Reel Big Fish Interview

It’s not something that most reporters will write about; their first big interview. You can often hear them recount their most thrilling or most famous interview conquest, but few will want to relive or share their first real interview. Although a rite of passage all journalists must go through, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of stuttering, stumbling over questions, getting your facts wrong or insulting, offending or, perhaps worse, boring your interviewee.

These fears and more were pouring over me in waves as I sat in my lounge room Tuesday morning, staring at my phone expectantly. As a journalism student I had done my share of interviews already for assignments; other students, lecturers, fellow reporters and local music acts. But that morning I was faced with my first distinctly “big” interview, with Johnny Christianson, the trumpeter of American ska reggae band Reel Big Fish.

Reel Big Fish, from left to right – Dan Regan, Derek Gibbs, Aaron Barrett, Ryland Steel, Scott Klopfenstein (who has since left the band) and Johnny Christianson.

Following their release of Candy Coated Fury earlier this year and their impending Australian tour with fellow ska powerhouses Goldfinger and Zebrahead, Reel Big Fish were doing interviews with practically everyone, including myself in 5 minutes time.

I had written all my questions out in preparation and read pages and pages of previous interviews and fact pages about the band. I was as prepared as someone could be, but I could still feel my heart beat in my earlobes.

Suddenly, my ringtone filled the room. I swallowed and answered in the most professional manner I could muster, considering I was sitting on my couch in my pajamas. After trading formalities with the media operator, I was informed that Johnny was about to wrap up a radio interview early, so I was up next.

Following more formalities, I was eventually connected to Johnny. After hearing his heavy American accent and friendly voice, my worries immediately evaporated and exchanging initial pleasantries became easy.

After discussing the weather (no, really), I turned to their approaching tour with Zebrahead and Goldfinger and asking what the guys would have in store for Australian fans.

“Oh, it will be hours of hilarity and rock music. And possibly a couple of funny, funny jokes for you. There will be lots of sweating. And dancing! Because that’s what happens when you come to our shows”, Johnny promised.

What followed was a discussion of what it means to be in a moshpit: that is, being covered in the sweat of strangers and sometimes blood.

“Fortunately our crowd is not the blood type.”

Having been in a Reel Big Fish moshpit during their stint at Soundwave festival in 2010 I was familiar with the antics of the regular Reel Big Fish crowd. This made me wonder: How will people survive with three massive ska bands in the one night?

Johnny warned that not many will survive.

“Yeah, you may not survive. Unfortunately, we may have to have ambulances waiting outside to carry you to hospital. And you may die. We will have oxygen ready for you. Also we will have salted crackers ready for you and vegemite in case anybody has got  low blood sugar! Just in case.”

I took this to be mighty considerate since Johnny himself had “unfortunately” tried vegemite.

2012 marks the 21^st anniversary of Reel Big Fish being a band, although Johnny maintains that the message behind their music has not changed since their first album Everything Sucks in 1995.

“I think we’re still dealing with all the same problems that every one deals with …. daily interactions with other human beings that’s really, really difficult. … Saying F-you to the world because we’re out there trying to do something really important. Not only to us, but to fans all over the world. It’s really special…”

Reel Big Fish front man Aaron Barrett has revealed in past interviews that the inspiration for the 2005 album We’re Not Happy ‘Til You’re Not Happy was tensions within the band formed in the face of pressure and the harsh reality of the music industry. Looking at the specific inspiration for Candy Coated Fury, Johnny claims that Reel Big Fish are still focused on fighting for their place in the world.

“[We’re fighting] to be able to still do this, to be able to tour and bring a little happiness to everyone. We’re still fighting it out and saying F-You to everybody that doesn’t like our music or doesn’t get what we do and just try to be the best entertainers we can.”

In light of coming to Australia, Johnny admitted he was excited to come to Australia and share some “adult beverages” with fans. Considering the fame of their 1995 single Beer (Video below), I had to question if that was the beverage of choice when it comes to meeting fans.

