Mosh Pit :is common in every metal show. The cops in India should be explained that if a mosh pit occurs not to intervene as it is part of the show.
A mosh pit is when people collide against each other just like atoms and molecules. If this starts and it’s your first time stay away from it as it may injure you. If you want to have some fun you can join the pit for once in a life time experience (but carefully).
Wall of Death : is another way of enjoying a metal concert.
People stand in two opposite corners like a wall and when one side charges, the other side also charge towards each other. Its almost like two trains colliding head-on with each other.
Hopefully all these things will make your concert more injury free. If you are not a freak then go somewhere in the corner for shelter. The first Metal bands to come to India and the security are surely going to have a tough time handling the violent crowd.
How to Mosh in a Mosh Pit
Are you going to a concert this weekend? Have you seen the pits and have always been curious, but are concerned that you may come out with a broken face? With a little know-how and a lot of courage, you can make your way through a mosh pit and who knows? You might jump right back in.
For more informatiogn check out the http://members.aol.com/rik0lar/moshing/how2.htm
Know the protocol and unwritten rules. While it may seem otherwise, moshing is by no means a way to hurt someone. Moshing is about realeasing aggression, and having fun while enjoying some awesome music. The 'rules' are mainly common sense.
"Falling" Lift that person and make sure they are not hurt. They will probably just laugh and thank you before joining back in or stepping out but if they are hurt (which isn't as likely as one would think given the normal goers of metal shows recognize the metal brotherhood for what it is and will try not to hurt another.) contact someone working in the venue and maybe signal to some people around you, chances are they will gladly assist.
"Copping a feel" It's wrong. Don't do it. Every female mosher isn't a groupie and if she doesnt get revenge the guy beside you will.
"Hitting" It's not a fight! If you hurt someone it is etiquette to maybe shake their hand or clap their shoulder. Do a friendly gesture and apologize. Chances are they will forgive you, also maybe help them out if they want, if they don't forgive you as much, step out for a bit, they will calm down.
Know what you're getting into. Be objective and recognize that you may get hurt, and you're definitely going to get covered in sweat (and maybe even the saliva or blood) of complete strangers. While the objective of a mosh pit is to make physical contact without getting hurt, there is a good degree of unpredictability and risk. Much of the risk comes from the type of music playing. some ska and punk will be more relaxed depending on who goes (it will depend on your local scene, if you have a big punk and/or skinhead scene it will probally be pretty ruff). hardcore metal or hardcore punk should be left to the more seasoned mosher. If you're considering making your debut in a mosh pit, be aware of the potential consequences and make sure that they're worth the thrill.
Wear the right gear. Wear clothes that you don't mind getting stained or even ruined. Your outfit should also be comfortable and light, since it will get hot in the pit. Make sure your shoes fit tightly and lace them well, because if it falls off, you'll have a hard time getting it back and your unprotected foot will suffer in the meantime. Boots are recommended, but avoid the ones with high heels or any other bells and whistles, those are not made for moshing, just for showing off. Also be sure to remove any spiked wristbands or other dangerous accessories, as they could injure a fellow mosher (or even yourself). Unusual and easily injured piercings may look cool, but will be a liability in the pit. If you can see considerably well without your glasses, take them off and leave them with a friend who is not moshing.
Brace yourself. Whether in the mosh pit or out, you need to keep your hands and more specifically your arms prepared. Don't look like you're ready to strike someone (you'll freak people out and probably get yourself beat up), but certainly don't put yourself in a position where your hands are going to be stuck to your sides and you accidentally get your face knocked by someone's skull flying at you, but you weren't ready for it.
Watch and observe from the side. How brutal are the individuals bouncing around this particular pit? Are people just having fun, or are they going for blood? Know the difference between those who are slam dancing and the idiot high school football player who's running around smashing people in the face with his knuckles. There are many different types of moshing, and adapting to these is an important step if you want to enjoy it.
Participate on the side line by pushing people back in the pit and embracing mosh pit kids from falling to their deaths as they circulate the rim. There are going to be people flying back and forth, side to side, up and down and all over the place. When you're ready to deal with this, it's time to enter.
Circle the circle pit. You're going to continue pushing, bouncing, and slamming off of other people in the pit. Eventually you're going to be able to control your direction and choose your hits, maybe even on your first night. Go at the speed of the crowd and be ready for the dropper: the dropper (or breakdown) is the violent outburst that many metal, hardcore, alternative bands, punk rock, and similar types of music have that goes from normal lyrical music to a crashing point which will set off the adrenaline of every kid around you and is virtually the "go" sound or green light that it is time to smash and slam again. If you're unfamiliar with the music, this is going to be hard to spot, but if you see it coming, you're going to have one up on half of the kids at the show. Similar to breakdowns, many songs include pauses. Typically, all moshers who know this is coming will treat it like a breakdown, meaning that they clear the pit and start after the pause. Be sure to either know the music or be ready for pauses to occur, because not clearing the pit during one of these pauses is not advisable.
