LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe has confirmed that he attended the April 1 private memorial for late GWAR frontman Dave Brockie (a.k.a. Oderus Urungus) in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Blythe writes on Instagram: "I was one of three people who were not part of GWAR who spoke. This was a gift and an honor for me. "When someone you love dies, the very absence of that person grows into something huge and unmanageable unless you let it out somehow. This is the nature of grief, and this is what mourning with your community is for."I haven't been around my people enough lately. "I tried to do him proud, and even got heckled a bit, which was ENTIRELY FITTING at a funeral for Dave."This was a private affair, only for friends and family, and there were several hundred rowdy crying folks there, so you can only imagine what the public memorial in August will be like. An uninvited fan even managed to piss me off."This should be obvious, but apparently people have gotten so stupid these days I have to say this: a) if you aren't invited, don't show up at a funeral. It's NOT a show, no matter who died, and b) if you do show up, just be quiet and respectful. Don't come up, tell me how awesome I am, start grinning and throwing the horns and ask for a picture. "I took the photo, because it was either that or choke the idiot kid out, but REALLY, dude? Of course, that this happened is also ENTIRELY FITTING, because Brockie is laughing at me being all pissed somewhere right now (F you, bro)."Several photos from the private memorial attended by Brockie's family and friends can be found at YellMagazine.com.Brockie was found dead in his home in Richmond on March 23. He was 50 years old. GWAR manager Jack Flanagan released a statement saying, "It is with a saddened heart that I confirm my dear friend Dave Brockie, artist, musician, and lead singer of GWAR, passed away at approximately 6:50 p.m. EST Sunday, March 23, 2014 . . . A full autopsy will be performed. He was 50 years old, born August 30, 1963. My main focus right now is to look after my bandmates and his family."Brockie is the second member of GWAR to die within the past three years. Guitarist Cory Smoot, who played the character Flattus Maximus, died of a heart attack on the band's tour bus in November 2011 at the age of 34.Brockie said at the time, "I think Cory's death is a big wake-up call for all of us. We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out it wasn't a drug overdose, to speak quite frankly. But then to think that he was 34 and died of a heart attack it's really scary."According to The Pulse Of Radio, Brockie was the last remaining original member of GWAR, which was founded 30 years ago. The future of the band at this stage is uncertain.The satirical metal band earned a following for its macabre, over-the-top costumes, offensive lyrics and graphic, gore-soaked shows, in which the band members performed as the descendants of alien warriors who arrived on Earth to enslave and slaughter the human race. The band released its 13th album, "Battle Maximus", last year.
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