“Oh! I wish it was that way! … No, when we go into bars it’s ‘Let me buy you a shot!’ So what winds up happening is you have ten people who want to buy you a shot instead of ten people that want to buy you beers and so you wind up getting sick! So it’s dangerous”, Johnny laments.

On a lighter note, we turned to discussing Reel Big Fish fans, of which Johnny was extremely proud. He fondly discussed a pair of Australian fans that were at an American show the previous night.

“We had two Australian fans at the show last night and this brother and sister, and the brother had some kind of congenital heart defect and so this sister was crying and [so we came out to] sign stuff for him and take pictures and they were both sweet. And how amazing is that we get to do that for someone…. We’re the luckiest guys in the world.”

Despite some technological glitches midway through the conversation, Johnny expressed his excitement for getting to see Australian fans again, although he was not impressed when  I offered to buy him a shot after the show.

“Argh! No! You can buy me a beer!!”

Reel Big Fish will be touring Australia this year with Goldfinger and Zebrahead in late November/ early December.

To read the full interview check out the 59th Sound!

To listen to the full interview below:

Promethetus Follow Up.

Since posting my review of Prometheus last night I have been linked to an interview with Ridley Scott which sheds some more light on what is actually going the hell on.

In the interview with Movie.com, Scott reveals that The Engineers are based on the Dark Angel’s of John Milton’s Paradise Lost. And that one of the reasons the writers considered as motivation for them wanting to destroy mankind was Jesus…. Right.

While reading the interview does change the way I view Prometheus in my head, it’s a little too late, Scott. Sure, create a movie that makes people think and poses the awkward questions, but you shouldn’t have to leave it to an interview to make things make sense. As a movie maker, and therefore a storyteller, that’s a fail right there.

Does make me slightly excited for the sequel, where something more might be explained. Sadly, I think the Alien series seems to have jumped the shark (my new favourite phrase). Rather than focus on the Alien’s themselves and explaining that, instead we’ve got some convoluted nonsense that has a little bit of Aliens in it, but most a whole lot of middle-fingers to religion and the theory of evolution.

Check out the interview here.

Prometheus – A Review.

WARNING: This review will contain spoilers. Don’t whinge to me if the predictable plot gets ruined before you have a chance to see it.

Bundled up in a reclining chair in Gold Class, with a cup of tea, there would be very little to make me unhappy from my movie-viewing vantage point.

Fast forward two hours and you’d get a different picture. I was out of the comfy chair, the cup of tea was now filling my bladder and I was very confused.

Prometheus, a pre-quel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien, is not what fans of the series would expect. If you were thinking you’d get a neatly summed up explanation of everything and a lot of blood and violence to go along with it, think again. This film attempts to reposition the scope of the entire Alien franchise by exploring the question of “where did we come from” over “where did this thing in my chest cavity come from”?

Alas, Prometheus seems to have more in common with Blade Runner (1982) than with Alien. Yes, Mr Scott. Blade Runner was very good. But enough with the films questioning what it is to be human.

After Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (played by Girl With A Dargon Tattoo‘s Noomi Rapace) and Dr.Charlie Holloway discover ancient cave drawings and carvings  all over the world depicting an identical creature and constellation, the two are sent on a corporately-funded mission to travel to the depicted planet. From there the doctors and crew are not only faced with a quest for the answers to human origins, but also a fight for their survival.

All too quickly this movie descends into cliches. Looking at the crew we have Michael Fassbender playing the creepy and supposedly emotionless robot ‘David’, who treats Dr. Halloway as an experiment, or as a means for revenge (take that Asimov). Links between David and pretty much any other movie robot are evident.

David turned evil after they took away his teddy.

Then we have the strong no-nosense entrepreneur Meredith Vickers, played by Charlize Theron, who will stop at nothing for a successful mission (see also: daddy issues).

For me, the biggest cliche were with the first two scientists to meet their apparently homicidal maker. Ah, Fifield and Millburn. I ask you, what kind of corporation spends a trillion dollars on an expedition and then hires a guy who’s first instinct, when meeting with an alien life form, is to call it ‘baby’ repeatedly and then try to touch it? Honestly.

