Lamb Of God frontman detained in Czech Republic; may have lingering effect

[ABlairican Pie]

From The Gauntlet.com:

Randy Blythe Situation To Have Major Effect On Czech Metal Scene For Years

Following Randy Blythe's arrest and apparently indefinite detainment two weeks ago, U.S. and international metal music fans have rallied to show support for the Lamb of God frontman. The Gauntlet has received supportive statements from an enormous number of international fans over the past week, including fans from the city of Prague, Czech Republic. As Blythe's detainment drags on, it has become clear to all metal music fans, as well as the bands they follow, that the Czech Republic is not a metal-friendly country in which to book a tour. Even if Blythe were to be released tomorrow, the Euro metal music scene may not recoup from this financial and cultural blow for years to come.

One booking agent related to The Gauntlet, "I was lining up a European tour and now the Czech dates are questionable. Bands see that what is happening to Randy could happen to any of them at any time. Now I have to re-route the tour around the Czech Republic. What can you do? I can't blame the bands for feeling this way either, it is a bad situation for everyone."


The Gauntlet has also heard from band managers, who also express trepidation regarding questionable band safety at future Czech Republic metal shows. As one band manager stated, "My job is to keep my bands safe and out of trouble. If there is a possibility there might be some trouble with fans and security that would be out of our control, we'd rather play elsewhere."

Another manager related that he would still allow his bands to play venues in the Czech Republic, but adds, "Booking agents and the venue management will have to provide more adequate security for it to work. We can't have what went on in 2010 at the Abaton happen anymore.

"The unfortunate part about all this is the fans in Czech Republic will see an increase in ticket prices to cover the additional security. I have already faxed my booking agent over there, and he's now required to provide additional stage security at Euro shows. Anytime we played the Czech Republic, it was solely for the fans. We always took a huge cut in the band's rates to play there."

With few future metal shows currently booked in the Czech Republic, these fans very well may soon be driving to Germany, or flying to the UK to see these metal bands perform.

Damek, a Czech metal fan, stated the simple irony: "We already don't get much metal here in Prague. Maybe one show every few months, and we have a large metal head community here. This should never have happened."

When Damek was informed that Suicide Silence would be playing in Prague later this month, he was visibly unimpressed.

[ABlairican Pie]

Reports: Lamb of God's Randy Blythe denied release
From NBC12.com:

Reports: Lamb of God's Randy Blythe denied release

Posted: Jul 09, 2012 11:26 AM PDT
Updated: Jul 09, 2012 11:26 AM PDT
By Ray Daudani - bio | email

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - The lead singer of Richmond-based heavy metal band Lamb of God will remain in a Czech jail after a court ruling Monday, according to media reports.

Randy Blythe posted $200,000 bond but has yet to be released from a Prague jail, as prosecutors have filed paperwork asking for him to remain behind bars. They argue Blythe may flee the country, according to details of the court hearing reported by the website Novinky.cz.

Blythe is accused of pushing a crazed fan off the stage during a 2010 Prague concert. The 19-year-old's injuries ultimately lead to his death, according to Czech authorities.

Hundreds of fans who showed up to a rally Sunday in support of Blythe and many are petitioning for his release. Many of Blythe's supporters say the fan jumped on the stage three times during the concert. Grainy YouTube video shows what could be the moment in question, where Blythe is accused of "throwing" the man from the stage. The man is seen propelled off the stage with Blythe's arm following him along. A security guard is also seen in the mix during the incident. However, it is difficult to make out exactly what happened, or how much force was used, if at all. The video also shows the man, believed to be the same fan, getting ejected from the stage in two other instances during the show.

Police in Prague confronted the band June 27 before Lamb of God was scheduled to perform a show. Blythe was arrested and charged with bodily harm resulting in death, much to the band's surprise. They claim they hadn't heard anything about the incident in the two years since it occurred.

[JamesG]

UPDATE: Randy Blythe Released; Lamb of God To Reschedule U.S. Tour
By: ASSOCIATED PRESS | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: August 03, 2012


Randy Blythe, the frontman of the Richmond-based heavy metal band Lamb of God has been released from a Prague prison on $400,000 bail as police investigate him for allegedly pushing a fan off a stage who later died of his injuries, an official said today.

A Prague court on Thursday dismissed a prosecution request that Randy Blythe be banned from leaving the country. Blythe's lawyer, Martin Radvan, said he flew out of the Czech capital for the United States on Friday.



The band's public relations agency, Adrenaline PR, in an email confirming Blythe's release, said the band is planning to resume its U.S. tour, which it cancelled after Blythe's arrest.

"The band is currently targeting October 26th as the start date for a U.S tour. Dates and cities will be released as soon as possible," the email said.

Lamb of God has also agreed to play shows at Knotfest in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Aug. 17 and Somerset, Wisconsin on Aug. 18, the email said.









Blythe, 41, was arrested on June 27 when he returned to the Czech Republic for another gig, not realizing that he was being investigated for bodily harm resulting in death during a concert he gave in Prague in 2010, said his lawyer, Martin Radvan.

The band posted a simple message at 8:03 a.m. today on its Twitter feed: "Randy is coming back to home."





Blythe, who has not been charged with a crime, said he was not aware of what had happened to the fan at Prague's Abaton club that year and was surprised to be arrested when he returned to the Czech Republic to play a show scheduled on June 28, said Radvan.

