Tales from the mosh

[Toners]

A bit of a shout out to the metalheads among us. I haven't been out to a good gig for a while now and I'm getting kinda reminiscent about the good old days of mosh. Although I have many tales of the mosh, 3 of them really stick out for me:
1) Being spear tackled in the side by some kid who hits me and nudges me to the side a few inches, then falls to the floor. He was probably quite a weak kid, but it made me feel incredibly badass for a few minutes. I was probably targetted for the full length gothic black kilt I was wearing. No-one decided to mess after I picked him up off the ground and literally threw him back in (at The Unholy Alliance III, CIA, during the Slayer set)
2) There was this guy in a blue shirt who was really big (not muscularly, just a massive bloke) who was throwing his weight around. I basically got a bit of a run-up shoulder barge at this guy, and managed to get him to take out around 6 people as he fell... it was epic ^.^ (at Priest Feast, CIA, during the Megadeth set)
3) The Opeth mosh pit at Wacken. No-one had started one by the second song, and Baying of the Hounds had started, we all knew the bit to start it, so I basically said to the guys around me, "Mosh when the riff kicks in". It didn't turn out to be huge, but we got a good sized circle with 5 or 6 of us pretty much kicking serious ass with no-one else in. Angry bastard in a kilt, some guy who looked so hard he could scratch diamonds with his armpits, a guy who was tripping out so much it was unreal, a guy who was basically the gothic version of Jesus and a surprisingly hot blonde lass who was giving it absolutely loads. Basically, I started the mosh for one of my favourite bands, and it was joined by some pretty hard bastards (even the lass was giving a fair shout) Some more people joined in after a while, but those 5 or so minutes during BotH were pretty memorable.
So what tales do you bring from the mosh? And what bands were playing as they happened?

 

[VitalSigns]

Was at a Misery Signals/Comeback Kid show (amazing show by the way) Got elbowed in the face, got a concussion, had trouble waking up the next day for work, got fired. Told Misery Signals at a later show that I got fired and told them the story and they hooked me up with a hoodie, which was sweet.

Another time at August Burns Red, this notorious "Hate-Edge" kid named Chris Tinney (XTINNYX) found out I broke edge, so he jumped off a table behind me and smashed my face into the ground, and a bouncer grabbed him and threw him out, kids an idiot.


ACTIVATE THE PIT!

 

[Mozared]

I'm not quite the strong type (I'm extremely agile and fast, but not massive enough for a real moshpit), but I remember two concerts that were grand. I saw Parkway Drive at Groezrock 2008 and while I'm not a specific fan of the band, their whole act was one BIG moshpit and I've never seen so many people limping out of a crowd at once. The second was a terrific skapit during my first Streetlight Manifesto concert. It was the first time a concert *really* got me going and I was in the middle of it.

 

[quiet_samurai]

Got my ankle broke. The crowd went left, someone stood on my foot yet continued to carry me away from it while it stayed immobile. POP!


Saw some guy down in California at a Slayer concert turns his jacket inside out which just so happend to be covered with razor blades. To this day it was one of the most gnarly beat downs I have ever seen in my life.

When I tried to leave the pit once some guy decided I needed to stay in a while longer, and voiced this opinion by elbowing me really hard in the chest. I responded with a flying knee to his chest.

 

[Flying-Emu]

This is less my story and more my uncles, but he got stabbed at a Slayer concert by some young Asian guy. Now he's got a wicked scar on his left bicep from it.

The knife went about two inches deep...

 

[VitalSigns]

I'm not quite the strong type (I'm extremely agile and fast, but not massive enough for a real moshpit), but I remember two concerts that were grand. I saw Parkway Drive at Groezrock 2008 and while I'm not a specific fan of the band, their whole act was one BIG moshpit and I've never seen so many people limping out of a crowd at once. The second was a terrific skapit during my first Streetlight Manifesto concert. It was the first time a concert *really* god me going and I was in the middle of it.

