Music

Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe arrested in Prague on allegations of manslaughter

by Tyler Munro

UPDATE: The same site that broke the news of the arrest has updated their original report, noting that Blythe could be facing 5 to ten years in prison “for bodily injury resulting in death under section 146, paragraph 4 of the criminal code”. [via Metal Sucks].

Adrenaline PR has released a full statement on the arrests, which you can read below.

“Lamb of God Management will be issuing an official statement on Monday regarding the charges made against singer Randy Blythe. As no formal charges have yet been made and the case is only in the investigation stages, it would be premature to make an official statement filled with false truths or innuendos.

“Having said that, management wished to address today one false piece of information that has been included in many of the news stories released so far. Under no circumstances was there a fight of any kind involved. This incident deals with a fan that three times during the concert jumped the barricade and rushed Randy during the performance. It is alleged that the third time, security was not able to reach him and that Randy pushed him back into the audience where supposedly he fell and hit his head.

“Again, until the investigation is concluded this weekend, nothing more will be released, but clarity and the facts needed to be addressed on this one reported point which is totally inaccurate.”

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Back in 2010, a fan took to the stage at a Lamb of God concert and got in a physical altercation with singer Randy Blythe. He was hurt and eventually succumbed to his injuries and died. That was that, or so we thought, with Czech news outlets reporting last night that Blythe has been arrested in Prague on charges of manslaughter. Early morning reports say he’s still in custody.

When contacted for comment by Metal Insider, Lamb of God’s publicity firm Adrenaline PR says Bylthe has been wrongly accused, adding “lawyers are dealing with it, and we expect him to be fully exonerated.” Meanwhile the band’s official Twitter account posted “#FREERANDYBLYTHE” just after 6PM yesterday evening.

The Gauntlet tracked down a review of the gig in question filled with an eyewitness account of the incident. “At first Randy hit him a lot, then Randy jumped on him to hold him down while he continued singing,” reads the review. “When the fan got up, Randy took him by the hair and threw down quite quickly. It was a good thing the fan was so dazed that he probably felt nothing. It took him a little while to realize what happened and as he struggled to get his breathe back.”

CBS-6 in the band’s home town of Richmond, Virginia reports that “those who know the band heard the intruder may have been struck with a microphone before the security team forced him from the stage.”

Lamb of God were in Prague for a show with Skeletonwitch and All Shall Perish, which went on as planned without Lamb of God.

We’ll keep our ears to the ground as this story develops.