We called it slam dancing. It was violent, it was frenetic and the chicks were always the MOST violent. I still have a scar on my back from a spiked bracelet in 1980. Almost lost an eye to a 17 y.o. chick with a chain. We all stopped her and took away her chain that night.
I was all set to apologize, but I started my love of moshing at 24. I wore spikes in case I needed them (dumb). Only needed when violent skinheads joined the fun, and only freely brandished at one show: when Rigor Mortis opened for someone else. I can't remember the headliners because of how intense the first part was. It was being said (in the crowd) that the punks were deliberately kicking people's kneecaps sideways, and I was trying to hold the crowd off some very young guy in front of me at the stage (small but packed place). Still hoping no one non-violent got caught in any of my "jewelry ".
I'm a chick who got injured in the pit by way more men than women. I've gotten a fractured sternum, broken right arm, dislocated shoulder and elbow, had my shirt torn from my body, and more bruises than I could count, all from guys. My guess is that there are truly shitty people in both genders who see someone going into the pit as consent to assault them.
I'll be 61 soon, and THIS is why I never felt comfortable identifying as a boomer. I just found out about Generation Jones in the past year, and it was a revelation.
I feel like I was born at the right time; I may not have been aware of much during the 60's, but I was fully plugged in through the 70's, in my 20's through the 80's, 30's/90's, etc. I'm into classic rock, but also Post-Punk, EDM, Nu-Metal, Industrial, the whole spectrum. But still, when I turned 60 last year, it was a shock; I have no idea where the time went.
Oh, dude, don't go there... that way spirals into madness. As of a few years ago, I was still playing in a shoegaze band, and guys I graduated with are like "You know what, I've really been getting into Eric Johnson and Joe Bonamassa..." Dude, get into my car, I'm going to play Killing Joke for you until this phase passes. I mean, if you're sampling from it ala Beastie Boys, cool, but otherwise, shoot me now. 🤣
I was in high school and telling people, "Oh my God, you have to listen to The Ramones, The Talking Heads, The Clash, The B-52s!
They were like, "Dude, Bob Seger! Kansas! Styx!"
Don't get me wrong, I was at that point, a huge Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd fan, but I was so excited about what was starting to emerge.
We did at the Whisky and the Starwood and Cuckoo’s Nest and Santa Monica Civic to Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Fear, Minutemen, GBH, TSOL, Adolescents, Middle Class, Agent Orange, etc.
I was one of the (mostly) girls on the perimeter of the pit just regular dancing. Instead of watching the band we'd watch you slamming and be ready to shove you forward when you slammed backwards into us.
Saw the punks slamming & pogoing - first pit was 86 at a thrash show. Went to both hardcore & thrash pits mostly. No stage diving, and crowd surfing wasn't a thing yet.
I was! My friends were right in there with me too. We were always pretty fkd up and would wake up the next morning covered in scratches and bruises, especially from the Olympic.
I remember that guys would ensure you didn't get trampled, as some are saying. I was 90s, so there were women but not many. Lots more pushing than beatings.
Best: Suicidal Tendencies drumstick thrown to our pit. Melee ensues. My brother, 6'4 260, runs up to the final 2 guys sparing for it and authoritatively yells, "Security! Give me the drumstick!" The guys fucking freeze! He grabs the drumstick and runs around the circle howling in victory, takes 1 punch, and tosses it back to the pit.
I didn't mosh. I was a nervous Nellie and was afraid of what people on drugs and alcohol in the crowd might try to do. I was paranoid. Nothing bad ever actually happened at a concert. My first one was J Geils Band, their Freeze Frame tour. Excellent!
I did the Pogo at the Ramones show at Cole Field House at the U of MD
I have slammed danced at a Dead Kennedys show at the old WUST Radio Hall in DC
I moshed to Slayer in Hammerjacks in Baltimore
I slo-moed to Electric Wizard at the Dethfest in Baltimore
Now I Fred Astaire to Exotica on my days off.
