LAMB OF GOD's Randy Blythe still being locked up on a manslaughter

Discussion
1

[url “http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=176363”]http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=176363

[url “http://wtvr.com/2012/07/05/gwars-dave-brockoe-goes-off-on-randy-blythes-detention-in-czech-republic/”]WTVR-TV, the CBS television affiliate based in Richmond, Virginia, spoke to GWAR frontman Dave Brockie (a.k.a. Oderus Urungus) about the apparent lack of publicity and outrage about LAMB OF GOD’s Randy Blythe still being locked up on a manslaughter

“Oh, if it was Justin Bieber, there’d be an army of shrieking 14-year-olds that would tear down the walls of the prison and bust him out of there,” Brockie said. The president of Sony would call up Barrack Obama, he added, “‘Oh, Mr. President! We’ve got to get Justin Bieber out! Record sales are going down!’ [And the president is like], ‘Send in the Marines!’ Everyone would love him. His re-election would be assured.’”

Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD’s May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.

Randy has been charged with causing “bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan” and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Said Brockie: “Slam dancing has been established for so long now, everybody knows the rules. No one is surprised when they see it anymore.”

He continued, “Randy is obviously being accused of something by people who understand nothing about what’s going on. I mean, when someone walking in off the streets and sees a slam pit and a metal band like LAMB OF GOD is playing, yeah, they’re going to go, ‘Oh my God!’”

Blythe remains in detention at Pankrác Prison in Prague even after his manager posted 4 million Czech Koruna bail (approximately $200,000), as set by the court last Saturday. But the bail system in the Czech Republic is not as rapid as in the U.S.
Although bail has been posted, the decision to release the singer is still subject to appeal and so it will take some time for the state prosecutor’s office to give approval.

“It’s like, it takes 10 days to process a bail request?” Brockie said. “I mean, what are they working with, clay tablets, or something? You know, 'Let’s get some pack mules and send the clay tablets over to the Minister of Fuddy Duddery.”

Despite previous reports that Blythe was considered a flight risk, the musician will be allowed to leave the Czech Republic, said his defense lawyer Martin Radvan.

2

this is the height of bullshit.

even if he grabbed the fan and tossed him in a herculean moment of strength, and the kid did knock his head on the floor, then randy is only ONE contributing part of the death anyway. every knock and ding his head took that day after the ‘fatal push’ plus ever ban and crack his head took before that is to blame as well.

also, its a fucking metal show. i have been kicked, punched, and once even stabbed at a show. its something you have to get ready for when you decide to try and hop the stage.

this is a bullshit case, and the fact that there are so many mouth breathers over on blabber mouth saying that he deserves it because he hated Bush, or because he is in a “false” metal band is sickening.

3

i don’t know lamb of god, but that’s bullshit. he should be released immediately. i doubt he’ll see any real jail time. it’s a fucking metal show! that sucks for the kid, though.

on another note, gwar is ghetto as fuck! he looks much younger than i thought.

4

I’ve heard plenty about the case on news sites and it sound like Blythe beat the fuck out of the guy, which to me means he caused the injuries. Maybe the guy was an idiot repeatedly trying to get on stage, but i reckon Blythe should be charged with this. Fuck him, Lamb of God are shite anyway.

5

People know the risks of moshing. Plenty have died because of it. A lot of people, though, are usually responsible about it though. Plenty of bands have come around where a fan jumps on the stage and is shoved off stage by a band member. Nothing uncommon about it. The fact that the Guy died because of it sucks, but at the same time, he shouldn’t have been up there anyway.

6

I’ve heard plenty about the case on news sites and it sound like Blythe beat the fuck out of the guy, which to me means he caused the injuries. Maybe the guy was an idiot repeatedly trying to get on stage, but i reckon Blythe should be charged with this. Fuck him, Lamb of God are shite anyway.

not what happened. the charge says that he ‘threw/pushed the victim off the stage’ which all of the video footage shows is just a bunch of bullshit.

and what does a band not being up to your lofty standards have to do with a man sitting in a foreign prison for a crime he didnt commit have to do with anything?

7

It’s not the fact that i’m not a fan, just that i think he’s responsible for the guy’s death.

8

Somewhat responsible, yes. But I highly doubt it was malicious, or worth doing serious time for. Like I said, MANY bands have shoved fans from stages. Jourgensen’s never done it? I find that hard to believe. It was an accident. People get rowdy at these shows, nothing out of the ordinary happened in terms of a guy who got caught up in the moment and jumped onstage.

9

Absolutely, i doubt he meant to kill someone, but he is at least partly responsible. It definitely happens at lots of shows, but in this case someone did, unfortunately, die. Maybe the dude was a persistent idiot trying to get onstage continually, so i would also say he’s certainly to blame for what happened himself, but Randy didn’t do himself any favours with what he did. Apologies to any LoG fans for the dickish tone of my original post.

10

Absolutely, i doubt he meant to kill someone, but he is at least partly responsible. It definitely happens at lots of shows, but in this case someone did, unfortunately, die. Maybe the dude was a persistent idiot trying to get onstage continually, so i would also say he’s certainly to blame for what happened himself, but Randy didn’t do himself any favours with what he did. Apologies to any LoG fans for the dickish tone of my original post.

“Excuse me sir would you mind, if it’s not too much trouble, stepping off stage? You’re not part of the band and these people paid to see and hear us. I knew you’d understand, thank you . Have a good crowd experience.”
Late,
grmpysmrf

11

Hahaha, indeed, wouldn’t it be great if people were so well-mannered? Probably would make for some boring shows though.

