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MTV.com has reported that a 30-year-old man has been left braindead in hospital following an attack at a Korn gig in Atlanta on Sunday night (July 30).
The article, here, states that Andy Richardson was at the city's Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater show - part of this year's Family Values series - with his pregnant girlfriend and a mentally disabled child when two unidentified men assaulted him. He'd previously asked them to be careful while moshing, so that they didn't harm the people he was there with.
The men waited until the show had finished to confront Richardson outside. Richardson's friend Edgar Arellano, also at the show, said: "We were all enjoying the concert, we were having a good time, until these two guys came around."
Richardson was beaten to the floor. Arellano added: "He was unconscious. He had blood all over his face when I picked him up."
Homicide investigators are chasing as many leads as they have, but only a vague description of the suspects has been submitted. Richardson's mother, Gloria, has told Atlanta's WSB-TV that her son is on life support and isn't expected to live.
"Can you imagine (that) your child (can go) to a concert and be killed for it, because of people out there fighting to have a quote unquote good time?" she said. "And I'm angry. I'm very angry. Why were the police not there to stop them?"
Update, 2 August: Andy Richardson has died from the injuries sustained outside the Korn show. Click here for further details.
DiScuss: What are your thoughts about over-the-top moshing, and the tendency, still, for attendees of heavy rock shows to express their enthusiasm violently? Isn't it about time that people developed better social skills? It's perfectly possible to enjoy heavy music without causing another actual physical harm - I've been in pits for Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, The Blood Brothers, Deftones, etc (and Korn, actually)... each time it's generally been fun, and friendly, but for the sole individual that wants an actual fight. Shouldn't these people be disciplined properly, somehow? Perhaps have them face proper criminal charges if they're acting in a threatening manner, or if they actually punch out at a total stranger? I dunno, but it should be made clear to numbskulls that such behaviour won't be tolerated...