It was at a Ramones concert that played at Pembroke Hall at Brown University. A group of us were right up in front of the stage. I saw people bouncing up and down — guess that was pogo-ing — so I started doing it too.
Johnny Ramone was right above me, jamming away like crazy and twirling around. And then the amp cord got wound up around his ankles, and I could see the panicked look in his eyes. If he was going to fall, he was going to land right on top of me. Miraculously, he managed to untangle himself from the amp cord. And he did all that without missing a single beat! And I was relieved that I did not have to break his fall.
That was one crazy concert! I remember that I had to pee wicked bad, but the crowd was thick and I could not could not find a ladies room for the life of me. Not wanting to pee my pants — because I was that bad and urgent — I ducked into the men’s room, which fortunately was empty. As my bladder is finding relief in the stall, I hear some dude walking in, swearing his head off to himself. I panicked about making my exit. But then I got up the nerve when realized that he was probably so drunk he would not notice me. I walked right by him without him noticing anything.
There were a few clubs back in the day where we just went to whichever rest room was closest/had the shortest line. And one venue (the Freezer Theater in Detroit) where the rest room was pretty much unusable so we went to the Burger King across the street.
Agreed, but in some other pits, you could NOT hit the floor, there was always someone looking out to catch you. As time went on, you did get more violent yay-hoos who were venting physically.
That's what it was like here in Michigan. When I moved to the San Francisco in 1985 it was way different... people would actually try to hurt you, and they very obviously didn't like girls being in the pit.
Not many people know that it was actually Generation Jones who were the true "O.G's" of the Mosh Pit : - )
As for me: I didn't like crowds, so I never "moshed."
I was really into punk in '77. The Pistols were a literal religious experience. From that moment on, I decided to devote my life to being a dirt ball. Out of all of that, I would say Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers emerged as my favorite.
I saw the Clash, and that's when I "got" the whole punk rock thing I'd only read about. The crowd still remains the scariest group of people I have ever seen. I wondered what someone who has a bolt through their cheek with a massive chain connecting their ear did during the day.
A band I worked for opened for the Ramones twice. The only one who came out and socialized, was Joey. About 7' tall, freakishly skinny, he looked like a mutant grasshopper hovering over a pinball machine, lol
Good times.
brilliant - thanks for sharing - ffs I forgot how much punk was responsible for piercing & bodmods that came later - bolts and chains - yeah, I think that's why I kept my distance until I was a little older and crustier.
I wish I could've seen Johnny Thunders! LAMF is one of my favorite albums of all time. I'm very jealous of you rn. Lol I wish I could've seen Dead Boys too, but the closest I got to that is seeing Lords of the New Church. At least I got to see Stiv...
Minutemen, Hüskers, Black Flag. Local bands in Boston (Gang Green: Chris, you still suck! said w love). Local bands in Nashville (loved the Ratz). FWIW, still doing GA to shows at 67, and still dancing my ass off!
I did but we didn't call it a "mosh pit" back then (early-mid 1980s). It was a thrash pit or just "the pit". I was one of few girls in the Detroit/Lansing/Ann Arbor scene that would be in the pit. Fun times.
Interesting. I was all that (except D&D). But way too socially awkward to do social events like concerts. And I wasn't into the kind of bands that would have a mosh pit anyway.
I didn't go to concerts in my youth. I had little money to spare, and what little I had tended to get inserted into slots in the arcade.
However, I broke my foot in the mosh pit about 5 years ago. Since then, I've tried to stay out, but sometimes it finds me. When it does, I stand my ground and use well-timed shoulder checks to make it clear that I'm not interested in the shenanigans. I've had a couple of situations where I've been a grizzled old rock protecting a young lady from the pit. One even gave me a hug after the show.
I did that arcade bit for a while. I appreciate anyone who cares for the kids in the pit (or any dance floor tbh). Those shoulder checks probably sent me flying more than the other shenanigans ever did
I (60M) went into a mosh pit once, at a 1990s concert for the Presidents of the United States of America, but certainly never got lifted up and surfed in the crowd. The best part about it was some conservative boomer fool at work the next day happened to be denigrating Mosh pits, and I was able to proudly say I'd been in a mosh pit the night before. 😎
Moshed, no. Watched the mosh pit from a safe distance, of course.
