Randy Blythe arrested for manslaughter

TEMPLAR KNIGHT

I'm not sure if there's another thread about this but it's a bit shocking after seeing them in Dublin a few weeks ago he Dosent seem the type to fight with fans, hope it all works out in the end I dont know what to make of it yet!

http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/lamb_of_god_vocalist_randy_blythe_allegedly_arrested_for_manslaughter

RayCon

Fanslaughter :eek:

Vudgie

"Walk with me in Jail"

Some funny comments....though I'm sure Randy isn't laughing too much.

DrumSteve

Now you've got something to die for.

*Gets coat*

TheStickyBandit

It seems very suspicious!

viadah

http://gunshyassassin.com/news/blogger-details-lamb-of-god-show-where-randy-blythe-fan-scuffled/#more-27656

It seems like the guy might be slightly ****ed, all joking aside.

old gregg

^ it's starting to look that way unfortunately

DrumSteve

TBH after what happened with Dime, i'd say a lot of musicians are wary of people getting on stage.

old gregg

2nd statement released http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/randy-blythe-arrest-second-statement-released-under-no-circumstances-was-there-a-fight-of-any-kind-involved/

Cill94

DrumSteve wrote: »

TBH after what happened with Dime, I'd say a lot of musicians are wary of people getting on stage.

Exactly. That must have had a massive impact on the way security and musicians feel about fans jumping up on stage at a show (especially with famous bands like L.O.G).

Honestly, I don't object to Randy pushing the guy off stage when he charged him for the 3rd time. But the fact that the lad died from it was just a massively **** twist of fate and, in a just legal system, maybe he does deserve to serve some time for it...Then again he could get off on self-defense. Interested to see what happens.

TEMPLAR KNIGHT

The blog entry seems like a load of sh1t to me to be honest, it'll be interesting to hear the statement released by roadrunner on Monday. He hasn't been charged yet anyway only questioned its going to be an interesting one having been in the Czech republic they seem like the type to take no prisoners with something like this!!

lord lucan

This isn't looking too good for Randy. Whilst access to the stage in smaller venues used to be a given,for stage diving and the like,it rarely resulted in trouble as fans respected the band and generally didn't endanger them. If this results in a prosecution it may see the barrier between fans and band grow as bands(and their lawyers) look to cut off any possible avenue for physical harm or potential lawsuits.

Despite the tragedy of Dimebags demise,it's still relatively easy to get close to your favourite bands. I would hate to see that change as it's one of the great things about R&M gigs,we don't need to be treated like children.

I hope there's a favourable outcome to this,both for Randy,his band and the R&M community in general. I see Slash has given it some publicity via Twitter and hopefully it gets some attention in the wider world and ends in a happy outcome for all concerned.

smokedeels

The "Free Randy Blythe" campaign metalsucks were promoting on facebook seems a little premature and ill-advised, as if the guy's automatically not at fault because they dig his music.

Mr. CooL ICE

Does the venue not have any cctv the authorities can czech?

Furious-Red

The Randy Blythe manslaughter drama continues – The Gauntlet have posted information, footage and photos from a Czech news site that states that the Lamb of God frontman has been granted bail, but will remain in custody over the weekend while local banks are shut, as obviously neither Blythe nor anyone in the LoG camp carries around $200,000 (the amount set for Blythe’s bail) around as ready cash.

Despite some internet rumours to the contrary, Blesk is reporting that the manslaughter charges haven’t been dropped, and the investigation is still ongoing. For more info, go check out The Gauntlet’s analysis of the latest news, or head on over to Blesk and put your trust in Google Translate.

http://www.thrashhits.com/2012/06/randy-blythe-apparently-granted-bail-still-in-custody-due-to-banks-being-closed/

DazMarz

Can I just ask this quite possibly insanely stupid question:

Why did he go back near the Czech Republic at all? If there was ANY possibility that something would come of the incident, should L.O.G. not just have skirted around the Czech Republic?

