Crime & Law

Lamb of God frontman says he was assaulted in Dublin

Spay and neuter your feral children, heavy metal singer advises citizens of capital

Randy Blythe, frontman with Lamb of God, who says he was attacked in Dublin by a gang of teenagers on Sunday night. Photograph: Getty Images

Aoife Carr
Ronan McGreevy
Tue Nov 10 2015 - 18:11

Randy Blythe, frontman with US heavy metal band Lamb of God, said the parents of those who assaulted him should take the blame for raising their children in an "over-permissive manner".

Blythe says he was attacked in Dublin by a gang of six teenagers late on Sunday night. HE said this happened while taking late night camera shots of the Samuel Beckett Bridge on Sunday night. He was in Dublin for a gig with Megadeth at the 3Arena on Monday night.

Blythe, who grew up in the Deep South as the son of a preacher, but got into drink and drugs as a teenager, admitted he was “no angel, I had my share of stupid scraps growing up.

Sometimes doing what you love comes at a price: here's the Samuel Beckett bridge in Dublin, Ireland. Last night around midnight I walked one block away from my hotel to take some long exposures- right after I shot this very frame, I looked up & saw 5 or 6 teenage dudes (16 to 18 year olds?) in hoodies & track pants spreading out around me. "Well, crap, I guess it's on" I thought. I started stepping quickly into the street away from the little cul-de-sac where I was (it was a bad spot to be trapped), trying to keep my eye on all of them at the same time. One kid drew up to my left getting close & BLAM- someone else hit me in the head from behind with something (I think they had a stick or whatever)- I saw stars for a second, then I heard car horns & a cabbie was driving at these kids & I was standing in the street trying to shake it off, because that little fucker had rang my bell pretty good. Like all cowards & weaklings all over the world, they came at me in numbers and struck from behind. I never even had a chance to smash one of the little shits because the cabbie (thank you, whoever you are) scattered them while I was regaining my wits. So now my glasses are gone (but I have contacts), my new Surf City hat w/the Black Flag bars is gone (but I brought another hat), my new e-cig is gone (but I have others), & I have a split open elbow & a bit of a headache (but it could have been much, much worse- I could have caught a knife). I remain grateful- I'M FINE. I've been in some of the sketchiest neighborhoods on earth & escaped unharmed, but last night I got distracted & forgot my street smarts for a couple of minutes. That was very, VERY stupid of me, & I paid the price. So lesson learned here is STAY ALERT, y'all. And Dublin- I still love you, I'm NOT afraid to come here, it's a lovely city, BUT... please neuter & spay your feral children, because next time they might club someone whose head isn't as hard as mine & kill them. They didn't even try to rob me, they just wanted to hurt someone, anyone - it was nothing personal for them- this makes me very SAD for these children. So Dublin, sorry if tonight's show was a little rough- I did my best for y'all...

A photo posted by D. Randall Blythe (@drandallblythe) on

“But it never once occurred to me to gather four or five of my friends together and go beat some random person up for that evening’s entertainment. That is not how my parents raised me. It’s weak, cowardly, and very, very unmanly.”

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He said one of the teenagers hit him on the head with something he thinks was a stick, he lost his glasses and his elbow was split open before a taxi driver drove at the group and scattered them.

The singer said he still loved Dublin and that he was not afraid to come to the city. However he said its “feral children should be neutered and spayed because next time they might club someone whose head isn’t as hard as mine and kill them.”

In an updated statement issued on Tuesday evening, Blythe said he was fine but for a “couple of scrapes and bruises” and had suffered worse injuries while skateboarding.

“In retrospect, I’m not even mad at these youth, I’m honestly not. It’s more sad to me that jumping strangers is how some kids get their kicks. To me this is indicative of a lack of proper parenting.

“We as a society are failing our children when we raise them in such an over-permissive manner that assaulting random people is considered fun.

“So I ask you, parents: is that what we want for our children? Cowardice and a mob mentality where people are afraid to stand on their own as individuals? I I hope not. Keep an eye on your kids, ok?”

Blythe (44) warned photographers to be careful late at night. “It was also my own fault for not paying more attention to my surroundings- I knew better, but I got distracted taking photos. I’m just glad it wasn’t any worse, because it could have been. I got off pretty easily, thanks to a good hearted cab driver who scattered those kids while I made it back to my hotel (thank you, whoever you are).

“That’s why I posted about it, to remind my photographer friends (and anyone else who might be out wandering in any city, not just Dublin) to remain alert at all times. These things can happen very quickly if you aren’t on guard, and it certainly did in my case, in a matter of five seconds or so- learn from my mistake. This is the reality of today’s world.”

Blythe said, despite what happened to him, he will come back to Ireland. "I'm not afraid of your beautiful green island. Unfortunately, I just happened to meet a few of your undesirables, and they exist everywhere. See you on the road."

He apologised to fans if the show on Monday night “was a bit rough”, but he did his best.

A spokesman for the gardaí said the incident had not been reported to them.

Blythe was acquitted by a Czech court of causing the death of 19-year-old fan Daniel Nosek at a concert in Prague in 2010.

Mr Nosek climbed on to the stage with Blythe during the concert. Blythe pushed the teen who then hit his head on the floor when he fell and later died of the injury.

According to a verdict delivered by the Municipal Court in Prague in March 2013, Blythe threw Mr Nosek off the stage and had moral responsibility for his death but he was not criminally liable. The decision was appealed, and upheld by the Prague High Court in June 2013.

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