Open up the pit Sometimes mosh pits occur in very crowded places. When this happens, there will be a natural tendency of the crowd to push the outer rim of the pit towards the center. Eventually this will close the pit unless the crowd is continually pushed back. Seasoned moshers, or enthusiastic neophytes, will typically counteract this by launching themselves into the sides of the pit in various ways. Basically, if the people on the cusp of the pit have more incentive to stay out of your way than to let the crowd push them into the pit, the pit will stay open. Some strategies for doing this include...
"Crack back" by having several people lean back onto the walls of the pit their your arms outstretched
"Cluster" a bunch of people with their arms over each others' shoulders and have them bouce around the walls of the pit
"Slingshot" into the sides by using another person's momentum to launch you.
"Circle pit" by creating a whirlpool of people running around the outside of the pit.
Anything that involves flailing limbs that looks like it will hurt if someone gets too close. There are numerous hardcore dances that can facilitate this. Look to the crowd for inspiration.
Switch things up.
Bodyslam. Jump into the air, aiming to have your upper body make contact with another mosher. A collision is the goal here.
Pogoing. Basically just jumping up and down.
Slamdancing. Jump into the air, aiming to have your upper body make contact with another mosher. A collision is the goal here.
Stage dive. Push your way past the crowd and the bouncers if you can so that you can get on stage. Without disrupting the band or any of their equipment, dive into the crowd (make sure they see you coming) and tense up when you land so that you're easier to catch. Be warned: Many venues will eject you from the concert for stage diving. Make sure you know the rules of the club.
Crowd surf. You can start off either by stage diving or by hoisting yourself up on two (taller) people's shoulders. Don't have somebody lift you up by the foot with their hands because odds are, the people around you won't have enough time to see you coming and somebody (including but not limited to you) will get hurt, extremely hurt!
Find safety in the "eye of the storm". If you are in a pit that is too intense and you are feeling fatigued, there is safety in the center. Just like a spinning bicycle wheel or a record, the tangential velocity is smaller closer to the center. (Depending on the motion of the pit however this may be ineffective, so keep an eye out and see if people are charging across. Many times people standing in the center are just sitting ducks.)
If you are are struggling with being pushed too much and you want to get out of the pit, DO NOT bend down or you risk falling over and getting injured by people around you accidentally stepping on you. Bring your hands up towards your face and use your arms as stabilizers while working your way out of the mosh pit. Don't panic: it's more important to stay upright and take longer to get out than to hurry out and risk falling over.
In some violent mosh pits walking slowly out will get you run over. In this scenario it's usually best to keep going until you get pushed into the crowd surrounding the pit. Slow down as you near the edge and let anyone on the sideline pushing you know that you're coming out.
If someone falls down, you immediately help them up. This is the unwritten protocol of all mosh pitters. If you keep going and someone is down, you risk seriously hurting or even killing them (and if that doesn't happen, some large mammal of a man is going to hurt you for not following this protocol).
If you find someone's sneaker, wallet, or other personal belonging, it is also mosh etiquette to hold it up in the air to be claimed by its owner.
If you crowd surf, keep your feet raised. Hitting people in the head with your shoes will guarantee removal of one or both of your shoes which will then be flung towards the stage with maximum velocity, rendering you shoeless for the rest of the gig/day/festival weekend.
Be sure that your valuables (e.g. wallet, phone) are tightly secured, or else they might fall off or get snatched in the pit. Better yet, leave as much as you can at home. Leather wrist bands with snaps can easily fall off and disappear; use the kind with buckles.
Hold on to your glasses--if you must wear them, try to secure them around your neck. Otherwise, they might fall off and break in the pit. If they don't manage to break immediately, it will be guaranteed they will be stepped on. But don't leave them at home, because you'll need to see what you're doing (and what others are doing) while moshing.
Stay hydrated. It's hot and sticky in the mosh pit, and you'll be getting quite the workout. Make sure you bring extra water since venues typically overprice them. (e.g. a water that typically costs $1 would most likely be priced at $4 or more. you could pass out if you find yourself dehydrated, passing out in the pit could get you killed.)
