Mosh in a Mosh Pit

Are you going to a concert this weekend? If so, you might want to keep your eye out for a clearing full of body-slamming, circle dancing, aggression-releasing people that forms when a particularly good band whips the crowd into a frenzy. This clearing, known as the mosh pit, is a fun but very intense place to dance your way through. However, with a little know-how and a lot of courage, you'll be moshing with the best of them in no time.

Steps

  1. Know protocol and unwritten rules. While it may seem otherwise, moshing is by no means a way to hurt someone. Moshing is about releasing aggression, and having fun while enjoying some awesome music. The 'rules' are mainly common sense.
    • No karate in the pit - Many newcomers to moshing tend to start flailing their arms and/or feet around, especially in the 'core scene. This is an easy way to hurt someone, and ruins the fun for everyone around you. Don't do it.
    • Falling - Lift that person back up and make sure they are not hurt. They will probably just laugh and thank you before joining back in or stepping out if they are hurt. This could possibly be the most important rule of all, you must pick up a falling mosher at all times.
    • Copping a feel - It's wrong. Don't do it. Every female mosher isn't a groupie and if she doesn't get revenge on you, the guy beside you will get it. Not only is it wrong, it's very disturbing to a girl. But, it does happen, and if it does, call out whoever did it. More respectful moshers will usually push him away, or get between you and him.
    • Hitting - It's not a fight! If you hurt someone it is etiquette to maybe shake their hand or clap their shoulder. Do a friendly gesture and apologize (flashing the 'horns' and mouthing an apology over the music works). Also bear in mind that if you start a fight, you will be surrounded and greatly outnumbered.
    • The Pull out - When you're standing around an extremely violent/large pit watching the action and you see someone trying unsuccessfully to get out of the pit, if you think you can handle the pit, go and get them. It's always appreciated.
    • The Lift Up - If someone is hurt but no one will move to let them out of the crowd (which is common at larger festival pit and crowds), ask the people around you to lift the person up and body surf them to the front so security can help them out. Make sure to ask if it's okay first though as getting lifted freaks some people out at first.
    • Don't Be The Jerk. People on the sidelines are on the sidelines for a reason...They Don't want to mosh right now. Of course some will very soon others don't. Don't force anyone to mosh by grabbing them and throwing them in to the pit if they really don't want to. Sometimes this is a great way to start a pit but if a pit is already going and someone's on the sideline don't force it. Also if they are holding a fist out in front of them they don't even want to be touched.
  2. Know what you're getting into. Be objective and recognize that you may get hurt, and you're definitely going to get covered in sweat (and maybe even saliva or blood) of complete strangers. While the objective of a mosh pit is to make physical contact without getting hurt, there is a good degree of unpredictability and risk. Much of the risk comes from the type of music playing. Ska will be more relaxed, while metal and some punk will be rougher. If you're considering making your debut in a mosh pit, be aware of the potential consequences and make sure that they're worth the thrill.
  3. Wear the right gear. Wear clothes that you don't mind getting stained or even ruined. Your outfit should also be comfortable and light, since it will get hot in the pit.
    • Make sure your shoes fit tightly and lace them well, because if a shoe falls off, you'll have a hard time getting it back and your unprotected foot will suffer in the meantime. Boots or chucks are recommended.
    • Remove any spiked wristbands or other dangerous accessories, as they could injure a fellow mosher (or even yourself). Avoid anything that can be grabbed (i.e. chains, chained wallets, long necklaces and dangling earrings). Unusual and easily injured piercings may look cool, but will be a liability in the pit.
    • Never take bags or backpacks into the pit as they are a liability to you and the people around you. Give any loose articles to a trustworthy friend. Do not keep anything in your pockets in a pit! They will most likely fall out.
    • If you can see reasonably well without your glasses, take them off and leave them with a friend who is not moshing. Better yet, wear contacts to the show.
    • Your shirt will most likely be grabbed and pulled, so it is best to get a shirt with good coverage. If you are female, it is best to wear a sleeved shirt, not a tank top.
