Randy Blythe is perhaps the most noble man in heavy metal. We learned this firsthand this past Sunday, when Blythe sat in on the RIP a Livecast, on an episode some are calling one of the best Livecasts ever.
We spent a lot of time talking to Randy about his excellent new memoir, Dark Days, which covers his 2012 arrest in the Czech Republic and subsequent trial. I'm still reading the book and there is a ton of great info in it, and Randy revealed even more during our interview. During our conversation, I asked Blythe if the band would ever consider playing Prague or the Czech Republic in general again and without hesitation Blythe responded no. When asked to elaborate, Blythe explained:
“They have a very rich intellectual history, a very rich artistic history in Prague and I really fell in love with the city; I won’t go back there for a long, long time…. Not because, we don’t want to play for the Czech fans or anything. But if we showed up and played in Prague, it would be huge news through the Czech Republic. And you know, the family of this young man has seen… It would just bring up so many bad memories. Not for me, like it’d be OK. I don’t think someone in Prague is out to get me or whatever, everyone was cool. But the family just needs to heal and you know, they don’t need to see Lamb Of God…”
Blythe had nothing but great things to say about Prague, but he made an excellent point that many didn't consider, which is how the publicity of the band returning to the country would affect the family of the fan who died at their concert.
Blythe had many compelling anecdotes during our interview, which is absolutely worth going out of your way to hear.
[Transcription via ThePRP]
