Warped Tour's New Stance On Moshing and Crowd Surfing

I know it is October, but I am still curious as to some of the controversies at this year’s Warped Tour.

I was unable to attend, but according to sources such as Metal Injection, there were banners reading, “NO MOSHING/CROWD SURFING. You Mosh, You Crowd Surf, You Get Hurt, We Get Sued, No More Warped Tour.”

Image credit: Bram Teitelman

For people like me who could not care less about moshing or crowd surfing, this is not bothersome. To be honest, it would make me feel better if all venues had these banners.

However, I do understand that people like to do it and it makes the experience more enjoyable for them. Actually, I will admit that one of my fondest memories of Warped Tour 2013 was standing back and watching all the crowd surfers do their thing during The Black Dahlia Murder’s set.

If concert-goers can be safe and organized about it, then moshing and crowd surfing can be tolerated.

The thing is, people do get hurt. The Huffington Post suggests that the Warped Tour ban had something to do with lawsuits. Oli Sykes, the lead singer of Bring Me The Horizon (one of my favorite bands), was apparently sued by the parents of a 12 year old girl who was injured during one of their shows.

This is terrible, but I also believe suing the band or the venue is wrong. Did the girl’s parents not listen to Bring Me The Horizon’s music before they let her go? No underage daughter of mine is going to a metalcore concert without me to make sure she is nowhere near a mosh pit or crowd surfers.

If people simply take responsibility for themselves and their children and become more aware of their surroundings, Warped Tour will not need their banners. 

The Huffington Post article mentioned earlier also states that according to Warped Tour founder, Kevin Lyman, the banners were just “a reminder to be safe and take care of each other” and no one was actually kicked out. 

Whatever the reason, I am still curious as to how many mosh pits and crowd surfers there were this year with the banners. Were the new "rules" enforced at all? If any attendees of this year’s Warped Tour would like to share their experiences, your comments are greatly welcomed and appreciated. 

One-of-Those Wednesdays: Mosh Starters

There are always “those people” at rock shows. Those people who do things that are annoying and/or dangerous that most people know not to do. Whether those people are oblivious or just do not care, it is time to become more aware.

I am creating One-of-Those Wednesdays to call out those people who do not have proper concert-going etiquette as well as to help those around them keep watch for and cope with their shenanigans.

To kick things off I am going to start with those who inspired the blog. In other words, those people who start a mosh pit without considering where they are.

Image credit: Ashley Aron

In my own personal, extreme opinion—and you can share with me what you think—nobody should mosh. Not only is it dangerous, but it is distracting. I am aware that not everyone goes for the music (which will probably be another One-of-Those Wednesdays) but I can genuinely say that I do. I go to see bands play live because I want to see them play live. It is as simple as that.

I have been caught in several unwanted moshing experiences and they were not pleasant. I was at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre watching SensesFail’s set during Warped Tour 2012 and a mosh pit broke out right in front of me. I went to back up, but the small fence protecting their merch tent was right behind me. I was trapped with only one line of non-moshers in front of me. I enjoyed the performance, but it was extremely distracting and a bit frightening. I understood that it was highly likely that I would see a mosh pit during a Senses Fail performance. It just upset me that I was already towards the back and I had to back up even further. People like me often have to struggle to see while the pits take up valuable standing space.

It was even scaryier when I saw (Hed) P.E. at Smith’s in Mishawaka. The pit took up half of the room! At first security tried to stop it, but Jared Gomes (the lead singer) talked them into letting them continue. After a bottle came flying in my direction, I hid behind one of the pillars. Every once and awhile I would look over and see a tornado of alcohol and testosterone whirling around only a few feet away from me. How is that enjoyable?

What I understand less than mosh pits is women in mosh pits. Not only are women naturally smaller than most men, it is socially unacceptable for men to act violently towards them. So they have to know going in that they are not going to be treated the same, right?

I am not saying moshing should be outlawed. I just think more people should be aware of proper moshing etiquette and considerate of those who are there to watch the band. Since I am more of an expert at avoiding a mosh pit than being in one, check out these other great blog posts entitled “10 rules of mosh pit etiquette” and "Mosh Pit Etiquette." Some of the main points I am trying to get across are mentioned in them as well.