  4. Brace yourself. Whether in the mosh pit or out, you need to keep your hands and more specifically, your arms prepared. Don't look like you're ready to strike someone, but certainly don't put yourself in a position where your hands are going to be stuck to your sides, you may accidentally get your face knocked by someone's skull flying at you and you weren't ready for it.
  5. Watch and observe from the side. How brutal are the individuals bouncing around this particular pit? Are people just having fun, or are they going for blood? Know the difference between those who are "slam dancing" and the idiot high school jock who's running around smashing people in the face with his knuckles. There are many different types of moshing, and adapting to these is an important step if you want to enjoy it.
  6. Participate on the side line by pushing people back in the pit and embracing mosh pit kids from falling as they circulate the rim. There are going to be people flying back and forth, side to side, up and down and all over the place.
  7. Circle the circle pit. You're going to continue pushing, bouncing, and slamming off of other people in the pit. Eventually you're going to be able to control your direction and choose your hits, maybe even on your first night. Go at the speed of the crowd. Watch out for pauses, though. Typically, all moshers who know when a pause in the song is coming will clear the pit and start after the pause. Be sure to either know the music or be ready for pauses to occur if you don't know how to mosh yet.
    • The dropper (or breakdown) is the violent outburst that many metal, hardcore, alternative bands, punk rock, and similar types of music have that goes from normal lyrical music to a crashing point which will set off the adrenaline of every kid around you and is virtually the "go" sound or green light that it is time to smash and slam again. If you're unfamiliar with the music, this is going to be hard to spot, but if you see it coming, you won't be caught off guard by the sudden outburst.
  8. Open up the pit. Sometimes mosh pits occur in very crowded places. When this happens, there will be a natural tendency of the crowd to push the outer rim of the pit towards the center. Eventually this will close the pit unless the crowd is continually pushed back. Seasoned moshers will typically counteract this by launching themselves into the sides of the pit in various ways. Basically, if the people on the cusp of the pit have more incentive to stay out of your way than to let the crowd push them into the pit, the pit will stay open. Some strategies for doing this include...
    • "Crack back" by having several people lean back onto the walls of the pit with their arms outstretched
    • "Cluster" a bunch of people with their arms over each others' shoulders and have them bounce around the walls of the pit
    • "Slingshot" into the sides by using another person's momentum to launch you.
    • "Circle pit" by creating a whirlpool of people running around the outside of the pit.
    • Anything that involves flailing limbs that looks like it will hurt if someone gets too close. There are numerous hardcore dances that can facilitate this. Look to the crowd for inspiration.
  9. Switch things up.
    • Pogoing. Basically just jumping up and down, usually at punk shows.
    • The Cyclone. Cross your arms over your chest to form an "x" and clasp hands with a fellow mosher in the same position, facing you. Then spin around each other, using your weight to gain momentum. This is a good way of widening a small pit or making space to perform further moves in a crowded pit. You can let go when you are spinning fast, but this will likely result in a hard landing and possible injury, or slamming into and thus annoying another mosher.
    • Stage dive. Push your way past the crowd and the bouncers if you can so that you can get on stage. Without disrupting the band or any of their equipment, dive into the crowd (make sure they see you coming) and tense up when you land so that you're easier to catch. Be warned: Many venues will eject you from the concert for stage diving. Make sure you know the rules of the club.
    • Crowd surf. You can start off either by stage diving or by hoisting yourself up on two (taller) people's shoulders. Having somebody lift you up by the foot with their hands is risky because odds are, the people around you won't have enough time to see you coming and somebody (including but not limited to you) will get hurt, extremely hurt! If you do get boosted make sure the people around you see you coming before you actually land on them.
    • The anaconda - a two person move that is best done with lots of space. Put one person's legs around the other person's waist so that their hands are on the ground and legs elevated. The standing person holds on to their quads and lifts bringing their entire torso up. The person with their hands on the ground should push up to help the lifting person. Doing this repeatedly is a lot of fun and will get a lot of laughs.