You'll know when you've had enough. Moshing is seriously athletic you will get very tired. It may take you all night to get there, or it may be after your first run. When that happens take a break and enjoy the music from outside the pit.
Go with some friends and stick with them. That way, you'll have a few landmarks and lifesavers. If it's a large pit, pick a place to meet up after the show in case you lose them. It sucks to wander about aimlessly for hours trying to pick them out from a crowd of 600 people who are moving around.
When crowd-surfing, try to stay relaxed, yet as still as possible, and go with it. Don't flail around and hit/kick people as it is very likely you will get hit back or even dropped
Pay attention to what type of mosh pit it is. Some mosh pits are more about contact and running into each other while others are more centered on "mosh pit dancing". Don't go slam into the person doing a dance solo in the middle of the pit and likewise don't start swinging your arms around dancing in the middle of a high contact pit. Remember, everybody is there to have fun!
If you have hair long enough to be tied back please do so. It makes things more pleasant for all.
Be nice! Despite the violent nature of pits, moshing is always best if nobody gets seriously hurt. Help people off the ground if they fall and don't go around trying to start fights. Whatever attitude you bring to the pit is what you'll find people bringing right back to you.
Tie your shoes tightly while moshing and especially before stage diving. Some people that don't like getting stage dived on will try to take your shoes. While maybe you deserve it, it sucks to have your shoes stolen and those people are jerks. Don't let them do it.
Don't smoke in the pit! It's bad form (and bad etiquette) to smoke inside a mosh pit. You're probably going to burn someone, or, the same very large mammal of a man who would hurt you for not picking up a fallen fellow mosher may burn you with it.
when your not mosh pitting, you should be either, tired and sweaty, or you just think the pit is a bit scary, or you appreciate music better by sitting, or what ever. never ever, (for fucks sake), stand around because you think your too cool to dance, or because you came with your boyfriend and you think it will make you look like a loser if you do dance. usually, depending on how many people are not dancing, you will become a target and you will probally get beaten up (this means you trendys and emos) show some emotion and have fun, thats what music is all about! if you do think the mosh pit is a bit scary, dance at the back with your friends, or on your own, it doesnt matter unless your having fun.
Remember that metal is a brotherhood. Unlike other musical styles there is a certain brotherly love fans seem to share. If you show it, it will be shown to you. You can find yourself with some very friendly people at a show and it is your job to show them friendship. (Don't be to trusting and let them hold your wallet or something though)
[edit] Warnings
You're going to get hit. As long as you're not a target of another and you're keeping your hands in a position not to get tagged in the face and you're leaning backwards, you'll be safe. But it is possible to become severely injured in a mosh pit, so understand the risks. People have broken ribs, noses, etc. in moshpits.
Watch for kids who wear spike bands in a pit. They will leave scars.
If you have done something to become the target of a much larger/more aggressive mosher, it is generally best to leave the pit for a little while. These overly aggressive moshers may single you out and make every effort to hit you as hard as possible which can cause undesired injury and quickly put a damper on your concert mood.
Women, beware. There are guys in the pit who are going to go for the gold and try to cop an anonymous feel or even try to pull down your pants (this has happened before). If you get harassed, get a good look at the perpetrator and don't hesitate to announce what he did. Most will disapprove and act accordingly.
While participating on the side line is perfectly acceptable, understand that you are shoving moshers from their "blind spot" in most cases. A violent push from the side can send an off-balance mosher directly into an oncoming elbow or head that would've otherwise been averted. Furthermore, you can and will be specifically targeted for retaliation if you do this throughout the show.
While climbing onto the stage and doing a stage dive may be glorious, note that if you get caught by security after getting on the stage, you may become a victim of retaliation from them. This is dependent on the group doing the security, but you may be ejected from the concert.
Avoid stage diving directly into the mosh pit as people will generally be too busy running into each other to catch you. To avoid injury, instead jump to the crowd surrounding the pit. Make sure that they see and know that you're coming.
Know your surroundings. If you're seeing a band in a small coffeeshop or even a house show, don't start spinkicking and pushing people. Often times these shows have little or no stage and nothing ends a show quicker than crushing the band.
At some outdoor festivals, tents are put up over the stage and crowd areas. Be mindful of hazards and obstacles in these situations, nothing ruins the fun like running into a tent pole and getting a concussion or tripping over a tent spike and losing an eye. If something like this happens to another mosher, try to assist them, warn others nearby and send for the venue's security or medical staff.
Consider yourself very lucky when you participate in a pit where most participants are following these rules of etiquette, the uninitiated more likely than not will ruin your good time.
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