Parkway Drive Gets SOOOOOO many kids slam-dancing its ridiculous

NOTE*

some of these stories are so ultra violent, I can't believe this, Ive been in so many pits and never once witnessed violence for the sake of violence (other than my run in with XTINNYX) The shows I go to are more Hardcore/Metalcore/Deathcore shows, you fall someone picks you up, everyone is bro's even if they don't know each other. The people you guys are describing give the pit a really band name

 

[megapenguinx]

Was at Warped Tour in San Francisco last year and this guy out of no where just drop kicks me in the face. He tried it again, I grabbed his leg and used his momentum against him to send him over the fence. It was epic.

 

[Toners]

I'm not quite the strong type (I'm extremely agile and fast, but not massive enough for a real moshpit), but I remember two concerts that were grand. I saw Parkway Drive at Groezrock 2008 and while I'm not a specific fan of the band, their whole act was one BIG moshpit and I've never seen so many people limping out of a crowd at once. The second was a terrific skapit during my first Streetlight Manifesto concert. It was the first time a concert *really* god me going and I was in the middle of it.

Parkway Drive Gets SOOOOOO many kids slam-dancing its ridiculous

NOTE*

some of these stories are so ultra violent, I can't believe this, Ive been in so many pits and never once witnessed violence for the sake of violence (other than my run in with XTINNYX) The shows I go to are more Hardcore/Metalcore/Deathcore shows, you fall someone picks you up, everyone is bro's even if they don't know each other. The people you guys are describing give the pit a really band name

heh, this guy's actually right. Most of the time there's an almost friendly atmosphere in one of those things. People help you up when you're on the deck and section that part of it off so people don't get hurt. However, you will occasionally get the odd asshole who will go round windmilling, that's the time where you have to throw punches...

no man shall take the king of the pit status from me by being a pussy.

also you don't have to be a big guy to get into the mosh... I've seen some really weedy kids in there before, and they're always fun to throw at other people ^.^

 

[bjj hero]

Was at a Misery Signals/Comeback Kid show (amazing show by the way) Got elbowed in the face, got a concussion, had trouble waking up the next day for work, got fired. Told Misery Signals at a later show that I got fired and told them the story and they hooked me up with a hoodie, which was sweet.

Another time at August Burns Red, this notorious "Hate-Edge" kid named Chris Tinney (XTINNYX) found out I broke edge, so he jumped off a table behind me and smashed my face into the ground, and a bouncer grabbed him and threw him out, kids an idiot.

ACTIVATE THE PIT!

Anyone who puts X's in their name is a ****, its been proven. Parkway pits ar pretty brutal. Seeing them again on Friday...

 

[VitalSigns]

Was at a Misery Signals/Comeback Kid show (amazing show by the way) Got elbowed in the face, got a concussion, had trouble waking up the next day for work, got fired. Told Misery Signals at a later show that I got fired and told them the story and they hooked me up with a hoodie, which was sweet.

Another time at August Burns Red, this notorious "Hate-Edge" kid named Chris Tinney (XTINNYX) found out I broke edge, so he jumped off a table behind me and smashed my face into the ground, and a bouncer grabbed him and threw him out, kids an idiot.


Anyone who puts X's in their name is a ****, its been proven. Parkway pits ar pretty brutal. Seeing them again on Friday...

ACTIVATE THE PIT!

... the X's arent actually in his name really ,its what we call him because hes Straight Edge, Edge kids tend to put the x's around there name to let everyone know that they are in fact straight edge. If you already knew that then dumb point but if not hopefully that explains that the X's aren't just for no reason.

 

[VitalSigns]

I'm not quite the strong type (I'm extremely agile and fast, but not massive enough for a real moshpit), but I remember two concerts that were grand. I saw Parkway Drive at Groezrock 2008 and while I'm not a specific fan of the band, their whole act was one BIG moshpit and I've never seen so many people limping out of a crowd at once. The second was a terrific skapit during my first Streetlight Manifesto concert. It was the first time a concert *really* god me going and I was in the middle of it.