Tips

  • If you're on the edge of a pit and you see someone small or you see a chick, don't go standing in front of them or pulling them away from the edge thinking you should protect them. It makes the show less enjoyable. If you feel the need to protect a person on the edge, stand next to them so they can defend themselves, and you can help them if need be.
  • If you decide to participate in the wall of death, the first rule needs to be enforced because someone could be trampled or even killed.
  • Go with some friends and stick with them. That way, you'll have a few landmarks and lifesavers. If it's a large pit, pick a place to meet up after the show in case you lose them. It sucks to wander about aimlessly for hours trying to pick them out from a crowd of 600 people who are moving around.
  • If you are struggling with being pushed too much and you want to get out of the pit, DO NOT bend down or you risk falling over and getting injured by people around you accidentally stepping on you. Bring your hands up towards your face and use your arms as stabilizers while working your way out of the mosh pit. Don't panic: it's more important to stay upright and take longer to get out than to hurry out and risk falling over. Also if you can, tell someone on the wall of the pit to grab you and pull you out.
  • Stay hydrated. It's hot and sticky in the mosh pit, and you'll be getting quite the workout. Make sure you bring extra water since venues typically overprice them (e.g. a water that typically costs $1 would most likely be priced at $4 or more). You could pass out if you find yourself dehydrated, and passing out in the pit could get you killed.
  • You'll know when you've had enough. Moshing is seriously athletic and you will get very tired. It may take you all night to get there, or it may be after your first run. When that happens take a break and enjoy the music from outside the pit.
  • Don't drink in the pit. That's best left for the sidelines, especially in indoor venues a spilled drink can lead to a domino effect of moshers, which can lead to serious injury.
  • Find safety in the "eye of the storm". If you are in a pit that is too intense and you are feeling fatigued, there is safety in the center. Just like a spinning bicycle wheel or a record, the tangential velocity is smaller and closer to the center. Depending on the motion of the pit however this may be ineffective. Many times people standing in the center are sitting ducks. Although if there are some people in the middle getting ready to slamdance it is better to try to get out of the circle than be stuck in the middle about to be smashed right next to someone two-stepping.
  • Try to keep your arms up but your elbows in. Use your forearms as bumpers to soften any impact and protect your face and eyes as well as deliver a pretty good shove when the time is right. Keep your hands closed in loose fists, like you're holding onto a steering wheel. This keeps you from grabbing/clawing/punching people hard and also keeps your fingers safe from getting bent back painfully or even broken.
  • In some violent mosh pits, walking slowly out will get you run over. In this scenario it's usually best to keep going until you get pushed into the crowd surrounding the pit. As you near the edge, keep forcing yourself to get out, people on the sideline pushing you will know that you're coming out.
  • If you have hair long enough to be tied back, please do so unless you're headbanging. It makes things more pleasant for all.
  • Pits are chaotic by nature and you're less likely to get injured and will save yourself a lot of energy if you just go with the flow.
  • If you find someone's sneaker, wallet, or other personal belonging, it is also mosh etiquette to hold it up in the air to be claimed by its owner.
  • People with long hair make sure to tightly tie it up. If you're moshing with long hair down,it is likely that it will be pulled - a lot! Tie it up and have fun!
  • The most important tip: If someone falls, PICK THEM UP!!!

Warnings

  • Watch for kids who wear spike bands in a pit. They will leave scars.
  • Don't smoke in the pit! It's bad form (and bad etiquette) to smoke inside a mosh pit. You're probably going to burn someone, or the same very large mammal of a man who would hurt you for not picking up a fallen fellow mosher may burn you with it.
  • If you're a female, beware of any dangers! There are sometimes guys in the pit who are going to go for the gold and try to cop an anonymous feel. If you are harassed, get a good look at the perpetrator and don't hesitate to announce what they did. Most will disapprove and act accordingly. Also, there is almost no time to decide how hard you are about to hit a person so guys and girls get hit equally hard.
  • While participating on the side line is perfectly acceptable, understand that you are shoving moshers from their "blind spot" in most cases. A violent push from the side can send an off-balance mosher directly into an oncoming elbow or head that would've otherwise been averted. Furthermore, you can and will be specifically targeted for retaliation if you do this throughout the show.
  • You're going to get hit. As long as you're not a target of another and you're keeping your hands in a position not to get tagged in the face and you're leaning backwards, you'll be safe. But it is possible to become severely injured in a mosh pit, so understand the risks. People have broken ribs, noses, etc. in mosh pits. And people who windmill are going to get hit!
  • While climbing onto the stage and doing a stage dive may be glorious, note that if you get caught by security after getting on the stage, you may become a victim of retaliation from them. This is dependent on the group doing the security, but you may be ejected from the concert.
  • People in the "Side Line" may try to avoid any hit. So if you want to get out, calm down yourself and do it slowly, or you'll get kicked to the mosh again.
  • Consider yourself very lucky when you participate in a pit where most participants are following these rules of etiquette, the uninitiated more likely than not will ruin your good time.
  • At some outdoor festivals, tents are put up over the stage and crowd areas. Be mindful of hazards and obstacles in these situations, nothing ruins the fun like running into a tent pole and getting a concussion or tripping over a tent spike and losing an eye. If something like this happens to another mosher, try to assist them, warn others nearby and send for the venue's security or medical staff.
  • Know your surroundings. If you're seeing a band in a small coffee shop or even a house show, don't start spin-kicking and pushing people. Often times these shows have little or no stage and nothing ends a show quicker than crushing the band.
  • If you have done something to become the target of a much larger/more aggressive mosher, it is generally best to leave the pit for a little while. These overly aggressive moshers may single you out and make every effort to hit you as hard as possible which can cause undesired injury and quickly ruin the show for you.
  • "Mosh Dancing" or "Two-Stepping" has its place at concerts, just not in the pit. Don't start swinging your arms around dancing in the middle of a high contact pit. Chances are (depending on the type of show) many people will not take lightly to this and may mosh extra hard or violently in your direction. If you feel the need to dance, do so well away from the pit.
  • Avoid stage diving directly into the mosh pit as people will generally be too busy running into each other to catch you. To avoid injury, instead jump to the crowd surrounding the pit. Make sure that they see and know that you're coming.

Things You'll Need

  • Good, gripping shoes that almost completely prevent falls.
  • Loose clothing
  • A friend (optional)

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Sources and Citations

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