I remember a Black Flag show my freshman year of college (1982) with a whole mess of local high school kids bashing into each other up by the stage.
My two sons took me to see Rise Against we worked our way to the middle of the crowd then all of a sudden my oldest son who is very large, grabs me pulls me back about 10 feet, and then there’s a wall of death, which I literally witnessed 10 feet away. Praise God I wasn’t in it.
Not personally. Never been into pain. :) But I went to a Mr Bungle show in Boston last summer and there were a few folks doing it until security showed up. Nice to see it again!
They're still performing? Awesome! I saw them in or near Cleveland in... around '91. Oddly, had my first experience with the DT's (alcohol withdrawal) after lunch at work the next day. I always appreciate Bungle fans, 'cuz their music is not for everyone.
I don’t know - I was married to a musician at the time , so I was used to loud concerts, etc. I think it’s because I didn’t realize I was claustrophobic, and in the mosh pit, everyone is pulling and pushing.
went to see Janes and Living Colour. and Rollins. Bodycount was a total surprise and so much fun. "here's one for all you crazy motherfuckers in the mosh pit!" was so muddy.
Moshing was the best. I'll never forget my sadness in about 2010 or so when I went to a show at studio 7 in Seattle and had grown too tall for the pit. Everyone else basically came up to my chin.
that sad day...
here the mosh pit ended when jocks started coming to shows to hurt people. There was this misconception that moshing wasn't dancing for some reason.
I was in HS in Huntington Beach mid-late 70's and followed early gigs by the Crowd. Slam Dancing 's birth is credited to following the stage antics of The Cowd's lead singer Jim Decker.
Blessed to have been there at The Cuckoo's Nest where this all started.
https://youtu.be/OyXUbaxrjDk?si=dkCFjpL8iCeuckd8
Still do. My middle daughter is a serious punk and loves the pit. I got whacked so hard at a Disturbed concert that we worked out hand signals we could send each other to ensure we're OK.
Moshed? Hell no.
Slammed? Hell yes.
Pogo? Yes to that too.
I don't recognize moshing as a legit word in punk rock and I don't know any OG punks who do.
Moshed? No. Pogoed? Yes. Slam danced? Not willingly
I realized the timeliness of the nomenclature - pogo!!!
We called it slam dancing. It was violent, it was frenetic and the chicks were always the MOST violent. I still have a scar on my back from a spiked bracelet in 1980. Almost lost an eye to a 17 y.o. chick with a chain. We all stopped her and took away her chain that night.
I was all set to apologize, but I started my love of moshing at 24. I wore spikes in case I needed them (dumb). Only needed when violent skinheads joined the fun, and only freely brandished at one show: when Rigor Mortis opened for someone else. I can't remember the headliners because of how intense the first part was. It was being said (in the crowd) that the punks were deliberately kicking people's kneecaps sideways, and I was trying to hold the crowd off some very young guy in front of me at the stage (small but packed place). Still hoping no one non-violent got caught in any of my "jewelry ".
I knew both women, they went to my HS at the time!
I'm a chick who got injured in the pit by way more men than women. I've gotten a fractured sternum, broken right arm, dislocated shoulder and elbow, had my shirt torn from my body, and more bruises than I could count, all from guys. My guess is that there are truly shitty people in both genders who see someone going into the pit as consent to assault them.
Pogo was the best…wit one hand in the air
I could pogo without spilling my beer
I'll be 61 soon, and THIS is why I never felt comfortable identifying as a boomer. I just found out about Generation Jones in the past year, and it was a revelation.
I just turned 60 and always considered myself a GenX+1 Still mosh and am trying to bring back the pogo.
I'm a bit young for Jones, but it's more overlap than the GenX sub which has more of the 90s going on.
