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Moshing 2005

Joe Nerve

Joe Nerve

Oct 7, 2000
18,619
38,941
New York City
www.joenerve.com
Disclosures
Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
#1
I meant to post this a while back to see what all your thoughts on it were...

I'm posting it now cuz our new forum was hacked and when I went back to this - I was reminded. Around our parts we're banning bands that bring these people (if they promote this kind of thing), AND the people who are doing it. One of the greatest things about the growing scene in Bklyn. NY is that everyone is really supportive of one another, and none of the clubs we have around here ever even needed to think of getting bouncers. Differrent bands run different shows and we're all showing up at everyone else's shows, we're jumping on stage with one another, sharing musicians, drummers. Any one catch that? There's a real sense of community and love. These people are worse than the hackers.

PS. The guy who made the post is a quiet super supportive photographer/writer who attends just about every show documenting the scene in photos and pen. He's been doing it since the early days of the Ramones. Really nice guy.

http://pub4.bravenet.com/forum/318630355/show/573757
 
#2
just wondering, are you against moshing or for it? cuz its a little hard for me to tell,(just woke up) but the thing with moshing is that its just something to do when you go to a show. but i live on the west coast in the bay area, SF OAK BERK. all those places, and its difernt cuz if its just the "sea of people" then its pretty fun, but if its the "wall of death", thats a bit to much for me. but yah, if people would just chill out at shows if someone bumps into them then you wouldnt need bouncers. thats just me, and that sucks about your website dude.
 
#5
I'm 10 years gone from the punk/hardcore scene....

but I was always what my buddies called "the enforcer". I was the big assed guy that got between the SOB windmillers/kickers/meatheads and the actual fans/supporters.
Keepin' the Pit in the Pit :bassist:

well, mostly I was protecting Babes and hitting on them... but whatever :smug:

I hear where he's coming from... but I saw that in the NY/NJ/PA scene a decade ago.
 
#10
I haven't been to a lot of punk show. I dont even know what the meaning of punk is anymore. There's always been moshing and I think it's part of the fun. People are usually really good about it.

I went to a show last weekend and I was in the "pit". I got shoulder checked by some huge guy and went flying across the floor (there wasn't a lot of people). Before I could even started helping myself up, some random guy grabbed me and threw me up on to my feet.

It really depends on the show, I find that at small less-know bands people are there for the music instead of hitting each other. Moshing is just like dancing to them. On the other hand, I went to a main-stream pop punk show and the moshing there was more like pushing to get to the front.

You know what's annoying? Crowd surfers. I doubt that most people go to shows to get hit in the face with a shoe.

Regardless, they will always be some doorknob ruining the fun. I've decided to stick to ska shows, lots of dancing, less pointless hitting and no crowd-surfers. I know it's a good show when I wake up sore. :D
 
#14
eric atkinson said:
I like to step on moshers heads! I agree with going to a show to listen and explore music. Cant stand the little turds that start trying to smash into me. Good thing i am a big guy that can just put the guys to the floor!
Click to expand...
Well, I see I'm not alone. Step on a few for me next time, OK? I'm not so big, and don't mosh well.
 
#15
If you're talking about kids that randomly go and beat people up, they aren't hardcore, they're just idiots. This has nothing to do with hardcore.

Sounds to me like some kids got together and decided to crash a show. Sorry, this has nothing to do with hardcore, once again, these kids are idiots. I would use a much different name, but this is Talkbass.

Besides, punk crowds don't hardcore dance, only thing I've ever seen out of a punk crowd is a circle pit, and that's it. It just sounds like some idiots were pissed at either the crowd or these bands and decided to crash the show.

Once again, NOTHING to do with hardcore.
 
#18
Hmm... Where I'm from there's only ever been one time when anything had to be done. A few years ago some skinheads started causing trouble in the local clubs, but they were banned and that was the end of it. Other than that a pit is just good fun, though they've gotten awfully tame lately. Seems like you nasty big city folk are the only ones that seem to have recurring problems with real violence :p (New Yorkers and Bostonians in particular.) Must be all the traffic :)
 
#19
I'm Feeling ya man. I know how this stuff goes, those guys were being jerks basically.

My friend Richard at a basement ska show. These jerks were moshing and being stupid, so he just swings his arms, left right left, and the mosh pit is destroyed. Basically he's huge and super strong for no reason. And the Enforcer. That's what you need.

I could've used him at the Streetlight Show. There was one guy there, not very tall, just gigantic arms. Super muscular. Standing in the middle of the crowd, people are skanking, dancing, doing whatever, but if anyone came in contact with him he shoved them really hard. And he just kept doing it, for the entire show. It was pretty gay.

Sometimes you just need someone who's nice, and is the biggest. I miss Richard.
 
#20
When I was a kid a punk rock show was a punk rock show. It's the people in the pit that are the people "slamming." If someone goes down, there's 3-4 arms to pick that person up. If you got knocked out of the pit and hit someone around, you apologized and the person knows you meant no harm. That was cool, that was fun. OTOH, if you didn't want to get hit, you knew not to be right by the pit- but no one was gunning for bystanders.

Round about 85/86, DRI goes "metal." COC is suddenly "punk." There's people going to punk shows that never came to punk shows. The word "mosh pit" shows up. Suddenly people are getting beat up in and around the pit. I saw Motorhead in 88. There was a respectful pit going on there, but it got a little rough and someone flew into the stage in front of Lemmy's mike stand. He bitched everyone out because he didn't want to lose his $2000 investment in his teeth. :p That left a big open empty pit, so I stood out in the middle of it. This one longhair metal guy kept launching himself at me elbow first. I didn't mind too much, I was 18 or so, in the Army, and in the middle of the pit- I expected to get hit. One of my friends didn't like it and let the guy know, first verbally, second time physically. The 3 of us were almost killed by a sea of hair farmers that day.

That was one of the last times I was ever in a pit. The game changed, "moshing" is not "slamming" and it's not fun getting the **** kicked outta you at a place you're supposed to be enjoying yourself.

A few years later I saw Fugazi. Ian bitched about people slamming. I was way in back and thought it was pretty hypocritical, but back then I don't think I realized it was different from when he or I enjoyed being in a pit.
 

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