12

This makes me think of KMFDM’s BeatByBeatByBeat dvd. A guy manages to get on stage and Sascha just starts kicking him in the ass repeadetly until he jumps back into the crowd.

13

Hahaha, indeed, wouldn’t it be great if people were so well-mannered? Probably would make for some boring shows though.

im not a log fan just trying to figure out what the alternative to what he did would be.
Late
grmpysmrf

14

Gotta love this country (USA), that’s all I can say, when it comes to the penal system. Bail is pretty much all one needs to thumb a nose at the establishment, and await trial. Gods help you if you get locked up in Europe or Asia. You’re as good as fucked. It took YEARS for Amanda Knox to get out of Italy.

15

BTW, I think it’s shitty what the guy did as far as striking the guy, but I agree that the treatment is pretty harsh, especially if he posted bail.

16

again, the ONLY evidence that has come out (to the public at least) is the video. and int he video he doesnt do anything that i myself and countless other musicians havent done. if you watch the video, the security guard pushed the kid with force, randy barely does anything.

either way, if there was any PROOF that he was at all responsible, i would say that he needs to serve some sort of punishment, (time in, a fine, visa being revoked, whatever within reason) but the fact is that to the public at least, there has been NO actually proof given, and from the reports i have read (i am keeping up with this case) his own defense hasnt seen anything worthy of being called evidence.

i have pushed people off stage, hell i have even bashed people up on stage, i also have been kicked and beaten and bunches of other things when at shows/playing them. its just a thing you sign up for. when someone pulls a knife or a weapon that is a different matter, but its a show, you are gonna get hit, you are gonna get shoved, and you are gonna get knocked off stage if you try and get up there.

is it a little league hitter’s fault if he beans a kid in the infield with a line-drive and kills him? no, its a fucking sad accident that you have to accept the possibility of when you enter into ANY physical endeavor.

that said, Harley Flanagan can fucking rot, that sociopath-monster.

17

I think it’s stupid for everyone to say this is bullshit or this is illegal detention, the bail is too slow, blah blah blah.

This didn’t happen in Cincinatti, Kids. It was in the Czech Republic. Laws and justice works differently in other countries, so you can’t just expect the same service and timeline as you’d get in the US.

I’m not going to comment on whether or not I think Randy deserves punishment or sentencing because I’ve neither read/seen all the evidence or watched the supposed videos. It SEEMS (on initial scanning) like there is a security guard who at least shares some blame in the physical damages suffered by the fan.

What I do want to comment on, though (not specifically with regards to this case, although many comments I’ve read on sites are good examples), is the annoying attitude that many Americans have when going to another country or speaking of another country. Completely unaware of other sovereign nations’ laws, customs, cultures, or morals, they stomp around like it’s their own backyard, and get all uppity when told they can’t do certain things that they are accustomed to.

It is a VISITOR’S responsibility to conduct his or herself with grace and dignity when a guest in a foreign land. Just because “this is the way pits work in Idaho” doesn’t mean that Prague has the same understanding or acceptance of such a practice.

Americans have a hard time putting themselves in other peoples’ shoes. Let’s just suppose, for the sake of argument, that slam dancing, stage diving, and so forth doesn’t exist in Prague. Or maybe jumping on stage to show love to a band might be ordinary and customary. Now let’s suppose you dropped your teenage boy to a music show because it’s a safe activity that you and your countrymen have all safely participated in before and there was no reason to have any hesitation ------ you find out later, though, that your boy has suffered fatal injuries at the hands of the band or venue’s staff. Are you going to just let it slide because “he should have known what he was getting into”?

Again, I’m not saying Randy is guilty or not. I don’t know. But I do think bands that tour internationally need to be more proactive about learning what the laws are and what safety mechanisms need to be put into place to protect their fans as well as themselves (both physically and from liability).

Thinking you have the same rights and privileges overseas as you do domestically is ignorant and dangerous.

18

No doubt. Midnight Express, anyone?

19

No doubt. Midnight Express, anyone?

Doh! I wasn’t even thinking of that case when I wrote that, but indeed that is a PERFECT example of what I’m talking about. I was, however, thinking a lot about the case with the stupid Michael Fay kid that got caned in Singapore back in the early 90’s for vandalism.

Every time I go to Singapore I look closely at my landing card. Here’s a pic I took. Look at the bottom. Yes, Kids, if you try to bring drugs into Singapore you will be KILLED. If you can’t deal with that, don’t go to Singapore.

20

I have lost all respect for Brockie (not that I regarded him high up there though). He sounds so ignorant. Why insult another country’s legal system? Is America’s that great where people are being held for years without a lawyer and/or charge (Gitmo) or the countless people on death row even though many should probably be cleared? Torture is rampant. No country is perfect. Clay tablets? In the US, they may not have even set bail and they would have definitely taken his passport. He’s currently allowed to leave according to the defense lawyer.

Also Brockie complains it didn’t make major news. I saw it on the BBCs front page a few days ago and it was one of the most read stories for those couple of days. Hundreds of thousands saw it on just one news outlet.

I completely agree with Gunnar. Besides, the US may have already been through something like this which led to the “Absolutely no moshing” signs I see in all venues. I’m sure all these venues and festivals have a huge amount of insurance for this type of thing. This is how these things are implemented into law. This is a legal process. Anyhow, they haven’t sentenced him. It will go through court and the jury will decide. If they feel he is guilty he can serve up to 10 years but this is unlikely. Maybe a few months and/or fines if that. I mean he’s allowed to leave the country. I’ve rarely heard of that.

Regardless, it’s a loss of human life, however it happened. It’s a tragedy. I think Brockie should have simply stated that and that he wished for the best. His ignorant rant serves no purpose.