Don’t worry. The rest of the crew don’t seem too upset by Fifield and Milburn’s apparent murder, nor do they pause to question what did it. Onwards, to more murder and mayhem! From here, the film finally gets to the gore and violence. In fact, the goriest scene was so painfully well done, it reaffirmed the fact that I will never, ever have children./shudder

What follows is a mish-mash of predictable “twists” paired with a whole lot of nothing. No real explanations are offered for anything really. And right at the end, what seems like a hasty reference to THE Alien is shoved in. I did appreciate the glimpse at a pre-evolved form of the creature, that was a nice touch, but without that scene, this movie real could be about any other generic alien.

I can appreciate the Alien films for what they are: the ironic depiction of humanity’s need to control and understand everything, taken away from them by a new dominant species. An exploration of human relationships between other creatures, and also between Ripley and the Alien itself. And if not, then a sci-fi alien extravaganza complete with robots, blood and a never-ending parade of the most impractical underwear known to man.

Prometheus offers a more terrifying concept that humans not only serve as a vessel to help incubate these creatures, but that in the beginning, we acted as a means for the species to evolve.
Personally, this film was too alien (pun intended) from the others in the series, and as such didn’t serve to further the storyline or the ideas. I felt an overwhelming sense that nothing really happened and therefore nothing was really explained, which was part of the appeal of Prometheus in the first place.
That all being said, there were a few things I did enjoy about the movie.

• It was visually stunning. From the landscapes to the design of the technology and the ship, it was quite lovely.
• I do appreciate the attempt to turn the Alien franchise into something more than a terrifying examination of space and humanity. If only it wasn’t so painstakingly obvious in doing so.
• The ‘creation of human kind’ angle was very clever. However, I felt this would have been better served as a generic sci-fi film. The tie-ins to the Alien series seemed forced and awkwardly inserted.
• For all his creepy glory, Fassbender does do a good ‘droid.

Overall, I’d say it is a good film to see. I did enjoy watching it and the ideas and story it shows are interesting. However, once the film finishes, and the lights turn on and you actually begin to process what you just saw, it will dawn on you that it answered NOTHING.

Rating: 2/5

I’m Baaaaack!

That’s right, folks. Just like the lovable cartoon dinosaurs of the early 90′s, I am indeed back.

Although it may seem like I’ve spent the last few months under a rock, in all reality have been busy as all hell. And not by my choosing.

Since my last post, I have completed my first year of Uni (without failing any classes, yay!). I have faced the closure of the music store where I work, which never actually happened. I started my second year of Journalism and restrained myself from banging my head on the table at all the politics discussion, barely.

But the biggest issue and probably the main reason I have been MI… well… that’s a whole other story.

Let me tell you the tale of:

THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

Twas the afternoon of Christmas,

And all through the -ah screw it. I was never good at poetry anyway.

Basically, on Christmas day, I lost my house. I don’t mean to say that it disappeared, and I have been forced to plaster ‘LOST’ posters all over the neighbourhood. The house was still there…. it was just no longer liveable.

Christmas day was shared between The Boy’s family and mine. On the way home from stuffing our faces for the second time that day (His family has the best trifle, mine has the best gravy), we received word that the hail and heavy rain we had seen on our travels had turned into a major storm…. right over our hometown.

We returned home to discover a flash flood had turned our lounge room and computer room into a rather soggy affair.

I won’t bore you with the details, especially since this all happened six months ago, but needless to say what followed as a quite stressful and frankly shit period. The Boy and I had to sleep on a mattress on the floor of his parent’s lounge room. A lot of my shoes were destroyed. As well as my entire sketchbook and folio.

And that is the story of my BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

My Christmas was still marginally better than this guys…..