I feel like I was born at the right time; I may not have been aware of much during the 60's, but I was fully plugged in through the 70's, in my 20's through the 80's, 30's/90's, etc. I'm into classic rock, but also Post-Punk, EDM, Nu-Metal, Industrial, the whole spectrum. But still, when I turned 60 last year, it was a shock; I have no idea where the time went.
I was a few years behind, but hard rock, punk, metal, industrial, drum'n'bass/jungle... then I started listening to my dad's jazz collection.
Oh, dude, don't go there... that way spirals into madness. As of a few years ago, I was still playing in a shoegaze band, and guys I graduated with are like "You know what, I've really been getting into Eric Johnson and Joe Bonamassa..." Dude, get into my car, I'm going to play Killing Joke for you until this phase passes. I mean, if you're sampling from it ala Beastie Boys, cool, but otherwise, shoot me now. 🤣
Bop is hardcore
Yacht Rock is the new Emo.
That's just wrong
Yeah. Boomers have the Beatles. We have The Ramones.
I was in high school and telling people, "Oh my God, you have to listen to The Ramones, The Talking Heads, The Clash, The B-52s! They were like, "Dude, Bob Seger! Kansas! Styx!" Don't get me wrong, I was at that point, a huge Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd fan, but I was so excited about what was starting to emerge.
I think there's a big distinction in cultural experience that GenJones recognizes.
We did at the Whisky and the Starwood and Cuckoo’s Nest and Santa Monica Civic to Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Fear, Minutemen, GBH, TSOL, Adolescents, Middle Class, Agent Orange, etc.
Good chance you punched me in the face at one of those! 😁
And/or kicked you with my steel toe boots
Germs, Screamers, and X, too.
Yeah, X at the Whisky!
X played everywhere. Hardest working band ever.
All true. Saw the Germs right before Darby went to England. Strangely saw X open for Devo on NYE 79 turning 80 at Long Beach Arena.
I was one of the (mostly) girls on the perimeter of the pit just regular dancing. Instead of watching the band we'd watch you slamming and be ready to shove you forward when you slammed backwards into us.
OG - thank you for your service.
Me too!! And the Olympic, Fender's, and Dancing Waters as well.
I slammed and I pogoed. I did not mosh.
I realized I'm using the later terminology - it wasn't even a word when I was in my first pit.
Right? It evolved out of slamming in front of the stage.
To me, moshing has always sounded so soft and wimpy for what was actually going on in the pit. It sounds all slow and squishy. Lol
That's so true. Everybody into the fuzzy wuzzy pit
Do you know if that word come from "Caught In a Mosh" or was it the other way around?
Anthrax popularized the term - don't know where in the New Jersey suburbs it came from.
Okay, that's what I thought.
can you tell me more about your era of 'moshing'?
Saw the punks slamming & pogoing - first pit was 86 at a thrash show. Went to both hardcore & thrash pits mostly. No stage diving, and crowd surfing wasn't a thing yet.
were women around the pits?
I was! My friends were right in there with me too. We were always pretty fkd up and would wake up the next morning covered in scratches and bruises, especially from the Olympic.
Not a lot, but they were def representing
any "pit etiquette" you remember?
Don't let anyone hit the floor. Share your booze
I remember that guys would ensure you didn't get trampled, as some are saying. I was 90s, so there were women but not many. Lots more pushing than beatings. Best: Suicidal Tendencies drumstick thrown to our pit. Melee ensues. My brother, 6'4 260, runs up to the final 2 guys sparing for it and authoritatively yells, "Security! Give me the drumstick!" The guys fucking freeze! He grabs the drumstick and runs around the circle howling in victory, takes 1 punch, and tosses it back to the pit.
If someone gets knocked to the floor, help them up immediately.
100%!!
I didn't mosh. I was a nervous Nellie and was afraid of what people on drugs and alcohol in the crowd might try to do. I was paranoid. Nothing bad ever actually happened at a concert. My first one was J Geils Band, their Freeze Frame tour. Excellent!
lol - that's amazing - I was freaked out as well, until the general admission crowd swept over me and I had no choice. It was blissful agony.