Parkway Drive Gets SOOOOOO many kids slam-dancing its ridiculous

NOTE*

some of these stories are so ultra violent, I can't believe this, Ive been in so many pits and never once witnessed violence for the sake of violence (other than my run in with XTINNYX) The shows I go to are more Hardcore/Metalcore/Deathcore shows, you fall someone picks you up, everyone is bro's even if they don't know each other. The people you guys are describing give the pit a really band name

heh, this guy's actually right. Most of the time there's an almost friendly atmosphere in one of those things. People help you up when you're on the deck and section that part of it off so people don't get hurt. However, you will occasionally get the odd asshole who will go round windmilling, that's the time where you have to throw punches...

no man shall take the king of the pit status from me by being a pussy.

also you don't have to be a big guy to get into the mosh... I've seen some really weedy kids in there before, and they're always fun to throw at other people ^.^

If your talking about Push Pits (mosh pits where everyone just pushes and shoves each other) I think those are retarded and pointless, Im talking about Throwdown pits, Kids slam-dancing thats what A pit is supposed to be. Pantera was the first band to really inspire what is known today as a real mosh pit, rather than just pushing eachother around. Probably cause they are the inventors of combining groove elements into metal

 

[Toners]

Was at a Misery Signals/Comeback Kid show (amazing show by the way) Got elbowed in the face, got a concussion, had trouble waking up the next day for work, got fired. Told Misery Signals at a later show that I got fired and told them the story and they hooked me up with a hoodie, which was sweet.

Another time at August Burns Red, this notorious "Hate-Edge" kid named Chris Tinney (XTINNYX) found out I broke edge, so he jumped off a table behind me and smashed my face into the ground, and a bouncer grabbed him and threw him out, kids an idiot.


Anyone who puts X's in their name is a ****, its been proven. Parkway pits ar pretty brutal. Seeing them again on Friday...

ACTIVATE THE PIT!

... the X's arent actually in his name really ,its what we call him because hes Straight Edge, Edge kids tend to put the x's around there name to let everyone know that they are in fact straight edge. If you already knew that then dumb point but if not hopefully that explains that the X's aren't just for no reason.

I wasn't sure what Straight Edge was, so I looked it up on Urban Dictionary:

Basic Beliefs:
No drinking
No smoking
No promiscuous sex

how the fuck do these kids have fun? seriously?

 

[Miss_M]

The best pit experience was from a pit I wasn't even in - it was more fun to stand on the fringes and watch! Kataklysm, at Bloodstock Festival 2008. There must have been about 30 people involved at least, going mental in the circle pit, including a man wearning a full medieval suit of armour w/warhammer crafted entirely out of Carlsberg cans and crates and a man wearing a rubber chicken mask, when out of the blue about 10 of them formed a human pyramid in the middle while the rest continued as if nothing had happened. Insane.

Second place goes to a friend's gig when I inadvertantly karate kicked my ex up the ass wearing a pair of metal-toed New Rocks when the pit kicked off. Oops...

 

[bjj hero]

Was at a Misery Signals/Comeback Kid show (amazing show by the way) Got elbowed in the face, got a concussion, had trouble waking up the next day for work, got fired. Told Misery Signals at a later show that I got fired and told them the story and they hooked me up with a hoodie, which was sweet.

Another time at August Burns Red, this notorious "Hate-Edge" kid named Chris Tinney (XTINNYX) found out I broke edge, so he jumped off a table behind me and smashed my face into the ground, and a bouncer grabbed him and threw him out, kids an idiot.


Anyone who puts X's in their name is a ****, its been proven. Parkway pits ar pretty brutal. Seeing them again on Friday...

ACTIVATE THE PIT!

... the X's arent actually in his name really ,its what we call him because hes Straight Edge, Edge kids tend to put the x's around there name to let everyone know that they are in fact straight edge. If you already knew that then dumb point but if not hopefully that explains that the X's aren't just for no reason.

If you put the x's in as a piss take then fair enough. If he adds them himself (and he wouldn't be the first one) then hes an attention seeking twat.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

Was at a Misery Signals/Comeback Kid show (amazing show by the way) Got elbowed in the face, got a concussion, had trouble waking up the next day for work, got fired. Told Misery Signals at a later show that I got fired and told them the story and they hooked me up with a hoodie, which was sweet.

Another time at August Burns Red, this notorious "Hate-Edge" kid named Chris Tinney (XTINNYX) found out I broke edge, so he jumped off a table behind me and smashed my face into the ground, and a bouncer grabbed him and threw him out, kids an idiot.


Anyone who puts X's in their name is a ****, its been proven. Parkway pits ar pretty brutal. Seeing them again on Friday...

ACTIVATE THE PIT!

... the X's arent actually in his name really ,its what we call him because hes Straight Edge, Edge kids tend to put the x's around there name to let everyone know that they are in fact straight edge. If you already knew that then dumb point but if not hopefully that explains that the X's aren't just for no reason.

I wasn't sure what Straight Edge was, so I looked it up on Urban Dictionary:

Basic Beliefs:
No drinking
No smoking
No promiscuous sex

how the fuck do these kids have fun? seriously?

Isn't it obvious? Jumping off tables and slamming people's faces into the ground. Look, it says so here:

Another time at August Burns Red, this notorious "Hate-Edge" kid named Chris Tinney (XTINNYX) found out I broke edge, so he jumped off a table behind me and smashed my face into the ground, and a bouncer grabbed him and threw him out, kids an idiot.

 

[Toners]

If your talking about Push Pits (mosh pits where everyone just pushes and shoves each other) I think those are retarded and pointless, Im talking about Throwdown pits, Kids slam-dancing thats what A pit is supposed to be. Pantera was the first band to really inspire what is known today as a real mosh pit, rather than just pushing eachother around. Probably cause they are the inventors of combining groove elements into metal

Big Pantera fan myself, although slam-dancing is a bit retarded. I mean if you go into a pit to physically hurt someone, you're just being a jackass. Nobody likes the fact you're doing it, and when people DO do it in a mosh, people will either just avoid them or beat them to a pulp where they stand... It's a typical practice of slightly scenier or more emo band fans to do, and they'd never even partially survive at a proper festival :S There's mosh pit etiquette, and if you break those rules by swinging your arms round or kicking people, you're gonna get the shit kicked out of you. Period.
Now when you can get a decent wall of death or a big circle pit where it's every man for himself... that's the way forward. I've actually been in Europe's biggest one, at the Kreator set at Wacken '08. That was a damn good show, and festival

 

[VitalSigns]

If your talking about Push Pits (mosh pits where everyone just pushes and shoves each other) I think those are retarded and pointless, Im talking about Throwdown pits, Kids slam-dancing thats what A pit is supposed to be. Pantera was the first band to really inspire what is known today as a real mosh pit, rather than just pushing eachother around. Probably cause they are the inventors of combining groove elements into metal

Big Pantera fan myself, although slam-dancing is a bit retarded. I mean if you go into a pit to physically hurt someone, you're just being a jackass. Nobody likes the fact you're doing it, and when people DO do it in a mosh, people will either just avoid them or beat them to a pulp where they stand... It's a typical practice of slightly scenier or more emo band fans to do, and they'd never even partially survive at a proper festival :S There's mosh pit etiquette, and if you break those rules by swinging your arms round or kicking people, you're gonna get the shit kicked out of you. Period.
Now when you can get a decent wall of death or a big circle pit where it's every man for himself... that's the way forward. I've actually been in Europe's biggest one, at the Kreator set at Wacken '08. That was a damn good show, and festival

Slam Dancing isn't about hurting people at all, 30+ kids all throwing down in a pit looks sweet, homestly, one or two not so much, circle pits are wicked, walls of death are cool but dangerous but throwing down is not AT ALL about hurting people. some kids are dicks and use it for that reason. And throwing down isnt "emo" its a hardcore kid thing, emo kids only throw down to be an idiot and mock the stronger, angrier more hardcore kids, which is stupid on there part. If you've heard Whitechapel, Suicide Silence etc you would know these Aren't "scene or emo" bands and dont have those types of fans, yet everyone is throwing down.

Note: after you mention Kreator I can see were in to very different brands of metal, im more into The "Core" aspect of metal (core standing for hardcore) as in deathcore, Metalcore and Hardcore Bands. MOSH Metal as those genres are commonly called. So you can see my confusion, but yeah people don't throw down at Kreator shows (even though they have some decent breakdowns in my opinion) cause its not really the music for that, it gets more or a traditional Push pit alternative.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

At a Megadeth concert, a couple of years ago, my brother (he was 30 at the time, I was 16) picked me up and threw me bodily into the pit as a joke. I took down a couple of people and broke my nose. Thankfully it was near the end of the set so I didn't have to wait too long before getting clear, but it was fun nonetheless.

The funniest thing I've seen involving a pit was at a Bullet For My Valentine concert, where they organised a Wall of Death. The two sides of the crowd parted and left two guys standing there in the middle, who looked around, bemused, before shrugging their shoulders and lamping each other as the crowd charged.

Still, generally when it comes to pits, I'm quite happy slam dancing, and I'm pretty glad some of the nutters I see there haven't completely killed me yet, since I'm not the most burly metal fan in the world.

 

[Toners]

At a Megadeth concert, a couple of years ago, my brother (he was 30 at the time, I was 16) picked me up and threw me bodily into the pit as a joke. I took down a couple of people and broke my nose. Thankfully it was near the end of the set so I didn't have to wait too long before getting clear, but it was fun nonetheless.

The funniest thing I've seen involving a pit was at a Bullet For My Valentine concert, where they organised a Wall of Death. The two sides of the crowd parted and left two guys standing there in the middle, who looked around, bemused, before shrugging their shoulders and lamping each other as the crowd charged.

heh, I remember my first wall of death, I didn't really know what was going on, and got left in the centre. Then I saw both sides of the crowd launch at me and was like "shiiiiiiiiiit" and braced myself for impact. Ended up buried under about five people. It's great when you can actually part a really big section of the crowd and have them all charge in That happened at the Killswitch Engage set at Wacken. I wasn't involved, because I was waiting at the front of At The Gates for what was going to be one of their last shows. I still saw it happen, though I'm not a huge KSE fan.

 

[SmartIdiot]

1.) Slayer and Machine Head at Download 2007. 60,000 people slamming into each other in blazing sunshine. Magical. My ribs were sore the next day, however I sustained only minor injuries considering my size(I'm a small guy). I saw a lot more people with slings/crutches after they played...

2.) Cancer Bats at an incredibly small venue. A few bruises after but a really good night. Memorable as I took a friend of mine with me, his first gig experience (bless!) and he was totally exhausted afterwards! "How the hell can you still move?!"
EDIT: That was it, I knew there was more to it, just coiuldn't remember. Turns out my friend face-planted the floor within about 5 minutes, a couple of people helped him up and he carried on for the rest of the gig, however he told me afterwards (he's quite a muscular guy) "You're fucking fierce considering your size!". Turns out I inadvertently sent him flying

3.)Was at a Gallows gig about a month ago, maybe a little more. Sheer chaos. I thought nothing was more intense than 60,000 Slayer fans. Turns out there is and it's 1,500 Gallows fans in a very small venue!

They asked everyone to form the biggest circle pit they could, refusing to play until nearly the entire floor was taken up. They struck the first chord for 'The Great Forgiver' and rather than a straight ahead circle pit we all charged wall-of-death-style, then after all the chaos turned it became a circle pit. Pretty funny because in one of the earlier pits I got totally wiped out by someone twice my size, went flying. Scrambling to my feet so I wouldn't get knocked down again another guy twice my size comes along and just grabs me by the arm and pulls me up "there you go mate". As it happens I ended up doing the same for about 3 other people. It's nice to see that people look out for each other from place to place.