Basically, people who decide to start a mosh pit need to make sure the people they decide to push are willing and ready to push back. There is a time and a place and fellow moshers are fairly easy to spot. Usually they are in those middle hotpots and they make visible their energy levels. 

Take note, people like the girl who tried to start a mosh pit with me and the people next to me at the Taproot concert at The Orbit Room. If someone is standing to the far left, is facing the stage, and is not moving any part of their body other than their head while they sing along, they are probably paying more attention to the band. Do not shove them from behind and then call them lame when they give a look of disapproval and refuse to shove back. Do not be one of those people. 

Comradery Vs. Social Anxiety

The comradery that is felt among concert-goers enhances the experience and keeps the fans coming together time and time again. Before they arrive at a venue, they have a common bond—a shared love (or at least liking) of music. Many times fans dress similarly or wear other band shirts of different bands that people around might be fans of as well. This helps people feel like they fit in and may even encourage conversation. There is not much room left for judgment (figuratively and literally since everyone is standing shoulder-to-shoulder). Plus, what better place is there to discuss music than at a concert in-between sets?

However, people with similar taste in music do not always get along, especially when there is alcohol involved. Personalities are still different and they still change while under the influence. Not everyone gets nicer. It is not unusual to see security escorting a couple of people out for fighting. Fights that break out are a disturbance to the positive energy of the comradery, but just the fact that there are so many of them creates fear for easygoing fans.

Image credit: jugbo

For those that struggle with anxiety, like myself, being surrounded by people with no easy way to escape already heightens claustrophobia. Then having to worry about a bunch of muscular guys throwing their bodies around and getting caught up in a mosh pit makes it difficult to fully enjoy the show.

In order to get the full feeling of comradery without the anxiety, there are a a couple of notes to keep in mind.

• Go with as many people as possible: It is just simply safer to have more eyes to look out for personal belongings and physical well-being. This is particularly true for the ladies. Plus, there is more force to help keep the mosh pit contained.
• Location is key: Being front and center is awesome, but remember that is a hot spot for rowdy behavior. Far left and right are usually calmer and provide an easier escape from an unwanted situation or to a bathroom or beverage break. In smaller venues, the back can even be a great spot. It provides all the freedom from enclosure while still getting a decent view. 

Remember, live music is fun. It is the responsibility of every concert-goer to keep the comradery alive. It is not that people cannot drink or get a little rowdy. It is just more important to be considerate because not only does everyone there have a similar taste in music, but they are similarly human beings. 

About This Blog

My family is not a family of musicians, but I am a musical prodigy. There are stories of my grandpa Milnes and his sister getting yelled at by their mom for doing nothing but sitting around and listening to records. Then there are the frequent reminders by my dad as to how some of his fondest memories of my grandpa are those of them sharing CDs. Now, my dad and I share an iTunes library and sometimes spend hours in front of the television watching music videos and debating our own Top 10 lists.

I was conditioned to have such educated music-related discussions from an early age. Growing up, my dad would quiz me and reward me with small cash prizes (a dollar or two) for correctly naming the artist of a selected song. We stopped playing once I became too knowledgeable for his wallet.

The Milnes musical experience goes beyond our household, however. My dad and I have spent just as many hours in front of a stage as we have on YouTube. We go to at least two rock shows a year.

This frequent concert-going started when I was 17. My dad and I went to Indianapolis to see my favorite band, Chevelle. It was so incredible I became addicted.

Since then I have gone out of my way to see bands such as Taproot, Taking Back Sunday, Thursday, The Almost, The Classis Crime, Madina Lake, Enter Shikari, In This Moment, Motionless In White, Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, Bush, Soundgarden, Alien Ant Farm, Fuel, Powerman 5000, and (Hed) P.E. to name some major ones.

I also attended Vans Warped Tour 2012 and 2013 and all three of 103.9 The Bear’s Big Growls.

During my time in the various venues and crowds, I learned a lot about live music. Despite how entertaining rock shows are, they are not always enjoyable. It is interesting how something so awesome can be so awful at the same time.

My aim for this blog is to provide other live music lovers with proper concert-going etiquette as well as helpful tips on how to get that indescribable feeling of viewing a favorite band up close and personal without ending up in the hospital or having to wipe the beer out of their eyes first.

Image credit: Personal photo by author