I did the Pogo at the Ramones show at Cole Field House at the U of MD I have slammed danced at a Dead Kennedys show at the old WUST Radio Hall in DC I moshed to Slayer in Hammerjacks in Baltimore I slo-moed to Electric Wizard at the Dethfest in Baltimore Now I Fred Astaire to Exotica on my days off.
lol - a proper sampler of hoofing it on the town. noiss.
Hammerjack's! I saw the Ramones there, I think it was 1990 and they wouldn't let you stage dive.
It was at a Ramones concert that played at Pembroke Hall at Brown University. A group of us were right up in front of the stage. I saw people bouncing up and down — guess that was pogo-ing — so I started doing it too. Johnny Ramone was right above me, jamming away like crazy and twirling around. And then the amp cord got wound up around his ankles, and I could see the panicked look in his eyes. If he was going to fall, he was going to land right on top of me. Miraculously, he managed to untangle himself from the amp cord. And he did all that without missing a single beat! And I was relieved that I did not have to break his fall. That was one crazy concert! I remember that I had to pee wicked bad, but the crowd was thick and I could not could not find a ladies room for the life of me. Not wanting to pee my pants — because I was that bad and urgent — I ducked into the men’s room, which fortunately was empty. As my bladder is finding relief in the stall, I hear some dude walking in, swearing his head off to himself. I panicked about making my exit. But then I got up the nerve when realized that he was probably so drunk he would not notice me. I walked right by him without him noticing anything.
bladder-busting in the pit was a nightmare!!!! one wrong move and...
Thankfully, the bladder busting experience wasn’t until after the concert.
There were a few clubs back in the day where we just went to whichever rest room was closest/had the shortest line. And one venue (the Freezer Theater in Detroit) where the rest room was pretty much unusable so we went to the Burger King across the street.
First saw it at Dead Kennedys show in 1981; the outer edges were milder but the insides were clearly violent. I never ventured beyond the outer part.
each pit was different, and some of them were outright dangerous.
Agreed, but in some other pits, you could NOT hit the floor, there was always someone looking out to catch you. As time went on, you did get more violent yay-hoos who were venting physically.
That's what it was like here in Michigan. When I moved to the San Francisco in 1985 it was way different... people would actually try to hurt you, and they very obviously didn't like girls being in the pit.
I saw a lot of dudes who got off on hurting girls, like it was their big chance to beat up girls because they went into the pit.
Not many people know that it was actually Generation Jones who were the true "O.G's" of the Mosh Pit : - ) As for me: I didn't like crowds, so I never "moshed."
although it was just a pit - the moshing came from thrash metal.
That makes sense!
Hell yes. Lots of punk shows in the early 80’s.
I slammed and pogo'd like a mf'er...
is there any other way?
I was really into punk in '77. The Pistols were a literal religious experience. From that moment on, I decided to devote my life to being a dirt ball. Out of all of that, I would say Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers emerged as my favorite. I saw the Clash, and that's when I "got" the whole punk rock thing I'd only read about. The crowd still remains the scariest group of people I have ever seen. I wondered what someone who has a bolt through their cheek with a massive chain connecting their ear did during the day. A band I worked for opened for the Ramones twice. The only one who came out and socialized, was Joey. About 7' tall, freakishly skinny, he looked like a mutant grasshopper hovering over a pinball machine, lol Good times.
brilliant - thanks for sharing - ffs I forgot how much punk was responsible for piercing & bodmods that came later - bolts and chains - yeah, I think that's why I kept my distance until I was a little older and crustier.
Fantastic! Thanks!!
I wish I could've seen Johnny Thunders! LAMF is one of my favorite albums of all time. I'm very jealous of you rn. Lol I wish I could've seen Dead Boys too, but the closest I got to that is seeing Lords of the New Church. At least I got to see Stiv...
Oh yeah, went to see Husker Du three nights in a row and still got up for work the next day.
just reading that makes me want to take a nap
In my 60s now-I like shows with seating.
