Korn Carries On

The ShowBuzz's Judy Faber researched and wrote this story.

Life hasn't been exactly peachy for Jonathan Davis of Korn this summer.

In June, he was diagnosed with a blood defect and had to cancel some concert dates in Europe. Then at the end of July, a fan died at one of the band's shows, after allegedly being punched by another fan.

Davis told theShowbuzz.com that he felt terrible about the incident.

"It's a horrible, horrible crime," he said. "These guys just went off on this poor kid, tried to beat him up. Unfortunately by hitting him, they caused some brain damage and he ended up being brain dead and dying."

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, authorities arrested a 24-year-old local man who allegedly punched 30-year-old Andy Richardson.

"All I can do is send my condolences to the family," said Davis. "We were really, really ripped up about it and can't believe that people would do that to each other. I hope these people get caught and get punished for what they did."

Early reports had said the fight happened in the mosh pit, an impromptu gathering of fans dancing and jumping around near the front of the stage, but Davis said that turned out not to be true.

In fact, Davis said that what looks like chaotic pushing and shoving in the mosh pit is actually quite orderly.

"For the majority of all our shows, people do get along with other people moshing and stuff," said Davis. "They like to push people around and bang into each other, but when someone falls down and stuff, they pick them up. There's, like, etiquette in the mosh pit. They're not out there to get hurt; they're just trying to have fun."

Despite the difficulties, the band has forged ahead with its sold-out Family Values tour and the release of its latest DVD "Live On The Other Side."

The tour is an all-day hard rock festival headlined by Korn and featuring several acts including the Deftones, Stone Sour, 10 Years, Flyleaf, and Deadsy on two stages. It's fun for even the littlest rockers.

"It's a really cool event, kids come out and the lawn seats are only $9.99." Davis said. "We have a village with all kinds of vendors, paintball, batting cages, rock climbing and stuff like that. We also have 10 great bands."

The Family Values tour will wrap the third week of September, "and then we'll go back in the studio and work on our next record," said Davis. "But we have a lot of stuff written already, so I know it's going to go by pretty fast."

Korn released its latest DVD, "Korn - Live On The Other Side" in June. For the video, cameras followed the band as it flew with contest winners and military personnel on leave from Iraq and Afghanistan to a show at New York's Hammerstein ballroom.

"We all flew to New York to do the show and while we were in flight we did a little show in the plane," said Davis. "I sang through the PA in the airplane! It was really, really minimal but it worked."

The DVD shows the flight, and the Hammerstein concert, as well as interviews with the band and crew, and behind-the-scenes footage.

As for his health, Davis said that he's weaning himself off his medication and that the results of his recent blood tests are improving.

"I feel really good," he said. "I still have the disorder, but I'm working on it. I'm managing it."

He added, "Other than that, I'm just happy to be back out on the road and playing and doing what I love."
By Judy Faber