The Case is Laid to Rest: Randy Blythe of LOB is a Free Man!
Yesterday, the Randy Blythe murder case in the Czech Republic was laid to rest. Randy Blythe (Lamb of God Vocalist) rose like steam from the ashes of the wake. He was declared innocent. He was facing 10 years in a Czech prison for the manslaughter of Daniel Nosek, a fan who died from injuries sustained at the band’s May 10th concert in Prague.
Daniel had made three attempts to climb onto the stage during the show – not one, not two, but three times! During one of these attempts Daniel allegdly got a push from Randy and a security guard. During the third attempt, a security guard pulled him back onto the ground. Daniel ended up dying in the hospital from his head injuries. When Randy sang “Now you’ve got something to die for,” I don’t think he meant stage diving.
VIDEO OF ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER INCIDENT
Randy was completely unaware of Daniel’s death until the authorities took him into custody when he returned to the Czech Republic in 2012 to play another show. He was placed in jail for a month and his bail was set at 400,000. Eventually he was released to finish the Lamb of God tour, but he had to return to the Czech Republic after the tour for a trial. This last year for Randy has been a walk through hell. He was like a ghost walking…ever notice how a lot of LOB songs have to do with walking?
Anyways, March 5th was the “11th hour” of the whole ordeal so to speak and Randy was declared innocent. The following is his testimony:
“I still believe that I have acted reasonably to protect” myself, the band, and the audience, Blythe said. “If I am guilty, I will take it like a man. If I am released, [Lamb of God] will take such precautions” to ensure similar events never happen at concerts.
Metal shows are a violent business. At one of my first death metal shows, I was punched in the face as a free fist flew from the mosh pit. I’m a 95 pound female who has been slammed into by 200 pound guys. When I stand near the front of the stage or by the Mosh Pit, I know that I’m like a dwarf star about to be sucked into a black hole of fists, sweaty dudes and headbanging. If I want to avoid said violence, I can stand in the back or at the sidelines – and I certainly wouldn’t jump on stage in the middle of it all if I wanted to be safe (let alone a third time after being pushed off the second time).
Of course my sympathies go out to Daniel and his family. No one expects to die or lose a loved one to a metal show. Yet I will remark that a metal show related death is an incredibly rare event – which is amazing given the violent nature of the shows and the rowdiness of the crowd. More people die from eating cheeseburgers.
Most of the time when I witness someone fall in the mosh pit, there are other metal fans who step in the breach to pick up their fallen comrade. When I’ve been slammed into by heavy dudes for standing by the front of the stage, complete strangers have stood in the way to protect me even if I tell them it’s unnecessary. The metal community typically protect their own.
Security measures are always a good thing. But I wouldn’t take away the moshing or stage diving at metal shows for anything in the world. Do I want to stand around at a Slayer concert and give a polite clap as if I’m playing a game of cricket with the queen of England? Fuck no! This is metal bitches! As fans we understand that there are risks. I would sooner dilute a blue label scotch than water down the world’s best genre of music. People will come and go. But the Metal lives forever.
Enjoy!
Metal Gaia 