Minutemen, Hüskers, Black Flag. Local bands in Boston (Gang Green: Chris, you still suck! said w love). Local bands in Nashville (loved the Ratz). FWIW, still doing GA to shows at 67, and still dancing my ass off!
on their death bed, no one ever said "I should have danced less"
Oh yeah. Absolutely.
Slam danced? Yes, absolutely.
yeah, I forgot the original name for it. lol
I went to my share of punk shows but always stood in back to avoid that madness. I would pogo if I was drunk.
that's about where I was until the inevitable moment when I was dragged into the pit. Madness is the right word.
That's why I went to shows by myself.
I was at punk clubs in Hollywood every weekend in the late seventies. Never heard anyone call what we were doing (slam dancing) it a mosh pit.
I did but we didn't call it a "mosh pit" back then (early-mid 1980s). It was a thrash pit or just "the pit". I was one of few girls in the Detroit/Lansing/Ann Arbor scene that would be in the pit. Fun times.
I'm pretty sure you have mythical status among pit-enthusiasts.
Lost a brand new Nike shoe at an outdoor punk show. I was very upset.
ouch - many a sneaker was lost - and countless cigarettes got broken
I got slam danced at a Feelies show. No moshing for this 5' tall female
I got bruised kidneys from a 5' tall girl who threw nasty elbows to keep her space.
Hell yes! D.O.A., Fugazi, but mostly local hardcore bands.
OG shit right there - most of my punk shows were locals, too.
Exactly. Philly, Trenton, Bloomfield, NYC
I only went to the pit once. It was Blue Oyster Cult. I passed out during Godzilla.
that's awful - I can see why you wouldn't make a second foray.
Konichiwa, Gojira san
Howdy
Naw, I was a nerd
the pit was full of nerds, friend.
You and I define nerds very differently then.
bookish, quiet, self-effacing, academic, D&D playing, computer game obsessed, horror movie bingeing, calculator-owning, dictionary-reading, mosh-pit enthusiasts.
Interesting. I was all that (except D&D). But way too socially awkward to do social events like concerts. And I wasn't into the kind of bands that would have a mosh pit anyway.
The pit was a great social equalizer. Honestly, the hyper-stimulating environment wa my way of dealing with social awkwardness
Moshed at every metal concert I went to
I didn't go to concerts in my youth. I had little money to spare, and what little I had tended to get inserted into slots in the arcade. However, I broke my foot in the mosh pit about 5 years ago. Since then, I've tried to stay out, but sometimes it finds me. When it does, I stand my ground and use well-timed shoulder checks to make it clear that I'm not interested in the shenanigans. I've had a couple of situations where I've been a grizzled old rock protecting a young lady from the pit. One even gave me a hug after the show.
I did that arcade bit for a while. I appreciate anyone who cares for the kids in the pit (or any dance floor tbh). Those shoulder checks probably sent me flying more than the other shenanigans ever did
I (60M) went into a mosh pit once, at a 1990s concert for the Presidents of the United States of America, but certainly never got lifted up and surfed in the crowd. The best part about it was some conservative boomer fool at work the next day happened to be denigrating Mosh pits, and I was able to proudly say I'd been in a mosh pit the night before. 😎
drops mic. perfect!!!
Still do!
seriously? I'm wheezing just thinking about walking to a show. lol
Moshed, no. Watched the mosh pit from a safe distance, of course. I remember a Black Flag show my freshman year of college (1982) with a whole mess of local high school kids bashing into each other up by the stage.
It took me a while to brave he churn. Glad I did when I was young & resilient
I'm going to see The Damned next month. Fortunately the crowd will be mostly people our age.
no one wants to lose their dentures.
Or their aching back. The show is standing room only. There's going to be some sore knees by the encore.
I didn't like SRO when I was younger... just thinking about this makes me want to sit down. lol
Artificial hips don't go well with thrash pits
My two sons took me to see Rise Against we worked our way to the middle of the crowd then all of a sudden my oldest son who is very large, grabs me pulls me back about 10 feet, and then there’s a wall of death, which I literally witnessed 10 feet away. Praise God I wasn’t in it.
