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Randy Blythe, frontman of Lamb of God, is a firm believer in the connection between the band and the audience. He even wishes fans would put their phones away and be fully present at concerts. In fact, he even has an ironic plan to combat cell phone use at his band’s shows.

In the latest episode of the Consequence Podcast Network Kyle Meredith with … (Listen above), Blythe explains that after all these years with Lamb of God, “I still get the same energy from an audience that’s really into it because I see it as a massive form of communication. … When I sit on my porch and sing a few words that I wrote in a 99-cent spiral notebook from CVS … and I hear thousands of people singing those words back to me … and I see the music physically moving people, it’s a symbiotic thing.”

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For this reason, he takes no pleasure in fans standing still and holding up their phones to film a concert. “Put your damn phones down and be present,” Blythe continues. “I haven’t done that yet, but I will. As phones become more prevalent, one day at a particularly phone-driven show, I’m going to go out and bring a stool and put it in the middle of the stage after a song or two. Then I’m going to turn on my phone and point it at the audience. I’m going to sit there and sing a whole song. I’m not going to move. I’m going to do what they’re doing. And then at the end I’m going to say, ‘Did you like that? No? Me neither. So why aren’t we here together? Put your damn phone down.’

He adds, “The memories you’re going to have because you’re experiencing that show through that digital filter or whatever, a crappy cell phone video… You’re not Steven Spielberg. Sit here and enjoy the show with me. Be here with me, because that’s how it was when I first started going to shows. Except — thank God — those people in the ’80s who were photo nerds. The weird people, there was always one or two with a camera taking pictures, and thank God for them, because they were documenting things. But everyone else was present. And people miss it these days by watching a show through a tiny iPhone screen. Be here with me. … I’m not asking for pity, like, ‘Poor Randy, he’s in a bad way.’ But, yeah, the relationship is missing. And I want a relationship with the audience. Because the harder you go, the harder I’m going to go. The more you look at the phone, the more I want to sit on a stool and film you. And one day it’s going to happen.”

When Meredith asked if he would consider banning cell phone filming like Tool does at concerts, Blythe replied: “I’ve thought about it. My band probably wouldn’t agree with that. I would love it if there were no cell phones. Because those things distort our reality in a terrible way across the board.”

Blythe goes on to explain that he is “not anti-technology” and doesn’t mind people taking a photo here and there, but says it’s “disturbing” how much people miss at shows: “You look at your phone, bro. … Be here with us. Meet people, talk, have a human experience.”

Lamb of God are currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of Ashes of the Wake on a co-headlining North American tour with Mastodon. Order your tickets here using your phone, but don’t forget to put it away when you go to the show.

Listen to the full episode of Kyle Meredith with … Podcast with Randy Blythe in the player above.