Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe is a big believer in the connection between a band and its audience, so much so that he wishes fans would put away their phones and be totally present during concerts. In fact, he even has a wry plan to combat phone usage at his band’s shows.
In latest episode of the Consequence Podcast Network’s Kyle Meredith With… (listen above), Blythe explains that after all these years in Lamb of God, “I still get the same energy from a crowd that’s really into it, because I view it as a massive form of communication. … When I sing some words that I wrote in a 99-cent spiral notebook that I got from CVS, sitting on my porch … and I hear thousands of people echo those words back at me … and I see the music physically moving people, it’s a symbiotic thing.”
For that reason, he takes no pleasure in seeing fans standing still and holding up their phones to film a concert. “Put your freakin’ phones down and be present,” continues Blythe. “I haven’t done this yet, but I’m going to. As the phones come more and more and more, I’m going to walk out one day at a particularly phone-driven show and I’m gonna bring a stool, and I’m gonna set it down in the middle of the stage after a song or two, and then I’m going to turn on my phone, and I’m gonna point it at the audience, and I’m gonna sit there, and I’m gonna sing a whole song. I’m not gonna move. I’m gonna do what they do. And then at the end, I’m gonna say, ‘Did you people enjoy that? No? I didn’t either. So why don’t we be here together? Put your freakin’ phone down.’
He adds, “The memories that you’re going to have, because you’re experiencing this show through this digital filter or whatever of a crappy cell phone video… You’re not Steven Spielberg. Sit here and enjoy the show with me. Be here with me, because that’s how it was when I started going to shows. Except for — thank God — those people back in the ’80s who were photographer nerds. The weird people, there was always one or two with a camera who would take pictures, and thank God for them, ’cause they documented things. But everybody else was present. And people are missing it nowadays by viewing a show through a tiny iPhone screen. Be here with me. … I’m not asking for sympathy, like, ‘Poor Randy, he feels bad.’ But, yeah, the relationship is missing. And I want a relationship with the audience. Because the harder you go, the harder I’m gonna go. The more you look at the phone, the more I wanna sit on a stool and film you. And it’s gonna happen one day.”
When asked by Meredith if he would consider banning filming with phones like Tool does at concerts, Blythe responds, “I thought about it. My band probably wouldn’t be down with it. I’d be totally great if they were no cell phones. Because these things, they are warping the shape of our reality in a horrific way across the board.”
Blythe goes on to explain that he’s “not anti-technology” and that he has nothing against people taking a picture here and there, but says it’s “disturbing” how much people are missing at shows: “You’re looking at your phone, bro. … Be here with us. Meet people, talk, have a human experience.”
Lamb of God are currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of Ashes of the Wake on a co-headlining North American tour with Mastodon. Use your phone to pick up tickets here , but then be sure to put it away when you go to the show.
Listen to the full episode of the Kyle Meredith With… podcast featuring Randy Blythe in the player above.
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