Concert Behavior

[SPLASTiK]

you tell me, I have never been to a gay bar. how often do you go? is it fun for you do?

I've been a few times, there's usually a bunch of really hammered straight chicks, probably more so than most straight bars.

I like to see the show and mosh a bit not hurting anyone

It's more the annoyance factor than the hurting. You end up running into people who aren't participating. But it's less annoying than the drunks who push their way to the front, or just push you for no reason at all when it's not very packed. I'm not much into getting knocked around, especially since I tape the shows and it can fuck with the sound.

this week ill see motorhead, dream theater opeth and kreator so for an old fart im still hanging what about u????

I'll be seeing 2 of those, the other two aren't coming here. I'd probably rather go to a gay bar than listen to Dream Theater though, ewwwww. uke:

 

[Detric]

Some observations from 3 Opeth shows in the past 2 years...

1. Why do people mosh and crowdsurf at Opeth shows? It's not the right type of music, idiots! There's definitely a time for it - say the outro to Deliverance or the chorus of DOTF. But nothing drives me crazier than when some fucking moron wants to start a pit during the acoustic part of say, Blackwater Park. Hearing UTWM was totally ruined by just a few people who couldn't have the decency to stand still and listen.

2. The same goes for talking and screaming during the acoustic parts. STFU people! If you're going to ever understand Opeth, you must first shut your mouth.

My guess is that both of these questions fall into the common category of "People are stupid." Now that Opeth is gaining new fans (thanks a lot SOTU and MTV...) I'm thinking we're going to have to deal with these people more and more often.

Does anyone else have any similar experiences or complaints about concert behavior? I know we can't really do anything about it, but I was interested in what everyone else thought.

I know what you mean. Luckily, people in europe (of what I have experienced) know when to mosh/crowd surf, and Im greatful for that. It have happend some times, that people scream during mellow tracks, and its just annoying, I really hate it. Its okay, if you scream one or two times, of enthusiasm, or because of your adrenalin level, or whatever! But some people, just keep screaming for (usually BRI, DOTF) while they are playing a different song. Its really sad. But luckily, its mostly on festivals Ive experienced this kind of behaviour. When Opeth play in small venues, people either shut up and listen, or headbang, and thats how it should be in my opinion.

 

[Indrid Cold]

Ok, that's cool. But then me being there would kind of ruin it wouldn't it? Not that I would ever think of taking advantage.

And Indrid, you can't get raped by a lezbian. At least I don't think you can. haha.

Well, I wasn't really talking about rape. Eh, it's probably possible, but unlikely as you said.

 

[Benighted Joe]

Some observations from 3 Opeth shows in the past 2 years...

1. Why do people mosh and crowdsurf at Opeth shows? It's not the right type of music, idiots! There's definitely a time for it - say the outro to Deliverance or the chorus of DOTF. But nothing drives me crazier than when some fucking moron wants to start a pit during the acoustic part of say, Blackwater Park. Hearing UTWM was totally ruined by just a few people who couldn't have the decency to stand still and listen.

2. The same goes for talking and screaming during the acoustic parts. STFU people! If you're going to ever understand Opeth, you must first shut your mouth.

My guess is that both of these questions fall into the common category of "People are stupid." Now that Opeth is gaining new fans (thanks a lot SOTU and MTV...) I'm thinking we're going to have to deal with these people more and more often.

Does anyone else have any similar experiences or complaints about concert behavior? I know we can't really do anything about it, but I was interested in what everyone else thought.

I AGREE !

Although you missed one thing: People! Stop clapping hands, to the beat, in the middle of a interlude in a heavy song. Very often you people get the beat wrong since it's other than 4/4, so that's a reason alone. But it also sounds awful! I think it's ok to do it in the mellow songs perhaps. But please!!!!! Limit the applauses till the end of the songs.

 

[Detric]

Haha! Yeah agreed! There was a clip on Youtube of DOTF where people started to clap, in the part right before the AAARGGHHH, DEMON!

And I was like, wtf? Stop that!

 

[Kenneth R.]

why is it that audiences have no sense of rhythm whatsoever?

 

[myra]

I'm beginning to think that drunk girls at shows are 10xs worse than drunk men. They're freakin ridiculous. They push and shove other people but when you accidentally bump into them from other people pushing you forward, they give you the most evil look! GR!

Luckily at my Opeth show, being female I had 3 or 4 guys around me that would push moshers away from me and have me duck down when crowd surfers came along. Nice guys at Opeth shows!!

 

[IcedEarth556]

you sound like a moany old fool.

SHIT THREAD

yeah i agree. its such a shame the thousand other fans don't react to music the exact same as you do. At least they are having a good time instead of sitting there rolling their eyes at the crowd. If you didn't want moshing, you should have went to see Opeth on their damnation tour with porcupine tree. Otherwise, you can't expect the whole crowd to just do whatever you want them to.

