Slipknot gig-goer dies after collapsing by moshpit

A Slipknot fan reportedly died at the band’s Knotfest gig at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Illinois, earlier this week.

• The NME Big Read – Slipknot: “I’m just going to tell you the facts: this album is a masterpiece”

According to reports Richard Valadez, 62, was moshing with other fans during the band’s set in the Chicago suburb on Sunday (August 11) when he fell to the ground and began seizing up. He was eventually pronounced dead at the scene at 11.34pm local time, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The cause of his death is not yet known, and an autopsy is pending, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office told Patch.

“Basically everyone was jumping around in the mosh pit having a good time and just being friendly roughhousing dorks, as usual for metal concerts,” said witness Anthony Mackey.

But when Slipknot began playing ‘Sulfur’ about an hour into their set, Mackey added, “He seized as people were trying to help him up, so we start calling for help.”

Two men also reportedly performed CPR on Valadez during the incident.

Earlier, today (August 15) Slipknot shared videos of drummer Jay Weinberg talking through their acclaimed new album ‘We Are Not Your Kind‘ track-by-track.

Currently en route to becoming this week’s Number One album in the UK, the LP was hailed by NME as “an astonishing record: a roaring, horrifying delve into the guts of the band’s revulsion, a primal scream of endlessly inventive extreme metal and searing misanthropy”.