“We don't know yet if the death was caused by our client or in a different way,” the lawyer said. The police investigation is unlikely to be completed until winter, he said.





Radvan said police believe that during the 2010 concert that the audience member climbed onto the stage and Blythe pushed him off. The fan hit the floor with his head and later died of the injuries, police said.

Martina Lhotakova, a spokeswoman for Prague's Municipal Court, said Blythe was released on Thursday when the court upheld a lower court decision that had rejected a request by prosecutors to keep Blythe in custody.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/entert...ue-ar-2106152/

[ABlairican Pie]

FINALLY!!!!! Randy is out of prison!!!

LOG were scheduled to play Seattle the other night on the opening of their tour. I'll have to wait to see when they reschedule.

I'm still recovering from Monday night's amazing Iron Maiden show!!!!

[ABlairican Pie]

http://www.blabbermouth.net/

LAMB OF GOD'S RANDY BLYTHE: I Have To Clear My Name - August 3, 2012
Shortly before boarding a flight to New York earlier today after spending more than a month at a Prague, Czech Republic prison on manslaughter charges, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe spoke to TV Nova about his ordeal and vowed to "clear his name." You can watch the seven-minute chat below.

On how he is feeling after being released from prison:

Randy: "I'm relieved to be out of Pankrác jail. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly fun. I'm relieved to be out of jail, but if it's necessary for me to return to Prague to go to this court thing, I certainly will. I'm no flight risk."

On the alleged incident that resulted in a death at a LAMB OF GOD concert:

Randy: "This concert that happened, it was a… I've played thousands of concerts. To people who are not used to this type of music, I know it must seem crazy and violent, the appearance, but that sort of activity is normal at a concert, that type of dancing. That sort of behavior is normal at concerts. It is very tragic that a young man died. I feel very bad that a fan of my band is dead and that his family has to go through it — it's terrible, I feel awful for them — but it's a tragic coincidence in my mind.

"As I told the judge and the police when I gave my statement, that concert was, like, one of literally thousands I've played… I certainly did not know anyone was hurt. When I showed up in Prague, I was very surprised to be arrested. We had no knowledge whatsoever that someone had been injured, much less died."

On what his prison experience was like:

Randy: "Prison is not exactly a fun place to be, but I had three meals a day, a roof over my head and clothes on my back, so I tried to be grateful for what I had instead of what I [didn't] have. I read a lot, I wrote a lot, I wrote some new songs, I exercised in my cell and I talked to cellmates. There's not much to do in prison."

"Some prisoners who knew I was and I signed some autographs for them and for some guards. But even the people that didn't know who I was, they knew why I was in there; obviously, this case is in the media. The inmates were very cool to me. Nobody was mean to me at all. I had no problems."

On whether he will return to Prague:

Randy: "Of course — if it is necessary. My bail, there was an appeal against it twice. I'm no flight risk. I'm an international touring artist. I have to clear my name. So, yes, I will come back here if I'm called to court."

Blythe was arrested at the Prague airport on June 27 and was accused of shoving a local fan off the stage during LAMB OF GOD's May 2010 concert in the city. The man, who is said to have stormed the stage three times during the show, reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage that resulted in his death nearly a month later.

After the court doubled Blythe's bail last month from about $200,000 to about $400,000, the prosecutor once again filed a complaint against the singer's release. A Prague court on Thursday (August 2) dismissed the request that Blythe be banned from leaving the country.

The Prague Municipal Court's ruling against the prosecutor of the Prague 8 District Court was made Thursday afternoon at approximately 4:00 p.m. behind closed doors.

"The decision was reached yesterday at the end of a closed session," said Martina Lhotáková, spokeswoman for Prague's Municipal Court.

"The only condition of release was the approximately 8 million Czech Koruna bail [which has already been paid]," she added.

Blythe's Czech attorney Martin Radvan told Radio Prague that Blythe will have to return to the Czech Republic to face trial. "That's what he wants to do," Radvan said. "As a world-renowned artist, in a specific genre of music, of course, he cannot afford to simply disappear."

Radvan added that Randy's stature as a public figure makes it highly unlikely that he would vanish before the trial, saying, "There would be posters with his picture all around the world, and if he wants to continue performing, he will have to return. And he wants to return because he believes he is not guilty of anything he has been charged with."

The lawyer said earlier today that the police investigation is unlikely to be completed until winter. "We don't know yet if [the fan's death] was caused by our client or in a different way," he said.

Jonathan Crane, a reporter from the Prague Post, told WTVR-TV that a legal expert believes the Blythe's defense team should have quite a strong case. "Even if Randy was responsible for the alleged attack, the expert said that who is to say that he wasn't accidentally kicked or trodden on or left without help by fans below the stage," Crane said.

During an appearance on the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania radio station 105.9 The X, Crane discussed the way that both the Czech media and police have been handling the incident. He explained, "At the start, the Czech tabloids were quite vociferous about Blythe and the reputation of LAMB OF GOD, and portraying Blythe especially to be quite a violent person, an aggressive person."

He added, "Obviously, there have been these videos put up on YouTube of the alleged incident. LAMB OF GOD's management say this is the key to proving Blythe's innocence, that you can clearly see it's a security guard that throws a boy or a man off the stage. Now, other people I've spoken to here, who were at the gig … they say actually the man in the videos is not Daniel, the young man who unfortunately died two years ago."