Blesk.cz (Czech web site) conducted an exclusive interview with Larry Mazer (LAMB OF GOD manager) about the ordeal of Randy Blythe.
As previously reported, Randy Blythe was arrested Wednesday (June 27) at the Prague airport on manslaughter charges. Blythe, 41, who was represented by two lawyers in court, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer apparently either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel who had come on stage, and that person died 14 days later of bleeding in the brain.
[Translation credit: Martin Lipták for his help with the Czech-to-English translation of the interview below.] Many thanks to Blabbermouth.net for posting the interview!
Blesk.cz:
What is the latest on Randy Blythe's release?
Larry Mazer:
"I have no idea. The bail [in the amount of $200,000] was posted Tuesday morning [July 3]. We tried to make bail on Monday, but everything took a bit longer to be processed. Randy should be released immediately. His lawyer told us so on Saturday [during a court hearing]. In the U.S., he would have been. You post the bail and you're free."
Blesk.cz:
How long will Randy stay in jail?
Larry Mazer:
"I was told that it may take up to 20 days — that the investigator may require more time to investigate the case."
Blesk.cz:
How have the other bandmembers reacted to this whole ordeal?
Larry Mazer:
"Everybody is shocked. It's absurd. It seems like a bad joke that Randy is sitting in your jail. He did nothing wrong. He is innocent."
Blesk.cz:
Were you aware that a Czech fan of LAMB OF GOD died two years ago shortly after attending the band's concert?
Larry Mazer:
"Nobody had contacted us in the last two years. My contact information is publicly available, but I never heard from the family [of the deceased fan]. We did not even hear anything about it from the concert organizer. Nobody called us to let us know."
Blesk.cz:
When did you first find out about the fan having died after allegedly sustaining injuries at the LAMB OF GOD concert?
Larry Mazer:
"Last Wednesday [when Randy was detained at the Prague airport]. The organizer of the concert at Abaton [the club where the 2010 concert took place] now says that the Czech police contacted him three months after the boy died. I do not understand why no one got in touch with us to let us know. The boy was in a coma and then he died, and we never heard from anybody."
Blesk.cz:
The Czech police say that they contacted the American authorities...
Larry Mazer:
"No one told us anything. Do you think that I would send the band to the Czech Republic to play a concert knowing that something like this could happen? No way!"
Blesk.cz:
According to the police, Randy shoved the Czech fan off the stage...
Larry Mazer:
"There is one video from the concert [see below] where you can see someone jumping into the audience. But it wasn't Randy that pushed him. The security guard shoved him off the stage."
Blesk.cz:
In the video you can see both Randy and the security guard pushing the person off the stage...
Larry Mazer:
"But there is no footage of the man falling to the ground. He fell into the crowd, but you can't see that in the video."
Blesk.cz:
Is it common for LAMB OF GOD concerts to be so wild?
Larry Mazer:
"It's typical for rock concerts. People want to have fun. But nothing like this has ever happened at a LAMB OF GOD show before that I am aware of."
The crime of which Blythe is being accused is punishable by up to ten years in prison, according to popular Czech news web site Novinky.cz.
A number of Blythe's fellow rockers have come to his defense, with many of them citing the 2004 shooting death onstage of PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott as the reason why musicians are so defensive nowadays about fans invading the stage. Read some of the comments from the Heavy Music community!
Watch some videos of the Randy Blythe incident
Click here to read a statement from the bands publicist.
Stay tuned for more information about this story.
Related links:
Lamb Of God's Official Site
