Ex-Pantera Drummer Vinnie Paul Refuses to Remove Bandanna, Turned Away at Bar

Tightening restrictions on who can enter a New Zealand pool hall meant that even a rock star like Vinnie Paul Abbott could apparently be turned away.

Abbott, who rose to fame as drummer with Pantera, was reportedly denied entry to Rockpool in Christchurch because he refused to remove his signature bandanna. His band Hellyeah played nearby at the Bedford in Christchurch Saturday night.

Rockpool, a well-known local watering hole, recently reopened this summer more than four years after earthquakes ravaged the area. Apparently, owner Peter Whittaker is looking for a more high-class clientele after completing a multi-million dollar renovation.

Besides Abbott, Rockpool also denied entry to a local artist – on his birthday, no less – because he had visible face and neck tattoos. "Not everyone is automatically excluded," Whittaker told Stuff, "but we don't want that profile of person there."

The artist, 22-year-old Jesse Wright, even offered to wear makeup to obscure his tattoos, which cover 50 percent of his body, including his eyelids. Whittaker did not specifically address Abbott's situation.

Abbott and Hellyeah are set to return to the studio in October, after their current tour wraps up, to work on a follow-up to Blood for Blood. The band is working with producer Kevin Churko on its first album since the departure of Greg Tribbett and Bob "Zilla" Kahaha prior to Blood for Blood's release last year.

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