And why did the Czechs not try to extradite him for the crime sooner??? This whole thing just stinks, IMO.

lord lucan

DazMarz wrote: »

Can I just ask this quite possibly insanely stupid question:

Why did he go back near the Czech Republic at all? If there was ANY possibility that something would come of the incident, should L.O.G. not just have skirted around the Czech Republic?

And why did the Czechs not try to extradite him for the crime sooner??? This whole thing just stinks, IMO.

The only thing i can think of is that they were led to believe that it was a non-issue and that there would be no problem playing in the Czech Republic. Quite possibly under false pretenses,maybe the Czech Rep. have no extradition treaty with the US and the only way the authorities could arrest him would be when he entered the country.

viadah

http://gunshyassassin.com/news/lamb-of-god-return-home-randy-less-video-of-stage-incident-surfaces/#more-27783

Video of the alleged incident has surfaced. Does it look bad? To me, it does - if everyone who has ever been thrown off a stage has a right to sue security or otherwise for being ejected from a location they had no right to be in. Otherwise the death is an unfortunate accident as a result of his own transgressions. If they can prove the guy rushed the stage twice before succeeding then it can be argued that he knew he'd be forcibly restrained and put himself at risk. Will the audience be charged with involuntary manslaughter for not catching him?

TheStickyBandit

If anything the guy on the right (I'm presuming it's a security guard) is more at fault. He' pushes him rather hard off the stage and Randy is a party to it by grabbing his hair/head.

I find it very hard to believe that any conviction wil come of this as the deceased man knew full well that he was not to,

A) be on the stage
crowd surf
C) stage dive

As already stated, is it the crowd at fault for not catching him?

It was a tragic accident and tragic accidents happen.

cournioni

I agree that it was a tragic accident but it was pretty reckless of him to throw someone into the crowd like that, regardless of the fact that the guy shouldn't have been on the stage.

Yes, the guy was at fault for being on the stage, but Randy also had a role to play in the death of the guy and he has to face some sort of trail for it. They were thoughtless actions and thoughtless actions that cause death need to be dealt with.

D.Q

The thoughtless action was the guy rushing the stage. Its dealt with. I dont see how it's Randys fault that the security were letting people get up on the stage. Thats putting the band at risk.

cournioni

D.Q wrote: »

The thoughtless action was the guy rushing the stage. Its dealt with. I dont see how it's Randys fault that the security were letting people get up on the stage. Thats putting the band at risk.

Absolutely, he shouldn't have been there, but he didn't deserve to be thrown off stage head first. One thoughtless action does not make another ok.

I also agree if the security had been better, the situation would have been avoided.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge LOG fan, but what Randy did was reckless.

viadah

Grabbed by the hair - anyone else here ever been grabbed by the hair and flung somewhere? The leverage just doesn't seem right to me, and handily enough there's a video here of a guy being grabbed by the hair, and another guy pushing. The push would be more responsible for forward momentum I would think.

Anywho, if you enter a charged atmosphere where you know you're not supposed to be, you should accept the consequences. If he'd rushed a race track, got kicked by a horse, fell and died, how many people would sue the horse?

EyesClosed

viadah wrote: »

Grabbed by the hair - anyone else here ever been grabbed by the hair and flung somewhere? The leverage just doesn't seem right to me, and handily enough there's a video here of a guy being grabbed by the hair, and another guy pushing. The push would be more responsible for forward momentum I would think.

Anywho, if you enter a charged atmosphere where you know you're not supposed to be, you should accept the consequences. If he'd rushed a race track, got kicked by a horse, fell and died, how many people would sue the horse?

Bad example, a human should have the brains not to throw someone off a stage, who cares if he was supposed to be there or not. Unless you know of a smart horse.....

viadah

I'm thinking I've seen singers grab, punch, headlock and throw fans off the stage (Marilyn Manson pinning a guy to the ground springs to mind). It is not an uncommon event. We all know it happens. Most everyone who has ever attended a metal gig or seen a live video knows it happens. We all know also that when you get on a stage during a gig, you will not be asked politely to vacate the stage area, because we all know you should not be there. We also know that Dimebag Darrell got shot three times in the back of the head once when a 'fan' got onstage.

