Did Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe Cause a Fan’s Death? I Don’t Think So

So earlier today I was having a conversation about our websites, and someone asked me about the whole Lamb of God/Randy Blythe arrest story that's been not making news around the US. It really should be a bigger story, but since it's a metal band, no one gives it any consideration.

This is what seems to be going on:

May, 2010

Lamb of God were performing in in Club Abaton in Prague, Czech Republic when a fan jumped on the stage. The story goes that the fan and Randy Blythe got into an "altercation" on stage. What that means is dependent upon who you talk to. A cop might see a metal show incident as an altercation, while everyone else at the show might see a fan getting dragged offstage or something. It's rumored the fan was struck with a microphone. Apparently the fan jumped the barricade three times, evaded security and rushed Randy. The final time, Randy pushed the fan back into the crowd where he "supposedly fell and hit his head".

A Czech LAMB OF GOD fan who says that he attended the band's 2010 concert in Prague, described the incident on Facebook as follows: "I've seen many bands in that club like DEVILDRIVER, HATEBREED, etc. and every metal fan in Prague knows that this is one of the 'stage-diving-friendly' clubs. HATEBREED and DEVILDRIVER were OK with that. The guy climbed on stage and Randy slapped him and the guy fell on the ground (NOT off the stage), [Randy] sang few words to his face and pushed him back and said that he is not OK with people on the stage. A murder? I dont think so...that hit wouldn't kill you unless you're made of glass."
via Blabbermouth

Can you blame Randy not wanting anyone on stage? Remember what happened on stage here in the US, when we lost a brilliant guitarist in Dimebag Darrell? Bands have been wary of fans getting on stage ever since. That changed concerts and stage diving forever, and if you don't like that, deal with it. No one wants to die trying to play music.

Anyway, about fourteen days after the Prague concert, the fan died of bleeding in the brain.

June 28, 2012

Randy Blythe is arrested at the Prague airport before the band's return show in the Czech Republic and the band was forced to cancel its show. The Czech authorities have been holding Randy, and on Saturday, June 30th: Randy was given a $4,000,000 Czech Koruna bail (about $200,000), but since the banks were closed for the weekend, he was unable to get out until at least Monday, July 2nd. Randy made the comment that $200,000 is more than he makes in a year. The charge could wind him up in prison for ten years if he's convicted!

July 1, 2012

The rest of the band returns home without Randy, who's in prison until the bail can arrive.

July 2, 2012

The bail money hadn't arrived to the Czech court account, and that would only begin the process of getting Randy out of prison. The court would then look at the case again and determine if they will approve his release, even after getting the money they set as bail! There might also be stipulations that he can't leave the country until the case is resolved. So Randy it looks like Randy won't be getting out until at least next week, even if they bail arrives this week. If the other conditions are placed on him, he might have to stay in the Czech Republic or at a specific address. If he violates that, an international arrest warrant would be issued.

LAMB OF GOD's publicist, Adrenaline PR, issued a statement on Friday stressing that "under no circumstances was there a fight of any kind involved [during LAMB OF GOD's 2010 concert]. This incident deals with a fan that three times during the concert jumped the barricade and rushed Randy during the performance. It is alleged that the third time, security was not able to reach him and that Randy pushed him back into the audience where supposedly he fell and hit his head."
via Blabbermouth

July 3, 2012

Randy made bail, paying the $200,000 at noon today. Even though he hasn't officially been charged, he won't get out of jail in Prague until next week, when they process the bail and then take their holiday at the end of this week. The Prague prosecutor has three business days to approve the release, but with the holiday this week, he has until Monday to do so. If the courts block his release, they will (hopefully) return the bail money.

Let's go to the Video, Shall We?

What I See on the Video

The first time is a quick stage dive, the second time Randy and a security guy do help him off the stage, but the guy goes into the crowd no harder than other stage diving I've seen before. The third time he tried to get on stage, it wasn't even Randy. The bass player just moves to block the guy's climb onto the stage, a security guy grabs the kid tosses him back over the rail where he the fan fell onto the ground. None of the footage shows anything like an altercation, or even the band's direct involvement in the fan's death. The security guy at the end might have been a little rough tossing the kid back over the rail, but to lay it at the feet of Randy or anyone else in the band is ridiculous. Watch the video and see for yourself. If anyone should be questioned or held, it's the security guy at the end, the guy in the cap who dumped the kid back over the rail, but I don't think they could really pin the death on him, either.

To lay responsibility for the fan's death is out of order, and unless more footage comes to light of the incident showing something more violent, he should be released and not charged. The authorities claim they'd been trying to get Randy back for question since the incident but that the United States wasn't cooperating.

The American media hasn't done anything with this story, they're more concerned with these pop music idiots who beat each other up on a regular basis, or some celebrity baby or whatnot. This is a serious incident that deserves some attention.

To see more on this story, and some messages from other bands about the arrest and Randy, check these out. I'll keep tabs on the story and let you know what else happens.

More footage, but you only really see a bit more after the last stage attempt. Nothing really more to learn.