 

[soundave]

I've said it before in a different thread on the same subject: the only problem I have with moshing is that it takes place closest to the stage. If you're moshing, you're not watching the performance, you're feeling it. This is fine, but couldn't you do that at a distance and let us who are there to watch (and headbang) get as close as possible? As a guitarist, I'm interested in watching fingers and such. Hard to do and stay clear of the pit. That's all I wish. A designated pit in the rear, or off to the side in an obstructed view area or something.

 

[Vegetaman]

I've said it before in a different thread on the same subject: the only problem I have with moshing is that it takes place closest to the stage. If you're moshing, you're not watching the performance, you're feeling it. This is fine, but couldn't you do that at a distance and let us who are there to watch (and headbang) get as close as possible? As a guitarist, I'm interested in watching fingers and such. Hard to do and stay clear of the pit. That's all I wish. A designated pit in the rear, or off to the side in an obstructed view area or something.

Indeed. I completely agree with you there.

 

[Braighs]

I've said it before in a different thread on the same subject: the only problem I have with moshing is that it takes place closest to the stage. If you're moshing, you're not watching the performance, you're feeling it. This is fine, but couldn't you do that at a distance and let us who are there to watch (and headbang) get as close as possible? As a guitarist, I'm interested in watching fingers and such. Hard to do and stay clear of the pit. That's all I wish. A designated pit in the rear, or off to the side in an obstructed view area or something.

Fuck that. There should BE and actual pit dug into the ground where you can do whatever you want. That way, others wont have the inconvenience of trying to look over them. :Smokin:

 

[Vegetaman]

Fuck that. There should BE and actual pit dug into the ground where you can do whatever you want. That way, others wont have the inconvenience of trying to look over them. :Smokin:

Hahaha, in-fucking-deed!

 

[Cliche Kid]

I want to a gay bar once....had a sore ass for a week. I slept with this guy...think his name was Kenneth...he was there with 3 hot chicks...

 

[Dank3r]

Yeah I hate when people talk in the slow parts of songs. When i was at the milwaukee show some devil driver fan said play something faster and like 5 people told him to shut the fuck up. :Smug:

 

[MrJack]

Best way to eliminate crowd surfing...Rip one of their shoes off and throw it into crowd, you won't see this person again.

LMFAO
I got a shoe in my mouth once... it hurt.

 

[Rocky Raccoon]

The thing I hate most are crowd surfers, Especially when you get kicked in the head or landed on by one of the assholes!

 

[wwallinga]

Well, this has gotten more attention than I thought was possible. Thanks for your comments. I have a few more thoughts:

yeah i agree. its such a shame the thousand other fans don't react to music the exact same as you do. At least they are having a good time instead of sitting there rolling their eyes at the crowd. If you didn't want moshing, you should have went to see Opeth on their damnation tour with porcupine tree. Otherwise, you can't expect the whole crowd to just do whatever you want them to.

See - that's the thing. If everyone was moshing or if even a lot of people were moshing, then I wouldn't complain. But it's not. It's like 6 idiots who start thrashing around into people the moment they hear the first note of the song. Everyone else is looking at them like, dude, calm the fuck down. But they thrash on. I respect their "getting into the music" but it goes against what most of the people in the crowd are doing (ie - standing there).

I am not against moshing. I have served my time in mosh pits. When I was 14 (in 1990) I saw Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax play a summer Monster's of Rock Tour and I was in plenty of pits. I'm 6'4" 250lbs and generally not afraid to mix it up with anyone on the floor.

But I have three rules:

1) Don't try to hurt anyone. We're trying to enjoy the music, right? I'm not here to fucking break open someone's head. If I see someone going down, I'm the first to help them up. If you go into a pit swinging your arms like a madman, you're just going to piss people off.

2) Stay away from crazy motherfuckers. Anyone at the Providence show remember Cueball? He was instigating pits and just generally being annoying. Everyone was trying to calm him down but he wouldn't make eye contact - he just kept thrashing. This is the type of person you want to avoid.

3) Wait for the correct moshing atmosphere. This is the main topic of the thread. Just because you are seeing a death metal band does not mean you need to mosh to every song. There is a time and a place. Plus, if you mosh all the time, it kind of ruins the significance of the whole thing. Save it.

These are my rules and I'm not saying anyone else has to follow them. But moshing is a group activity, and people need to show respect for one another. If you're going into the pit just to hurt people because your life sucks, then you are a loser. If you think you can behave anyway you want once the lights go down, think again. Enjoy yourself, but not at the expense of others.

 

[Kenneth R.]

well said

 

[Indrid Cold]

2) Stay away from crazy motherfuckers. Anyone at the Providence show remember Cueball? He was instigating pits and just generally being annoying. Everyone was trying to calm him down but he wouldn't make eye contact - he just kept thrashing. This is the type of person you want to avoid.

Yes. I remember him. What a jack ass.

 

[Alexis]

At the last Opeth show I saw, some people kept trying to get a pit going but nobody really wanted it, so luckily enough for those of us who felt like paying some attention to the music we were relatively undisturbed. I don't have anything against moshing and if it's the right sort of music, I'm right into it, but definitely not at an Opeth show.

Although, I must say, thanks to that very small, very obnoxious pit, I went from 8/9th row to the 2nd, hahaha.