Responsibility to the responsible.

If you go somewhere you're not supposed to go and get injured as a direct result of the known consequences of entering that area, then it's your own fault. You get on the stage, you know you're not going to be allowed stay there. That's why you get there and prepare to stage dive. One way or another you're coming off that stage. You get ready for the consequence. You accept you're not gonna be allowed stay up there for the rest of the gig. You accept you're in an area you have no right to be in. You're knowingly responsible for your own actions, you accept the risk of doing what common sense dictates you're not supposed to do. No one can argue he played a part in the accidental death of the fan - but the key word is 'accidental'. Lots of people have been thrown off stages.

If this is a case of involuntary manslaughter, next time someone gets thrown off stage by security or a band member, they can sue for assault?

Cill94

I've seen people flung off stage far more violently than that. It seems to be an accepted action for security to take when people keep leaping up on stage. Whether it's right or wrong is debatable, but it certainly isn't unique to that gig.

D.Q

that video clearly shoes Randys involvement is pretty much an afterthought. That guy was gonna be going off the stage regardless.

Furious-Red

According to NME, Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe has been released on bail after he was arrested/charged with manslaughter towards last week.

The singer, who was jailed after his arrest on Thursday (June 28th), has been released after posting bail of 4 million korun ($197,492), but must remain in country.

A translated report from local Prague police stated: "We have arrested the singer and charged him with the crime of bodily harm of 4th degree and resulting in the death of the fan."

The band's management are expected to make a full statement today (July 2nd).

lord lucan

This is how it should be done,though preferably without taking out the singer!

cournioni

viadah wrote: »

I'm thinking I've seen singers grab, punch, headlock and throw fans off the stage (Marilyn Manson pinning a guy to the ground springs to mind). It is not an uncommon event. We all know it happens. Most everyone who has ever attended a metal gig or seen a live video knows it happens. We all know also that when you get on a stage during a gig, you will not be asked politely to vacate the stage area, because we all know you should not be there. We also know that Dimebag Darrell got shot three times in the back of the head once when a 'fan' got onstage.

Responsibility to the responsible.

If you go somewhere you're not supposed to go and get injured as a direct result of the known consequences of entering that area, then it's your own fault. You get on the stage, you know you're not going to be allowed stay there. That's why you get there and prepare to stage dive. One way or another you're coming off that stage. You get ready for the consequence. You accept you're not gonna be allowed stay up there for the rest of the gig. You accept you're in an area you have no right to be in. You're knowingly responsible for your own actions, you accept the risk of doing what common sense dictates you're not supposed to do. No one can argue he played a part in the accidental death of the fan - but the key word is 'accidental'. Lots of people have been thrown off stages.

If this is a case of involuntary manslaughter, next time someone gets thrown off stage by security or a band member, they can sue for assault?

Whether it has happened before is irrelevant, it should not be acceptable to throw somebody off the stage like that. I'm all for pinning them to the ground and removing them from the stage by lifting them out. Throwing from such a height is the wrong way to go about it, and is unnecessary. Does that mean that someone fighting in a nightclub should be thrown down a flight of stairs while being thrown out? No, they should be removed from the premises by acceptable means.

Again, two wrongs doesnt make a right.

old gregg

I'm a LoG fanboy and think Randy is one of the great frontmen. That's that out of the way. I also think he was out of line to lend a hand in throwing someone head first from a stage. I love him, hope this all works out well for the band but believe he erred in this instance.

Motley Crue

I think this is just a messed up situation

Two cents, he made a snap decision in a manic enviornment, he was onstage and performing at his full...he has all these things in his mind and he's thinking about the music and the performance and trying to block everything else in his life out, and then some idiot wanders up onstage and violates the bands space...for the third time, especially knowing post Dimebag and what mad crazy fans could do.

He gets rushed and makes a snap decision and this should NEVER have cost him so dearly.

