Lamb of God won’t change show over manslaughter charge

No change: Chris Adler

Lamb of God have no intention of changing their approach to playing live, despite singer Randy Blythe’s looming trial for manslaughter.

Earlier this year the vocalist spent five weeks in a Prague prison – with almost no support for US authorities – as a result of fan Daniel Nosek’s death, following a show in the Czech Republic in 2010.

But as Lamb of God prepare for their first tour since Blythe’s release, drummer Chris Adler insists they won’t modify the aggressive style of their performance.

He points out the band’s technical rider already specifies high levels of security attendance, and tells Billboard: “It’s difficult for us to say this was something that was our fault, and that we should change how we’re doing things. We’re already trying to look out for those kind of incidents.

“This is obviously a terrible tragedy that nobody foresaw or intended to happen. But it’s such a random series of events that I don’t think us changing what we do would stop it from happening again.”

Nosek died a month after attending a Lamb of God show. It’s alleged he sustained a head injury after trying to invade the stage, and that led to a brain haemorrhage. As yet prosecutors haven’t revealed any evidence to prove when or how he was hurt. There’s also no evidence yet to support their claim that Blythe was directly involved.

Adler says: “They haven’t played their hand out in what they have on us. How they’re going about prosecuting is a mystery to us. Not knowing how their justice system works, and being repeatedly surprised by events from when we landed there, who knows what will happen?”

Blythe has vowed he’ll return to Prague to face the court despite the confusing nature of Czech law. Meanwhile, Lamb of God will continue working.

“It’s really helped recapture what drives me to do this,” says Adler, who admitted last year he considered quitting the band over self-doubt. “After ten thousand shows and records that sell really well, you start to lose touch. When you’re threatened with it being over in the blink of an eye, you realise how fragile and special it is.”