Since then we’ve managed to rebuild and replace most things. The insurance company were not very forthcoming with our money, but we got some of it in the end. I am now writing this from my lovely new couch that is twice the size of our old one. As terrible and stressful as it was, I’d say the flood helped somewhat. Because out new place looks pretty damn awesome. There’s still a lot of work to do, and a lot of things are still stashed away in boxes (my dining room looks like a storage unit). But we’re getting there.

The main point of this here post is to let y’all know that I am back. After applying for my dream job as a music journalist and getting knocked back, I have decided that I need to prove that I have experience with writing, so I’m reviving this poor attempt of a blog and writing about all my musical musing.

Stay tuned guys!

Bucky

xx

“Rock Soldiers”

Currently, I am curled up on the couch ignoring my homework in favour of watching a new Tv series that started last night on Max. Rock Soldiers follows the backstage antics and roles of roadies, stage managers, tech guys and all the other unsung heroes who make music concerts and festivals come alive.

I warn you, the following post will most likely read like a bad attempt at a plug, but there is no other way for me to point out what this show is about. I guess if you’re like me, anything that offers an insight into the world of music, and especially the goings on behind the curtain, is something worth sharing. So bear with me….

Already, 30 seconds in, the show has documented the dismantling, transporting and rebuilding of  Australia’s very own Big Day Out festival from Adelaide to Perth. Watching these men unloading truck after truck of heavy and complex puzzle pieces that will soon form a monolithic stage, I am somewhat floored, for want of a better word. I am also slightly ashamed of my apparent ignorance.

Having attended the very BDO festival that is being put together before my eyes, I cannot help but feel somewhat guilty that at the time, I didn’t spare a single thought for the backstage army that made everything possible. It never occurred to me during Tool’s amazing laser display what difficulties the cooling system of said lasers would pose. That the backstage mazes of Rammstein, Birds of Tokyo and Airbourne guitars would require constant monitoring.

Despite the fact that a standard stage set up takes 30hours, the crew highlighted in this show managed to set up Perth BDO in only 7. The meticulous planning, time and space management that goes into a stage that a musician only sees for an hour at most. The blood, sweat and choice swear words that these men offer to ensure that thousands of music fans nation wide are entertained, and on time too.

While not overly dramatic, or long for that matter, Rock Soldiers is an amazing piece of insight into the extreme behind the scenes of the music world, and it’s refreshing to see it on an Australian stage too (pun intended). Focusing not on the bands themselves, but the crews that make their shows happen, Rock Soldiers is well worth a watch for anyone interested in the music industry, or even just enjoys music festivals.

The Soldiers of Rock.

Also, as pointed out by narrator Shane Jacobson, himself an ex-roadie, there is often very little care for crews like this when faced with injury or loss of work. If you’re feeling particularly generous, help these tough guys out. Head to supportact.com.au, a charity that provides help and care for men injured on the road.

Mötley Mösh

Last weekend I attended a Mötley Crüe concert. Being my favourite band, I was more than excited to get into the mosh and dance my little heart out, maybe even get a decent perv at Mr Nikki Sixx. However, upon Mötley taking to the stage, I was dismayed to find my path blocked. But before you think I’m here to re-hash my previous blog about Mosh Pits, think again. I am about to blow your minds by introducing a NEW breed of mosh-annoyances. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:

The Mosh-Cock-Blocker.

I know what you’re thinking: What strange manner of beast is this?

Let me break it down:

This curious beast is rare, but not uncommon at older music events, where the age-group is generally between 25-40. The beast makes their presence known by attempting to take up the most space within a crowded area. However, should any other breed of mosh-beast move into the Mosh-Cock-Bloacker’s) space, it is of great injustice.

The Mosh-Cock-Blocker (or MCB) is very territorially, and will often lay claim to a space that he has vacated several times over the last 10minutes to make trips to the toilet or to forage drinks for himself and his mate.

I can’t keep this sarcastic David Attenborough shit up, but I digress.