As a Journalist who has met musicians before and after they perform at festivals, smaller venues and on buses etc...their minds are always on the show, they're trying to block everything out, and American musicians in Europe are always uneasy to begin with because it's a different land, different language, maybe even different culture. Every night is a new city, sometimes even a new country....I think this is a ****ed up situation and I hope Randy can post bail, get the hell out of the country and let them try and get him back...the US will protect their own.

viadah

cournioni wrote: »

Whether it has happened before is irrelevant, it should not be acceptable to throw somebody off the stage like that. I'm all for pinning them to the ground and removing them from the stage by lifting them out. Throwing from such a height is the wrong way to go about it, and is unnecessary. Does that mean that someone fighting in a nightclub should be thrown down a flight of stairs while being thrown out? No, they should be removed from the premises by acceptable means.

Again, two wrongs doesnt make a right.

It wasn't that much of a height - definitely not akin to a flight of stairs. Do ya reckon no one who was ever ejected from a nightclub ever fell over as a result of it? Two wrongs don't make a right - right is right. The guy should never have been on the stage. That was his decision. And again, Randy didn't push him off the stage, that big guy behind him did.

laoch na mona

its hardly a crime to throw a fan of the stage security would have done the same thing if they got him first

viadah

http://gunshyassassin.com/news/must-see-footage-from-2010-prague-lamb-of-god-surfaces/#more-27835

Maybe someone with a computer that isn't **** will post up the video at this link, but it's definitely worth a look. Allegedly the kid in question falling on his head at least twice before finally getting flung off the stage by security (while Randy Blythe holds him by the hair). Can't see how a case can be held against him when this is brought in, regardless of how right or wrong anyone thinks it was for Blythe to lay hands on him.

TheStickyBandit

viadah wrote: »

http://gunshyassassin.com/news/must-see-footage-from-2010-prague-lamb-of-god-surfaces/#more-27835

Maybe someone with a computer that isn't **** will post up the video at this link, but it's definitely worth a look. Allegedly the kid in question falling on his head at least twice before finally getting flung off the stage by security (while Randy Blythe holds him by the hair). Can't see how a case can be held against him when this is brought in, regardless of how right or wrong anyone thinks it was for Blythe to lay hands on him.

Nice find!


That guy seemed like a complete moron, continuing to disobey security. The other angle clearly shows the security guard pushing him way more forcefully!
It's sad that he died, but he was adamant to stage dive and I reckon he was after a few beers too. This is all being blown out of the water. He hit his head (numerous times) and died, it's sad but noone's really to blame for it!

viadah

No one but himself, which should be abundantly clear to a court.

Cactus Colm

viadah wrote: »

No one but himself, which should be abundantly clear to a court.

Well ... and possibly Randy Blythe and the security chap who threw him off the stage.

Just because the kid did a silly thing doesn't mean these two don't have any responsibility in what happened.

Whatever else anyone has to say is pretty irrelevant, doesn't matter that it's a "post dimebag" world, doesn't matter that you've seen fans thrown off stages before, doesn't matter how important Blythe's performance was to himself, in this case Blythe and a security guard threw a kid off stage, and this may have resulted in the kid dying.

cournioni

Cactus Colm wrote: »

Well ... and possibly Randy Blythe and the security chap who threw him off the stage.

Just because the kid did a silly thing doesn't mean these two don't have any responsibility in what happened.

Whatever else anyone has to say is pretty irrelevant, doesn't matter that it's a "post dimebag" world, doesn't matter that you've seen fans thrown off stages before, doesn't matter how important Blythe's performance was to himself, in this case Blythe and a security guard threw a kid off stage, and this may have resulted in the kid dying.

Exactly what I'm saying. What they should have done was detain him, and get him out of the arena. Throwing someone off a stage is reckless and is asking for trouble. Going on some of the posts here, some seem to think that it's okay because it happens at other shows, it's not, the people involved in other shows are just very lucky that the people they throw off stage didn't die or get seriously injured and thus there was no legal action.