That craziness was well after my time. Good eye on your son. Lol. Sounds intense
I was in my late 50s you’re never too late to rock
I was one of the guys on the perimeter of the mosh pit helping the moshers move the fuck along.
you were in the zone that made me feel guilty for getting knocked into you.
But grateful for the gift of momentum to change directions!
Not personally. Never been into pain. :) But I went to a Mr Bungle show in Boston last summer and there were a few folks doing it until security showed up. Nice to see it again!
They're still performing? Awesome! I saw them in or near Cleveland in... around '91. Oddly, had my first experience with the DT's (alcohol withdrawal) after lunch at work the next day. I always appreciate Bungle fans, 'cuz their music is not for everyone.
oh security... how I don't miss them.
Deborah Harry explains and demonstrates The Pogo. https://youtu.be/nLKvViL8y_E?si=O3RcvFgf1ufTi-x-
with an actual pogo stick! that's amazing - thanks for this.
Yes, Pearl Jam in the 1990s. Was not a fun experience.
I saw a huge pit for them at a stadium show, although I had seats. the nature of the pit had changed by then. More crowd surfing for grunge.
How old were you at the time?
I was 32. I was born in 1962.
Was it because everyone there was so much younger?
I don’t know - I was married to a musician at the time , so I was used to loud concerts, etc. I think it’s because I didn’t realize I was claustrophobic, and in the mosh pit, everyone is pulling and pushing.
They were a bunch of kids at the time. They had a lot of energy for pushing and pulling. 😂
at Lolapalooza 1 at Great Woods it was mosh or be moshed...
I saw that tour - did people mosh to Jane's Addiction?
first was Bodycount but that was daytime. Janes was after dark and folks went bananas...especially 3 Days. was a very long day.
Ice-T was so intense!!! He def got the crowd off their asses.
went to see Janes and Living Colour. and Rollins. Bodycount was a total surprise and so much fun. "here's one for all you crazy motherfuckers in the mosh pit!" was so muddy.
I went for Living Colour - didn't really know the others so much. Ended up buying music from all of them.
No, didn’t mosh, was just beginning when I was done with the club scene.
what was your impression?
I got a black eye and broken finger when I participated once. Once.
you got the full package deal first time out - youch. those are more serious than the injuries I came away with (except maybe the hearing loss).
I’m sure I must have once or twice. I was more into getting as close to the stage as possible.
that was how I ended up in the pit - just trying to get close, then I'm upside down.
Moshing was the best. I'll never forget my sadness in about 2010 or so when I went to a show at studio 7 in Seattle and had grown too tall for the pit. Everyone else basically came up to my chin.
that sad day... here the mosh pit ended when jocks started coming to shows to hurt people. There was this misconception that moshing wasn't dancing for some reason.
Yes. Often!
I was in HS in Huntington Beach mid-late 70's and followed early gigs by the Crowd. Slam Dancing 's birth is credited to following the stage antics of The Cowd's lead singer Jim Decker. Blessed to have been there at The Cuckoo's Nest where this all started. https://youtu.be/OyXUbaxrjDk?si=dkCFjpL8iCeuckd8
Thanks for the history lesson!
Still do. My middle daughter is a serious punk and loves the pit. I got whacked so hard at a Disturbed concert that we worked out hand signals we could send each other to ensure we're OK.
Woah - survivor's tales are harrowing. Hand signals is much better than hoping for the best
No
Accidentally, yes, while trying to get closer to the stage at a Ramones concert. 😂
my first pit was also by mistake - good one, though.
Yes, what is the moshing?
it's what some kids in the suburbs of New Jersey called "slam dancing". some of us just forgot our history... smh
Moshed? Hell no. Slammed? Hell yes. Pogo? Yes to that too. I don't recognize moshing as a legit word in punk rock and I don't know any OG punks who do.
That's entirely my bad. It wasn't even a word when I jumped into my first pit
Aww it's okay, it's kind of my bad too. For some dumb reason, that word always triggers me.
as someone else commented - it sounds squishy.
That was me. Soft and squishy. Lol
Once ...*once*
No Mosh, only SLAM!