Basically, myself, and the group of friends I was with at the concert (including my mother and twin-brother) found any hopes we had of enjoying the concert were marred, but what I have come to call the Mosh-Cock-Blocker. During the support band (Mr. Brett Michaels, thank you very much) every attempt I made to dance (not punch blindly and maim all with in reach, but DANCE) was suppressed. On both sides of my were two tall men, who wanted to make it clear to everyone that they meant business.

And that business did not involve enjoying a single second of the concert.You guessed it, sport fans…. I had encountered an MCB!

In fact, lucky me, I’d managed to find myself stuck in the middle of a whole crowd of them. In front of me was a little old lady in a leather jacket, on my right Beardy McBearderson and the King of MCB’s on my right, who was so intent on spending the entire evening being a dullard along with his dullard of a girlfriend. It was like standing in an ocean of Kristen Stewart clones.

"OMG. THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SONG. I'M SO EXCITED"

Initially, I thought:

‘Okay, these dudes are annoying, but when the bands start, I’m sure they’ll get into it, or I’ll just slip in front of them.’

But no. Brett Michaels came and went, without so much as a facial tick from the MCB’s. During the set up of Mötley Crüe‘s stage, the male of the couple MCB left, to get refreshments or kill some babies or something. Upon returning, he attempted to return to his ‘rightful place’ and wormed his way through the crowd to get to it. However, when he happened upone my mother in the crowd (yes, my mother went with me to Mötley Crüe), a simple ‘Excuse me, my head is up my arse and I simply must attend to my girlfriend’ was not sufficient. Oh no. The MCB felt it was best to TUG ON MY MOTHER’S HAIR IN ORDER TO GET HER TO MOVE. Fortunately for him, she was too shocked to slug him one. Unfortunately for him, from then on it was war.

Suffice to say, through some crafty (and mostly forceful) pushing and some artful hair whipping, I banished all MCB’s from my sight. There was much rejoicing. A statue was raised in my honour.

Okay, maybe not that. But people were able to dance to their hearts content in a safe space, free of Mosh-Cock-Blockers.

'Personal space, guize.'

I know what you’re all thinking: Goddamn this girl complains about everything. Nothing is good enough.

Well, yes, I am highly critical of resident douchebags in public places, but my point is bigger than that. The point I’m making is that one of the main ideas of a mosh pit is unity. Again, I know this sounds like wank, but if you really think about what a mosh pit is, it’s a collection of people who enjoy the same music and the same songs and want react to that. Similar to my original mosh post, my problem is not with the way people enjoy music. It’s the way they interact with others in the crowd. When they way they react to music is stopping or affecting the way other people react, it’s not fair and it’s not right. The actions of these MCB’s was purposeful and they were aware of the annoyance they were creating. Pulling my mother’s hair was a deliberate and douchey act, and this guy knew what he was doing.

And that’s taking things too far.

To end, here’s a pretty picture of the Crüe boys:

 

What kind of motley crew it his?

Australian Festivals a No-Go

Recently, online ticketing distributor Moshtix released their annual ‘State of the Festival Market’ report. The findings were not hope inspiring. Prepare yourself, Bucky’s about to drop some stats.

Of the 2,949 people that were polled, 41.6% said that the fun at festivals had declined over the last 5 years. 24.9% said that the experience had simply remained the same.

The survey also found:

• 52.7% of people said Australia had enough music festivals, while 27.2% said there was too many.
• 83.7% of punters felt that the steep cost of tickets was behind low festival attendance
• The survey found most people were happy to pay more for food and drinks at a festival, to help the environment.
• Despite efforts to improve festivals, only 23.4% of people said festivals were their favourite place to see live music acts. 56.3% of people said the local pub was preferred.

The news is not good for the Australian music scene. Surrounding the release of these statistics is the cancellation of several festivals, including Soundwave Revolution, Southern Blues Festival, Funk N Grooves and Raggamuffin. This also follows the postponement of Good Vibrations festival until December 2013.

Given this review of the state of Australian music festivals, one has to ask the eternal question: What gives?