Do people seriously think that the "throwing people off stage head first is ok because it happens at other gigs where band members feel threatened" defence will stand up in the court of law?!

cournioni

Motley Crue wrote: »

I think this is just a messed up situation

Two cents, he made a snap decision in a manic enviornment, he was onstage and performing at his full...he has all these things in his mind and he's thinking about the music and the performance and trying to block everything else in his life out, and then some idiot wanders up onstage and violates the bands space...for the third time, especially knowing post Dimebag and what mad crazy fans could do.

He gets rushed and makes a snap decision and this should NEVER have cost him so dearly.

As a Journalist who has met musicians before and after they perform at festivals, smaller venues and on buses etc...their minds are always on the show, they're trying to block everything out, and American musicians in Europe are always uneasy to begin with because it's a different land, different language, maybe even different culture. Every night is a new city, sometimes even a new country....

I think this is a ****ed up situation and I hope Randy can post bail, get the hell out of the country and let them try and get him back...the US will protect their own.

I agreed with everything you said up until the bit in bold, which is absolutely fúcking ridiculous. Every man should be made accountable for their actions. Randy's actions took the life of another man, and it is sickening to read someone on here saying that he should be a coward and run away from doing the right thing. He should defend his actions by all means and let the Czech legal system decide whether he is guilty of manslaughter or not. Be the honest man and not a coward.

Hyperbullet

cournioni wrote: »

I agreed with everything you said up until the bit in bold, which is absolutely fúcking ridiculous. Every man should be made accountable for their actions. Randy's actions took the life of another man, and it is sickening to read someone on here saying that he should be a coward and run away from doing the right thing. He should defend his actions by all means and let the Czech legal system decide whether he is guilty of manslaughter or not. Be the honest man and not a coward.

Hard to accept your views of "let the law decide" when you've clearly made up your mind on the matter and will staunchly disagree with anyone that presents an opposing point of view.

Innocent until proven guilty right?

Malice

Motley Crue wrote: »

I hope Randy can post bail, get the hell out of the country and let them try and get him back...the US will protect their own.

That's horseshit of the highest order. Being from the USA shouldn't entitle someone to duck facing up and justifying their actions. Are Czech laws less worthy than those from the USA somehow?

cournioni

Hyperbullet wrote: »

Hard to accept your views of "let the law decide" when you've clearly made up your mind on the matter and will staunchly disagree with anyone that presents an opposing point of view.

Innocent until proven guilty right?

How is it hard to accept the view of "let the law decide"?! Surely that has to be a given...

Innocent until proven guilty is correct, but I am allowed to have my own views on it. However, my views don't count for anything in the court of law. It is up to them to decide what happens to him, and I'll accept whatever that is.

Hyperbullet

cournioni wrote: »

How is it hard to "let the law decide"?! Surely that has to be a given...

Innocent until proven guilty is correct, but I am allowed to have my own views on it. However, my views don't count for anything in the court of law. It is up to them to decide what happens to him, and I'll accept whatever that is.

You'll accept whatever it is even though you've already branded him guilty in an earlier post?

Funny how people can jump to conclusions when they know next to nothing about the details involved, forming opinions from sketchy reports and grainy videos online. Don't confuse that with me defending Blythe, if he's found guilty he should be held responsible for his actions. However I cannot understand how people can already brand someone guilty or innocent when they know nothing about the incident.

cournioni

Hyperbullet wrote: »

You'll accept whatever it is even though you've already branded him guilty in an earlier post?

Funny how people can jump to conclusions when they know next to nothing about the details involved, forming opinions from sketchy reports and grainy videos online. Don't confuse that with me defending Blythe, if he's found guilty he should be held responsible for his actions. However I cannot understand how people can already brand someone guilty or innocent when they know nothing about the incident.

Where did I brand him guilty? I said he was reckless by throwing a person into the crowd head first.

Hyperbullet

cournioni wrote: »

Randy's actions took the life of another man, and it is sickening to read someone on here saying that he should be a coward and run away from doing the right thing.

Highlighted in bold. You seem pretty sure he killed the guy in question.

cournioni

Hyperbullet wrote: »

Highlighted in bold. You seem pretty sure he killed the guy in question.

