Go to any gig now and there seems like some over-hyped Moshpit happening somewhere in the middle of a crowd. Our beloved Moshpit is now expanded into other Musical genres and was once a select few is now becoming a key part in live music culture altogether.
It is a well known fact that a growing number of venues around the country have outright banned Moshpits, Stage dives and Crowd Surfing, with many bands being told by the venues to not 'encourage' it whilst performing on stage.
A lot of venues look a Moshpits being unwanted aggravation that is unnecessary, and in some cases it is.
Its easy to see why.
People get hurt, Sometimes fatally and it can have a devastating effect on a venues and the bands reputation. It's a lot to put at risk. So why do people do it?
I would love to tell you that, 'I think they should Ban Pits because you might get hurt. It's annoying for people who don't want to be involved and all it is a bunch of sweaty half naked men who are looking for an excuse to touch each other'
But I Would Be Wrong!
A Mosh Pit is
the purest form of releasing adrenaline and connecting you to the band. Releasing all of your energy, It is most selfish way of showing your affection.
#Some people cry to Music, I Mosh!
That doesn't mean bands and venues share the same opinion as me. I remember once going to a new venue that had just opened it's door to 'Heavier' bands playing and watching three security guards not have a clue what to do when a 1000 person capped venue sold out and about the half the crowd split and started to run at each other.
Video of the Gig in question...
What would of happened if someone hurt?
Who's to blame?
The band that encouraged it? The venue for not controlling the crowd? or is it down to an individual bases?
Crowd Management Strategies estimates that 10,000 people have been injured in and around mosh pits in the last decade.
Paul Wertheimer, president of Crowd Management Strategies Inc, the only organisation that tracks concert crowd safety incidents.
"People go up [surfing] and stay up but more often than not they fall on people. They can die."
"A festival where moshing is prevalent, like Bamboozle, is likely to generate 100 to 200 mosh-related injuries requiring first aid or hospital care," said Wertheimer.
The approximate number of mosh concerts and the general number of people injured at the events.
Smaller concerts, from 500 to 5,000 attendees will generate six to 40 first aid casualties or injuries.
"Mosh pits shouldn't be banned if they can be managed safely," said Wertheimer.
"It can be fun and enjoyable and can work in a relatively safe manner.".
Everyone has to respect the unspoken 'Rules' and if not, it will cause unorganised chaos!
If you're not sure what the rules are check out the Video below.
We all have respect the opinions of others and not all people who go to gigs do.
We have to remember because we can take a few 'hits' and pushes, don't mean everybody can.
"Mosh pits are an interesting problem,"
James Chippendale, the president of CSI Entertainment Insurance, a brokerage firm for more than 3,000 concerts and festivals nationwide.
"They're very tough to control and can break out anytime anywhere, The people who are in it are voluntarily doing what they do in mosh pits, slam-dancing," said Chippendale. "Those aren't the ones filing the claims, it's usually the person that they're falling on."
You have heard my view and now you know what the experts say...
Comments