In this article Adam McArthur, News Ticketing CEO, was quoted as blaming these poor statistics on the “disappointing behaviour of a new generation of festival goers [that] has discouraged other regulars from returning”.

An article from News.com.au, who shares an owner with Moshtix, included some examples of the new generation who felt that being at festivals was more about being ‘cool’ than about the music. In the article, survey respondents said that it was inconsiderate behaviour of others, violence and drugs and alcohol that put them off returning to festivals.

Yesterday, the Herald Sun released police arrest rates following Parklife music festival over the weekend. Police arrested 42 patrons and ejected 11 after being found with drugs. Some girls even went so far as to hide pills in their hair.

"I want my mummy."

Does all this spell out the end of the Australian music festival? Or does it simply mean the beginning of a new era?

I personally think that this means the beginning of a new breed of Australian music festival, but one that I am no willing to be a part of. While there has usually been a stereotypical distinction between music festivals and the people that attend them, this distinction is becoming blurred. The has been a shift from music festivals being focused on bringing different types of music to Australian audiences, to festivals being a seemingly haphazard Pick N’ Mix of genres or hugely based on one. Now days, festivals hosting dance artists or DJ’s are more common than heavier style music. Most people can go to a nightclub and hear dance tracks and DJ’s, where as now they are able to go to festivals and see them. While the heavy metal fans are left to shrink back into the shadows and wait for Opeth’s next tour (FYI: tickets went on sale yesterday, people!).

While drugs have never been completely out of place at music festivals, there is a different drug culture than was present at, say, Woodstock. With a growing abundance of the afore mentioned nightclub patrons going to music festivals to enjoy more of a dance-scene, it seems they have brought their drug and alcohol culture with them. Instead of having one or two drinks and enjoying some good music, this generation is treating the festival like a night out; drinking far too much, stumbling around and starting fights.

I’ll be the first to admit I am an absolute dork when it comes to music festivals. I pack my shoulder bag with sunscreen, panadol and ensure I drink plenty of water throughout the day. It’s dorky, but when one of my friends gets dropped crowd surfing or the music gives them a headache, no one complains when I produce pain killers. I offer no sympathy when I see girls lying under trees or fainting from dehydration, because I’ve been chugging water like a champion. BDO last year was held on one of the hottest day of the year, but while everyone was having naps in the shade, I scored a front row view for Andrew W.K. I offer my thanks to the drunk girls who passed out before his set.

The transfer from club to crowds has not been a smooth one. Festival veterans have resisted the influx of fake tans & Vodka Cruisers taking over festivals, but, based on the findings of Moshtix, their efforts were in vain. While they fought valiantly, the death march is sounding for music festivals as we know them.

Are the festivals we’ve come to know and love a thing of the past? Does the future hold a dance-rave type music festival rather than a diverse display of genres?

If so, the future is indeed a terrifying one.

Same old song and Flying Burger Monsters…

The other day, during one of my many meanderings of the cyberspace that is The Interwebz, I stumbled across this article by self confessed ‘music snob’ This Is Absurd. Based on an article he read in The New York Times, Mr Absurd asserted fears for the future of album artwork.

Citing Lady Gaga’s latest & Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter III as examples for lacklustre album covers, when compared to the Beatles’ Revolver album, Absurd guessed it was iPods & digital music as the culprits behind it all (not Professor Plum in the dining room with the candlestick).

Being someone who works in a CD store I completely agree. Majority of CDs released now days are very simple. They will usually have a simple close up image of the artist or an understated image. Both Kings of Leon & Eskimo Joe have released albums that feature landscapes as the album art for crying out loud, and The Living End channelled Led Zep. by covering their latest in mystic looking rune symbols.

However, I think it’s not so much a death of album art as a trend. If you look closely, while most mainstream covers are simple portraits or not-so-complex graphics, most alternative covers can be quite remarkable. Muse’s The Resistance was quite a colourful geometric piece and (although I’m not a fan of the music) the new Jay Z and Kanye West album Watch The Throne is an amazing gold and metallic …thing.