That still does not make him guilty of anything. That is up to the courts to decide on a number of factors.

Like I said, I have my views from the evidence that I have seen and I am able to form my own opinion on the matter.

Hyperbullet

cournioni wrote: »

That still does not make him guilty of anything. That is up to the courts to decide on a number of factors.

Like I said, I have my views from the evidence that I have seen and I am able to form my own opinion on the matter.

And you're well entitled to form an opinion. I'm just trying to understand the logic of thinking the guy is guilty when very little is known about the incident.

Malice

Hyperbullet wrote: »

I'm just trying to understand the logic of thinking the guy is guilty when very little is known about the incident.

Based on the evidence of the video posted above he, at the very least, contributed to the act of throwing the guy head first off the stage.

cournioni

Hyperbullet wrote: »

And you're well entitled to form an opinion. I'm just trying to understand the logic of thinking the guy is guilty when very little is known about the incident.

I don't think he's guilty. I'm leaving that up to the courts to decide because there is more to this than just the actions of Randy, there is also the actions of the guy who fell and security to take into account.

From the evidence that I have seen, Randy (with the help of another guy) has thrown a guy off stage, and the guy died from the injuries sustained by this fall. This has to be investigated.

Now, the post you have quoted from me was a reply to a ridiculous part of a post where the poster was suggesting that Randy should skip bail and let the Czech justice system chase him, which is not only wrong but it is very selfish and disrespectful to the victims family.

Motley Crue

Malice wrote: »

Based on the evidence of the video posted above he, at the very least, contributed to the act of throwing the guy head first off the stage.

Not forgetting, that is if this video actually shows that incident in question, there is no proof this is the actual video...and there is no proof this video will be used in any court for that reason.

Malice wrote: »

That's horseshit of the highest order. Being from the USA shouldn't entitle someone to duck facing up and justifying their actions. Are Czech laws less worthy than those from the USA somehow?

I didn't mean to imply that being from the US made him some kind of untouchable, and I apologise if that came across, but I did mean to imply that any country would protect their citizens and if Randy went to the US it would be unlikely he would get deported back.

I'm also not suggesting that he runs away from his responsibility, or is a coward, but I am thinking that if he was concerned (for one second) about any of this...or even knew of any of this...he would have avoided performing in the bloody country or even crossing continents into Europe. If, in 2010, there had been a case made which mentioned his name then surely something would have reached the band and they would have been made aware that it might not be a good idea to perform in Eastern Europe given the circumstances and the chances of a cross border Police force attempting to arrest him. By all accounts he was arrested, when he arrived in the country at the airport, and this itself indicates that it was a very well planned operation.

I don't know Lamb of God's flightplan, or schedule, someone from the Police would have had to obtain that information - possibly from the promoter, I don't know. Why could someone not have warned them, explicitly...if Randy felt for a moment he was guilty of anything in Europe or aware of any of this, surely he would have retired from performing music outside his home country, not even stepped off US soil. I assure you that this has totally blindsided the entire group, their legal team, their record label...and there was obviously some form of entrapment involved in gaining the information of their travel.

For that reason, no, I don't have faith in the Eastern European courts, and I think if he was tried in several other countries in the Western Hemisphere this case would be thrown out as being absurd.

Also, consider this, guilty or not....if he is found guilty by this court....his career, livelihood and very life is over. He may not be able to return home for 10 years (or even ever as US officials look very harshly upon ex-offenders coming back into the country). He may have to be imprisoned, in an Eastern European jail, until he is in his early 50s....and if he's found not guilty, he could decide that this experience has made him unwilling to tour again and that his career is over - his livelihood lost - and people saying that he had a good lawyer, and he got off because he is a musician, or an American....

If and when he manages to start his bail, he may have to give the US Consulate as his address, although I'm not sure if he can legally do that. I also don't know if the band (or Randy) have the money to put him up at an address in Europe for what could be months while they await the beginning of his trial.

I can't stress enough though that a manslaughter charge, to me, seems absolutely absurd