I haven't been to a rock concert of any form before, and so I have no idea how it may be like if I were ever to attend one. I'd really like for somebody to elaborate what a mosh pit really is like, or simply explain one of your expieriences? Personally, I'm not really fond about it, after watching a few videos. Are there boundaries set in the crowd where the pit is to occur? Or does it just happen spontaneously in any random section of the audience? I really just plan on seeing Linkin Park live one day in Vancouver B.C., and that may or may not happen in the following year or two, and I'd most likely be bringing my girlfriend one day, and I'm pretty much just wanting to understand what this mosh pit ordeal is, out of concern for her safety.
A mosh pit is pretty much where people throw their bodys around and jump into each other. As for boundaries, they're random. Pits can just start anywhere however if you don't want to be in them, you can easily get out the way. If you want to avoid them completely I'd say that the further to the side that you get, the less likely they are to happen.
I think it really depends what band and what crowd you're in. Don't go to a (Death,...) Metal concert and expect to watch the concert peacefully. There's going to be a moshpit then. Like Dedicated said you can get out of there by going to the side of the crowd, I imagine...
Dedicated has some good tips, though I don't really see LP as the kind of concert to actually have mosh/circle pits in the first place.
I don't know about avoiding mosh pits. I have yet to find a way to avoid them when in a small venue, especially when they grow like some type of mosh tornado. If it's a small venue, just be ready to have to hold your own. And Linkin Park do have mosh pits at their shows. I think it was Live in Texas during A Place For My Head that they acknowledged the pit and encouraged it to get rowdy... or something to that effect. Also, I remember the band used to encourage people to help those who fall down in the pit. But believe me, you don't have to be heavy to have a mosh pit... I've seem some local bands who play Dashboard Confessional-like music and there have been heavy moshing. So that goes to show it doesn't matter how heavy or how slow your music is, if people want to mosh, they'll mosh.
There were pits for LP when they came here last. However that was before they went all mellow-y and stuff I'd just like to point out the best pits are the ones at pop/punk concerts. Most of the time the people in them are ace. At +44 and Bowling For Soup we had like, a conga pit
Almost any concert can have a pit if instigated. Your best bet, if you wanna get in, learn what to do for the style. Going to a metalcore show? Learn the windmill kick and the lawnmower (pretty much bringing your elbow back). Aim for their nose, for being stupid in regards to moshing. Pretty much, you're jumping into each other and throwing some punches here and there. We had one at a concert at my school :] Of course, some venues don't allow it, like at the NIN oncert I went to. The venue had floor seats as opposed to normal general admission, and Trent was quite vocal, and if I may quote "Next time, I'm going to read the fucking contract before I sign it." Pretty much, all in all, avoid the outer rim if you don't wanna be in it, avoid the barrier if you don't want your ribs broken, and look up on the venue's policy, so if you're one of the instigators and there's none allowed, you don't get thrown out of a show.
That's shite that. I've never been to a venue that's not allowed a pit ! There was one where they almost kicked out some guy for doing the windmill and two-stepping but I like to think that that was just because he looked like a prick doing it. People need to learn that hardcore 'dancing' is neither hardcore, nor dancing.
If you're in a larger venue there might be a designated area for pits (eg past a certain point) in which case you can just stand behind. If you stand right at the barricade there shouldn't always be much of a problem either. There also might be seats or a balcony.
Well I've never been in a mosh pit myself but I know that I was in the General Admission area where there was one that started of course at an LP concert. I was in the very front row though where there was no moshing. It seemed to me that in the front where your in front of the stage, the first three rows of people weren't really moshing. In the middle of the crowd of people was where the real amount moshing took place and in the back no one was really moshing it seemed. Not everyone ends up in moshing in General Admission, you can be safe in there depending on where you're standing. If you want to be in it guards stand around to make sure there's somewhat a controlled amount of fighting going on but you can still get pretty hurt. For your girlfriend's safety though, you should be fine if you don't stay anywhere near the pit.
It really depends on the band because the heavier the music, it seems, the less people care if you fall. During a Bayside concert I went to, people were moshing but were pretty cool about it. I saw people fall and others push moshers away from them so they won't get stepped on. But just remember, not all concerts are like that. You don't always get lucky in having nice people at the show with you. I was going to go to the West Palm Beach date of Projekt Revolution, but apparently they closed off the pit area or something to that extent. IMO, there's no point in going to a concert if you're not close to the stage.
1) TD Banknorth Garden did not allow any moshing for NIN, nor did Pufferbellies allow moshing for Misfits. 2)And yay, he looked like a prick. It's amusing. When they do that, I just elbow them in the gut or "accidently" kick them in the face.
you live in the same province as me :O! This is a good topic because I was kinda wondering the same thing. Mosh pits were the reason I didnt go to the Trivium/Protest the Hero concert earlier this year (I REALLY wish I had gone).
Depending on what bands you see live, mosh pits can vary in terms of how rough they can get. At the Linkin Park show in Astoria a few weeks ago pits emerged but wern't anything major. In fact everyone was more interested in the blown up condoms that were flying around. However from my own personal experience, mosh pits can get pretty damn bad. At the Papa Roach concert I got elbowed in the face from this huge guy in the mosh pit and it gave me a small concussion. Also at the Trivium concert I was lucky enough NOT to have standing tickets because looking down from the balcony it looked like people were killing each other. Don't let this put you off though. Mosh pits can be really fun aswell. But if you're looking to minimize the risk of being caught in one then its probably best to go to the very front or the sides of the venue and try and avoid the middle.