LAMB OF GOD's RANDY BLYTHE: 'I Never Dreamed Of Playing Stadiums'

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe spoke to Christian McKnight of Irving Plaza about how social media has changed aspiring musicians' perspective on how to launch bands and break in to the music business.

He said (see video below): "Every now and then, someone will get through a message to me. And the questions the kids are asking today are different than the ones they used to ask. The kids used to ask, 'How did you guys do this? How did you put it together enough to put out a seven-inch? How did you get a van? How did you book these shows? How did you get your start? How did you do these things? Now I get questions like, 'I'm thinking about starting a band. I would like any advice you have on how to be successful in the music industry.' And I'm, like, 'No. You're asking the wrong fucking question here.'

"If you're not doing this for any other reason other than you love it, you're fucked," he continued. "Yes, this is my job, and yes, I make a good living, and yes, it started that way. But I'm gonna do this whether it's my living or not, man, because this is what I do.

"I think social media and all that stuff is a huge problem with that kind of stuff. And, of course, we live in this age where you can be famous for doing nothing, like the Kardashians or whatever. I think people are, like, 'Oh, I need this attention.' And that wasn't the primary goal for us. Our goal was to make fucking music we liked. And that's still the goal.

"I never dreamed of playing stadiums. My biggest dream, one I dared not utter, when I joined the band, was to play [the legendary New York City club] CBGB. That was my biggest dream."

Later this month, LAMB OF GOD will offer fans first-time-ever live performances of its latest album, "Lamb Of God", and the landmark 2004 LP "Ashes Of The Wake", both performed live in their entirety in the band's hometown of Richmond, Virginia. As standalone ticketed events, these performances will be LAMB OF GOD's only chance to perform these songs for fans this year — and the band are ready to deliver to the highest degree.

The first stream, scheduled for Friday, September 18, will see the band perform songs from its latest self-titled album live for the very first time. For the second stream, on Friday, September 25, the band will perform the ground-breaking RIAA-gold-certified album "Ashes Of The Wake", in its entirety for the first time ever. Both sets will feature encores, including fan favorites as well as songs that haven't been performed in years.

For more information including tickets and merch bundles, go to this location.

"Lamb Of God" came out in June via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe.