A GUIDE TO MOSHING AND MOSH PITS
“Moshing (also known as slam dancing or simply slamming)[1] is a style of dance in which participants push or slam into each other, typically performed to “aggressive” live music. Moshing usually happens in the center of the crowd, generally closer to the stage,[2] in an area called the “pit”. It is intended to be energetic and full of body contact.”
A guide to moshing. If you’ve been to a rock/metal/ska/sometimes pop/edm concert, you’ve probably witnessed the moshpit. If you’ve lived your life under a rock and have yet to witness a moshpit in real life, you’re still likely familiar with the concept through videos online. Or your mom seeing a news segment on heavy metal concerts and begging you not to get involved with satans music.
Moshing is basically intense dancing with a bunch of other (usually very sweaty and often sticky?) people. It’s a great way to let off some steam, a means to connect further with fellow concert goers and a great addition to a live concert experience. They can definitely be daunting at first, but lots of fun once you get the hang of it.
I debated writing this little guide to moshing at first thinking, well all of this seems really obvious, no? But then I thought back to when I was newbie mosher at fifteen and my friend lost her glasses in a pit. Or the first time I heard a singer yell “WALL OF DEATH” followed by me going “what did he say?” followed by me learning really fucking quick. Shit, this may even end up being a bit of a refresher for whenever the covid pandemic ends and all of us concert goers find ourselves walking back to a festival again as if we were in a coma for a decade and have no idea what year it is.
NUMBER ONE RULE. IF THEY FALL, PICK THEM UP
A bunch of bodies slamming into each other in a small space with loud music and alcohol, you bet there are going to be people on the ground. The biggest difference between a sweet moshpit and a shit one is whether people follow this most important rule. If you see someone fall, YOU HELP THEM BACK UP. 99% of the time your fellow concert goers are great about this, and you’ll see multiple people jump to one’s aid. Pits can get crazy but there’s power in numbers. The few times I’ve slipped and found myself flashing back to my childhood and Mufasa being trampled by wilderbeasts in the Lion King I usually barely touched the ground before several pairs of hands were helping pick me back up. This is what keeps moshpits safe. Well, as safe as slamming bodies can be.
NEED TO GET OUT? PUSH OR POINT
If you find yourself way too overwhelmed you just have to push your way out. That may seem overwhelming in itself, but people generally can tell the difference between “yeah this person is totally digging this pit” and “this person wants to get the hell out of here” and will help clear the way for you. If you’re closer to the front, it’s sometimes easier to get some help from security. In this case, it’s often easiest to crowdsurf. “Crowdsurfing?” you may be thinking, “I’m already fucking panicing here!” Trust me, I’ve used this method before to get out of a nasty situation and it can be the an effective escape plan. And if you find yourself needing additional help, you’ll end up literally in the arms of security who can help you.
NO ACTUAL FIGHTING
Moshpits may look violent and dangerous, which they can be, but it’s all fun and games.. until someone loses an eye because some guy looked at some other guys girl the wrong way and he’s pissed and the other guy is pissed that he’s pissed and now they’re trading punches. MOSHPITS ARE NOT FOR ACTUAL FIGHTING. You have a problem with someone, get security, or take that shit outside. Don’t ruin it for everyone else.
DON’T WEAR GLASSES
Cause you’ll find yourself without them about .5 seconds into the first song. Just wear contacts.
BIG JEWELRY? GIANT PURSE? HOOPS EARRINGS?
NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. That cool long necklace will choke you, that giant purse dragged in opposite directions from your body and those earrings? You like that hole being completely surrounded by flesh? Exactly.
TIE YOUR SHOES
Even if you think they should be fine, they probably aren’t. Retie them. Double tie them. Keep those laces tucked in. Losing a shoe in the pit fucking sucks. You may get it back right away or you may find yourself stranded getting your toes stomped on and by some big dude wearing steeled toed boots.
IF YOU FIND A SHOE, OR A PURSE, OR A PHONE, HOLD IT UP
Give people the best possible chance of finding the phone they dropped while trying to take a picture for the gram. Save someone’s night. Be the change you want to see in the world.
DON’T GROPE/BEWARE OF GROPERS
Most people aren’t shitheads from my experience, but every moshpit seems to have one. And sometimes that shithead is an extra piece of shit who decides to feel chicks up while in the pit. This has only happened to me once but now I can’t even listen to that band I was seeing without thinking of the experience. Yes there’s bodily liquids being shared and tons of skin against skin but do not take that to shithead levels. And beware that others may decide to do so. Use those elbows ladies.