Having said that, you cannot deny the evidence that simple sells. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is the best selling album in the world. And all it features is Jacko lying on his side. Ac/Dc’s album Back in Black is the second highest selling album of all time, the best selling album of any heavy metal or hard rock group, and the highest selling album of any Australian band. The cover design is completely black save for the band name and album title.

Michael's back in black too....

Acca Dacca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Similarly, Metallica’s self-titled, or “Black Album” as it has been nicknamed, is considered one of the best albums from the band, with six singles coming from the album including ‘Enter Sandman’ and ‘Nothing Else Matters’.

"What's blacker than black?"

Although Mister Absurd makes a valid point and there is evidence that album art is not the masterpieces it once was, one has to realise that not every album released is going to be a work of art. I think that Lady Gaga’s close-up portrait or her head super-imposed onto a motorbike will simply be another title for the ‘weird and wacky’  pile of album’s gone by. But if you look a little closer, hope is not lost. At any one time, great and terrible album covers happily co-exist. I think it unfair to say that the death of album art is upon us. Current albums are simply, well…. simple. It’s a trend in the market and nothing more.

 

To end, I will leave you with a small sample of the ‘weird and wacky’ album cover pile…. I cannot fathom why these albums are not being revered today…

Not all albums can be as cool as this, guize.

Why stop your daily routine for art?

Mrs. Groucho Marx was a well respected recording artist.

RE: Moshing Is The Pits

What it took me to say in near 1000 words & two blog posts, ska-punk masters Reel Big Fish have managed in one sarcasm laden song. Watch, dance & enjoy.

Note: I do not own this video or this song. Some lovely chappy on youtube made the video, with pretty ponies, which he does not own either. This song also contains language.

Moshing Is The Pits: Part 2

In the current climate it’s not unusual to go to gigs & come home with an injury of varying severity. With increased violence within certain concert audiences as part of moshing, injury is almost accepted as the inevitable. In fact, it’s rarer to escape unscathed. I have seen friends knocked out, been personally kicked in the stomach, kicked in the head. And all for the sake of seeing a band they love.

There are historical cases of moshing getting out of hand. In 1996 Bernadette O’Brien was killed at a Smashing Pumpkin’s concert in Ireland when she was crushed by a surge of moshers. As a result, the band publicly denounced moshing.

Most mosh enthusiasts are adamant that there is a code of conduct for the pit. The rules are not defined but are based on general goodness; ie: Should someone fall down in the mosh, kindly help the fellow up etc. Another idea is that those who do not wish to take part in the mosh, should not have it forced upon them. However, this rule is becoming more and more ignored. Most often at concerts, people have little choice when it comes to joining in or becoming a victim of a mosh pit. Simply dancing & jumping around along with the crowd is safe enough, but when a handful take it upon themselves to swing their fists wildly & start kicking like a drunken mule, there is little anyone can do to stop them. I find, when it comes to situations like this, the general response is ‘If you don’t want to be involved, move out of the way.’ Personally, if I have paid for my ticket & chosen my spot, I should be free to enjoy the music without fear of a concussion. Should you find yourself overcome with the urge to collide with your friends and strangers and destroy what little brain cells you hold dear, I say take it to the back of the venue.

Sadly, with some styles of music, this kind of rough housing comes with the territory, and, for me, certain injury is too high a price for me to risk a concert. There are heavy metal or “hard core” bands that I do enjoy listening to, but would, & have done, pass on the opportunity to see live. While bands themselves incite such frenzies in their audience, others don’t (I’m sure you’re all aware of the famous Yellowcard Vs Lamb of God Wall of Death incident. If not Google it). However, even with out coercion from the band, audiences can be trusted to cause trouble on their own.

To me, it seems a sad state of affairs when fans are too fearful of attending a concert. Everyone has the right to enjoy a concert in their own way, but when that not only interferes with another’s enjoyment & could even cause them harm, it goes past the point of self expression. And enters a realm of ‘buzz-kill’.

 

And no one wants to be that.