he just treated everyone the same’.

Get part 1 here and come back on Monday for another instalment!