As I Lay Dying, Slipknot + Anthrax Ponder Stage Security Issues Following Randy Blythe Incident

The arrest of Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe overseas is just the latest incident sparking further concern about security issues when it comes to performances. Loudwire chatted up a few of the Mayhem Festival participants to get their thoughts on maintaining the balance of keeping fans appeased while also making the shows safe.

As I Lay Dying drummer Jordan Mancino told us, "I think it's one of those things, especially at metal shows and heavy music shows, it's something that I think the crowd comes to expect. It's intense music and fans want to get involved because they feel that intensity. And I think a lot of it comes down to venues and security preparation to make sure that the crowd is safe and the band is safe. It takes a lot of work to make that happen and I think that as these things start happening more and more often, then I think venues and security companies will have to take special care and really put good plans in place to make sure that everybody stays safe."

Mancino understands the issue of crowd control well as they've had one of their fans trampled at a performance. He adds, "It's horrible. No one wants that. We just want everybody to have a good time. I just hope that with these types of instances that people are a little bit more encouraged, venues and security companies included, to try and rethink some methods. Not saying they're all bad, they're not. But sometimes venues and security aren't used to the metal shows and there can't be a learning curve. There can't be a learning curve with people's safety."

For headliners Slipknot, percussionist Chris Fehn says it's probably not the smartest move to try and reach the stage during their shows. He says, "Anytime someone jumps onstage, they're taking a risk. Pyrotechnics, Slipknot in general, there's things flying all over the place. I don't think it's a smooth idea to try and do that. You can also hurt the artist. Some artist turns around and there's a kid flying onstage and they smash …. they can hurt us just as much as they could possibly get hurt so, it's just better to enjoy it like it's supposed to be enjoyed."

Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna recently crossed paths with Blythe overseas and says it's a drag to see him going through this. He adds, "Liability onstage is just a little bit too much to mess with. It's like a fan on a football field. You just don't come on the field, you don't come on the stage. It's just not a place, it's just too dangerous and where are you gonna go? Once you get on you get knocked out by a security guard or you fall in the pit or you can't get back, it's just [shrugs shoulders], you know so."

Randy Blythe remains incarcerated on apparent manslaughter charges stemming from the 2010 incident in which a fan allegedly died after being pushed off the stage at a Lamb of God concert. Slow-motion video of the supposed incident can be seen below: