Since Lamb of God's Randy Blythe was arrested in Prague on manslaughter charges late last month, we've had several updates about the case from the band, but we haven't heard anything from the man himself. That has now changed, as Blythe has granted his first interview since being jailed.
The interview was with the Czech news source Blesk.cz. The conversation was published in Czech and then translated to English by Metal Insider, and while the website admits, "We took some liberties with the translation," this at least gives us some idea what's been going on inside of Blythe's head.
When asked to describe the incident from 2010 that resulted in a fan's death, Blythe admitted that he could not remember what happened.
"I do not know about any incident," he said. "[I don't remember], because I have a lot of concerts. Just remember that the club [had] a small stage, which barely fit [the band]. Also, apparently there was a security guard because many people climbed onto the stage. I think that one small boy in particular, but I could be confused with other clubs. Since the concert I have [gotten] glasses, but then I saw very little more than outlines details. In any case, I did not attack anyone. The only way that could have happened was if I came into contact with the audience, was defending myself from someone unpredictable."
Much like his friends back in North America, Blythe is confused as to why he is still in prison despite posting bail. While he described the police as "professional," he admitted that he did not understand the justice system.
Still, so long as he's behind bars, the frontman is staying productive. In addition to writing a diary and letters to friends, he noted that he's learning Mongolian and is "starting to write a book about Pankrác prison and write lyrics."
When he returns to the U.S., he hopes to spend time with his family and then return to performing; if he is required to stay in the Czech Republic for some time, "I would look at the sights, especially in Prague. I [will] find where Kafka went, and I will eat dumplings."
Blythe has been accused of shoving a 19-year-old concertgoer off the stage during a show, resulting in brain injuries that led to the fan's death 14 days later. His bandmates have been raising funds to help pay for the mounting legal costs.
The interview was with the Czech news source Blesk.cz. The conversation was published in Czech and then translated to English by Metal Insider, and while the website admits, "We took some liberties with the translation," this at least gives us some idea what's been going on inside of Blythe's head.
When asked to describe the incident from 2010 that resulted in a fan's death, Blythe admitted that he could not remember what happened.
"I do not know about any incident," he said. "[I don't remember], because I have a lot of concerts. Just remember that the club [had] a small stage, which barely fit [the band]. Also, apparently there was a security guard because many people climbed onto the stage. I think that one small boy in particular, but I could be confused with other clubs. Since the concert I have [gotten] glasses, but then I saw very little more than outlines details. In any case, I did not attack anyone. The only way that could have happened was if I came into contact with the audience, was defending myself from someone unpredictable."
Much like his friends back in North America, Blythe is confused as to why he is still in prison despite posting bail. While he described the police as "professional," he admitted that he did not understand the justice system.
Still, so long as he's behind bars, the frontman is staying productive. In addition to writing a diary and letters to friends, he noted that he's learning Mongolian and is "starting to write a book about Pankrác prison and write lyrics."
When he returns to the U.S., he hopes to spend time with his family and then return to performing; if he is required to stay in the Czech Republic for some time, "I would look at the sights, especially in Prague. I [will] find where Kafka went, and I will eat dumplings."
Blythe has been accused of shoving a 19-year-old concertgoer off the stage during a show, resulting in brain injuries that led to the fan's death 14 days later. His bandmates have been raising funds to help pay for the mounting legal costs.