How To Survive a Mosh Pit

How To Survive a Mosh Pit

8th April 2019 2 By Guest Reviewer

A rock concert without a mosh pit is… Well… Not a rock concert. More like a Wiggles concert. And hey, there is nothing wrong with that if you’re six, but if you’re a grownup looking to have a great time, you need to know how to feel ‘the rock’ the right way. Step one is to find the nearest mosh pit and join it.

All the succeeding steps? Doing whatever it takes to survive. That’s right. Mosh pits might be a great time, but they can also be pretty brutal, and your boss might not find it so charming if you break your nose at a concert over the weekend.

That in mind, today we will take a look at a few ways you can survive your mosh pit experience while still having a great time.

1. Ear Protection

No one wants to look like the old grandpa at the concert, but if you are going to be right in the thick of it in a mosh pit, you might consider some degree of ear protection.

Modern-day speakers are no joke, and science seems to indicate more and more that the sound waves aren’t so great for your hearing.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to go there with earplugs (though if you want to, you might take solace in the fact that the band is probably wearing them also) but there are other means of protecting yourself. A beanie over the ears, ear buds, even long hair will offer you a little bit of protection.

With a small degree of precaution, you can ensure that your ears are only left ringing for three hours instead of six when the show is all over.

2. Finish Your Beer Before You Go in

Mosh pits are neither a place for children nor nine dollar beers. Things can get pretty rough in there, and if you have a drink you don’t want to spill, it would be prudent of you to finish it before you go in.

A little bit of liquid courage will also serve to fortify you against the baser instinct to run away from the thrashing crowd of strangers, rather than join them. So, it’s a win-win.

3. Have a Good Vomit Radar

Without getting too detailed, I think we can all agree that there are lots of people who go to concerts hoping to have a good time that immediately forget they can’t hold their liquor.

You don’t want to stand next to those people.

Unfortunately, they are also often frequenters of the mosh pit. If you are going to have a good time, you need to be able to spot one before calamity strikes. Symptoms include but are not limited to extreme inebriation, unbalanced swaying, and the utterance of the phrase “that guy’s about to throw up!”

Be on the lookout because a little bit of vomit can ruin an evening very quickly. Speaking of which


4. Be Mindful of How Much You Drink

Hey, we all want to have a good time, but moderation saves the day in a mosh pit. As much as you don’t want to be the person getting hurled on, you don’t want to do the hurling either.

Limit yourself to just a drink or two, and you immediately eliminate a whole range of potential problems. As an added bonus, you also get to keep your wits about you. Don’t dull your senses, enjoy the night! A good concert can be a rare and exciting experience.

5. Be a Good Samaritan

It’s easy to get into hive mind when you are moshing but resist the temptation to be just another face in the crowd. Be mindful, vigilant even, of the people around you so that you can maintain the overall safety of the concert. It’s inevitable that people will go down during the show.

When you see your brothers and sisters take a spill, take it upon yourself to give them a helping hand up. While we all know the risks attached to mosh pit life, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do what we can to mitigate them, right?

It’s the basic principle of what goes around comes around. You lend a helping hand when you can, maybe someone else will do the same for you when you need it.

6. Go in Expecting an Injury

While you shouldn’t expect to need an amputation at the end of the concert (and if you ever do have that expectation, certainly consider skipping the show, right?) you should be at least somewhat prepared for a scrape or bruise.

Moshing is a little like petting a strange dog. Ideally, everything will go just fine, but if it doesn’t? Well, that’s just nature, right? You knew what you were getting yourself into from the start.

If you do get knocked over bumped, even shoved, try not to get angry. Even if someone is being an instigator (which will happen from time to time) it’s in your best interest to avoid the situation instead of engaging with it.

With all of the emotions and adrenaline flying wild in a mosh pit, it’s best not to introduce aggression into the mix.

This is another good reason to avoid excessive drinking. We all know that booze and confrontation don’t mix so well together.

If you get bumped, you get bumped. Be sensible and enjoy the pit but remember it’s a mosh not a melee.

7. A little bit of Physical Fitness Might Come in Handy

Cue the music and the Rocky-like workout montage. Well, ok maybe not. You don’t need to punch steaks or even take a cinematic run up some steps, but you might find it handy to brush up on your physical fitness before the big day.

Mosh pits can be physically taxing over the course of multiple hours, and you may find yourself quickly exhausted if you’re out of shape.

Granted, a quick survey of most mosh pits won’t reveal a bunch of cross fit fanatics but it will at least feature a spread of people who know how to jam for a few hours.

What sort of fitness skillsets are prioritized in a mosh pit? Well, it depends on the pit of course, but if you can demonstrate a level of endurance when it comes to cardio you will be well off.  Mosh pits are marathons, not sprints, so pace yourself, have fun, and rock out.

8. Thrash

My goodness, man! You can’t just stand in the circle like a lame duck. They will eat you alive. If you really want to survive this mosh pit experience (and our bet is that you probably do) then the best thing you can do is just participate.

Give in to your instincts and let the music take you places you didn’t even know you could go. That’s the beauty of a mosh pit in the first place. It’s not just a location, it’s an experience. A journey. If you don’t swim you sink. If you don’t mosh in a mosh pit, you get moshed on instead.

So be smart by being silly, and just give into the experience.

Conclusion

Not so hard, right? Protect those ears, be mindful of what you drink, mindful of what others drink, and above all else, just have a good time. Remember, moshing is all about enjoyment and not just an excuse to show off your wacky martial arts moves.

If moshing isn’t for you, moves to the sides are back because once things go south, no mercy will be shown. Trust me, you will get, as Anthrax say ‘caught in a mosh’.

This article was written by the good folks over at Soundwiz. If you’re an audiophile, you’re gonna like what they post.

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