LIMIT YOUR CROWD SURFS
Crowd surfing is fucking fun. I mean it’s terrifying and technically you’re being felt up by a bunch of strangers and hoping they don’t drop you. But jeez, it’s fun. You know what’s not fun? Getting kicked in the head twenty times by the same dude who won’t STOP crowd surfing. Go for a ride once or twice and then keep those feet on the ground for everyone please.
HOW DO I CROWDSURF?
I don’t crowdsurf very often but once in a while it’s fun to go for a ride and it’s easy to do. Look for a couple of bigger people, tap one on the shoulder, smile politely, point up and off you go! Usually the person/people will form a foothold for you to step up and then you’re sort of tossed like a dwarf (cheeky little Lord of the Rings reference there). For all the women reading this, try your best to travel on your back or a whole lot of people will be feeling up your chest. Don’t worry so much about landing the surf, if you end up naturally moving towards the front security will pull you down upon arrival at the barricade. Otherwise you’ll find yourself being lowered by the crowd.
FINISH YOUR DRINK FIRST
WALL OF DEATHS AND CIRCLE PITS
So for the most part moshing is all pretty similar. Sure, you may have the hardcore kids windmilling (swinging their arms like a windmill) or ska kids skanking (not sure how to explain that one, that’s what Google is for) but generally it’s just a lot of pushing and shoving. The two big exceptions that you might want to be aware of as a newbie, are the wall of death and circle pits. These are typically started by the vocalist of the band so you’ll have a bit of a warning one is coming.
WALL OF DEATH. The moshpit splits right down the middle and those on either side of that line push back as far as they can creating a big empty void. Well, mostly empty, there’s usually one of two dudes strutting in the middle thinking they’re either tough or hilarious when they’re neither. At the vocalists command, or the start/obvious intense part of a song, both sides go running at each other and yeah. Wall of death. I don’t like these and when I hear wall of death I go barging my way out of the battle field as quickly as I can. Cool to watch though.
CIRCLE PIT. Is a mosh pit. In a circle. Running and shoving in a circular motion. A circular pit. You get it. I also don’t really like these, it’s just a lot of running. Exception, the linked arm polka style pit I was in at a Gogol Bordello concert on a beach. That was fucking fantastic.
Be warned that there tends to be a LOT of falling during circle pits.
Alright, this is making me feel pretty nostalgic for the days when the thought of rubbing up against a bunch of strangers wasn’t completely frightening, so I’m going to end this here. There’s definitely more to learn if it so tickles your fancy. Like the various “moves” and differences between a ska pit and a death metal one. Or how to properly hold up a singer who decided they wanted an epic conclusion by balancing on peoples hands while belting out a chorus.
But overall I think this guide to moshing is a pretty good overview or what to expect and how to approach the mosh pit .. Whenever those are a thing again. If you find yourself immediately post covid at one of the first metal shows happening, and are new to this world of moshing and want to give it a go, I applaud you. But I also warn you. After a year or two or however long the wait ends up being, the first few moshpits are going to be WILD.
I can’t fucking wait.
One Comment
Brannon Wright
Spot on. I was googling something else and saw “Guide to Moshing” and I thought…this ot to be good for a larf. I am pleasantly surprised. WGAF right? Well, I have over 40 years of pit experience starting in the early 80s Mabuhey/Keystone in San Francisco, through almost every GWAR and SLAYER show in LA, up till the last show I saw live, Ministry in Los Angeles a few years ago. My point is, I know and love pits! I wasn’t expecting anything good from your title but you nailed it. I’ve been trying to think of stuff you might have left out but I’m drawing a blank…mostly. The super rare “INFINITY PIT”. Hundreds of shows over the last 4 decades and I’ve only been in one. Anthrax, SOD, Testament at Santa Monica Civic…1987? 88 i think? Long story short, we had a group of almost a dozen. At one point there were 2 main pits 3-5 smaller pits AND…a Mosh Train circling the perimiter of all of this. 4 of us were in 1 pit, a couple were standing on the EDGE of our pit. Turns out, THAT EDGE, was about 4 person deep barrier between our main pit 1, and the other main pit 2. Around this point, something occurred to me. I told my buddies on the EDGE that we were gonna be coming. Told my other 3 buddies in our pit to lock up…the 4 of us locked arms and BULLDOZED through the wall!. Our buddies on the EDGE knew we were coming and pushed people aside for us to bust through. We broke through the EDGE/wall and realized, we were going in the proper direction in THIS pit! Once people noticed, it was even MORE insane! EVERYONE in BOTH pits began to notice the crossover to the other (respective) pit and traversed No-Mans Land…the intense intersection/ high collision zone between Pit 1 and Pit 2. BEST PIT(s) EVER!!!
Good article. Well done.