EO loves a good debate. Thankfully, EDM is a hotbed of contentious issues, interesting ideas, and good ol’ fashioned arguments. Each week, we’ll pick a different topic to examine and discuss. Who knows, maybe you’ll even feel enlightened by the time we’re done…
This isn't what I was originally going to rant and rave about this week, but following an article from EDM.com, I felt compelled.
This week: In Defence Of Mosh Pits.
A few days ago, EDM.com published an article by Emily Hall entitled, 'Why Mosh Pits Should Be Banned At EDM Shows.' Generally, I tend to try to avoid simply focussing on scorning a particular article, instead opting to present a well-thought out, balanced view point that deals with the larger issue at hand.
In this case, though, this particular article gets so many things wrong that I'm going to do just that. And, as they've thoughtfully provided an extremely unbalanced view from one side of the fence, I might as well do the same, but from the other side.
Let's start with this: "There has been a growing debate on the subject of mosh pits at various music events lately," EDM.com's article states. Now, maybe I'm just ignorant, but I'm not really aware of this debate having sparked off recently, and I did a good deal of searching prior to writing this - a 'growing debate' doesn't really count if it's just you and some of your mates. The 'growing debate' has come as a result of this article alone, ironically. But I digress.
Before we go any further though, let's get a bit of background. Mosh pits, for anyone who's unaware, are essentially spaces that open up in the crowd, into which people throw themselves, generally getting bashed and pushed around by others who have entered the fray. Whilst it sounds dangerous and violent, mosh pits are generally good spirited, and represent a way for enthusiastic concert goers to express themselves in a highly energetic way.
Now, back to the article. "For a genre like EDM to be so engulfed by the values of peace, love, unity, and respect, it almost seems shocking that mosh pits have grown to be such a popular trend." Let's just back up a minute. "Peace, love, unity, respect" - sorry, but these aren't just the values of EDM. What Emily has just described there are the values of MUSIC generally. You can easily apply those to any genre - rock, pop, classical... So what's my point here? The point is that you would never argue against a mosh pit at a metal or punk gig - and yet those genres of music can hold exactly the same values.
The thing is, unless you've properly taken part in a mosh pit, you can't really understand what they're all about. Prior to my first gig, I thought it was a stupid idea - who on earth would want to be beaten up to music? But I soon discovered that the pits are about far more than that. They're about real fans expressing their love and enthusiasm for the music in a highly energetic way, and sharing a unique experience with their fellow music-lovers. And you can find all four of those values - "peace, love, unity, respect" - within the pit itself.
Believe it or not, mosh pits aren't riotous, uncontrollable forces - they are actually self-regulated by an unspoken etiquette that all participants know and abide by. If someone falls down in the pit, the mayhem instantly stops, and multiple individuals dive to the rescue of their fallen comrade, helping them back to their feet within seconds. I myself hit the deck during a pit at GlobalGathering. No sooner had I hit the ground than I was being lifted back up and enthusiastically asked if I was okay by a good four or five people.
Fists are rarely thrown around - you're trying to bump into someone, not kill them, and full on fights are extremely uncommon. I'll again draw on personal experience (since that's all Emily seems to be doing) - at a Pendulum gig a few years back, I witnessed tensions spilling over as someone stupidly shoved another man as hard as they could into a female onlooker. The woman, understandably, had a few choice words for the shover. He realised his mistake almost immediately, profusely apologised to the lady, who accepted, and they then hugged it out. This is not an isolated occurrence - the vast majority of participants in mosh pits are actually extremely thoughtful, and will immediately apologise if they're aware of having done something wrong.
And when the song finishes, and the pit is over, everyone falls in and congratulates each other on a job well done, hugging it out, sharing their love for the music, and their respect for each other. There's an incredible sense of camaraderie that I personally find extremely satisfying and overwhelming, and, in some ways, even beautiful - what seems like an act of violence can lead to instant friendships and acts of kindness and empathy.
This etiquette ensures that everyone inside the pit is respected, and that people at the circumference aren't affected too adversely.
But a lot of people, understandably, don't want to get involved. And that's absolutely fine, I totally get it. It really isn't for everyone. Emily paints a picture of a scene where people are forced into pits against their will. Yes, some unfortunate souls may be caught out if a pit suddenly opens around them, but there's generally a large amount of time before the chaos for those people to get the hell out of there. And the great thing about the mosh pit is that it almost always stays in the one place, and that makes it very easy to avoid should you wish to. I have never found myself in a pit that I didn't want to be in.
Now, I'm not going to pretend that mosh pits are perfect. You're always going to have dick-heads that will take everything too far. But what you tend to find is that these people are quickly shunned. Fights do sometimes break out, but are usually neutralised fairly quickly, either by other gig-goers, or by the event security. And yes, cuts and bruises aren't uncommon either (I'm yet to witness anyone breaking any bones, however I don't doubt that it does happen from time to time).
And there are definitely times when mosh pits are inappropriate. You wouldn't mosh to Avicii, for example. That's ridiculous. But what on earth is the problem in moshing to bands like Chase & Status or Knife Party, who's music is quite aggressive in nature anyway? A lot of EDM is very bass heavy and intense, making the mosh pit a perfect fit for those sort of shows.
Look, there will always be those who want to take part in mosh pits, and those that want to stay well clear. And Emily is entitled to her opinion on them. But there are two main reasons I take issue with her article:
1. It's extremely unbalanced, and doesn't even consider the point of view of people who might actually enjoy mosh pits for one reason or another. If you're not willing to make any concessions on your own opinion, I'm far less likely to agree with it, as it's hardly likely to be rational and well-thought out. But my biggest issue is...
2. The article is full of words and phrases like "violent and negative behaviour" and "savage atmospheres" that are there for the sole purpose of demonising people that happen to not agree with her view, and are hyperbolic beyond belief.
She seems to be suggesting that all participants in mosh pits are violent thugs that are there to simply hurt people. I love mosh pits, and participate in them regularly. I'm a feeble, underweight 20 year old male with no criminal convictions, that plays the goddamn violin. I'm hardly what you'd call the savage, violent person that Emily presumably wants you to believe that all mosh pits are comprised of.
She also seems to be unaware of the tremendous irony in trying to promote EDM's values of "peace, love, unity, and respect" by targeting and victimising a select group of innocent individuals. Hardly very respectful, is it?
Essentially, Emily's article feels like an attack on ordinary, enthusiastic concert-goers, and vilifies them for the actions of a very small minority, without even trying to understand the philosophies and principals behind the mosh pit. You'll struggle to meet a group of people within the crowd that have as much love and respect for each other as moshers do. I'll conceed that mosh pits can sometimes make it difficult for other people to enjoy their gig as easily as they'd like, and I'm sure there must be a solution to combat that, but it's unfair to suggest that people in them behave violently, because it's simply not true.
I don't doubt that Emily's intentions with this piece were good, and I applaud her for trying to promote safety and good values, which are extremely important. But EDM.com's piece goes about this the totally wrong way by creating a divide and by not trying to understand the alternative point of view. There are probably plenty of reasons to put forward for the banning of mosh pits at EDM shows - I'm just not sure you'll find them here.
What do you think? Mosh pits and EDM - yay or nay? Let us know via the comments, or on Twitter or Facebook.
Writer, musician, and all-round top guy. I set up Excited Octopus. Currently, I'm on a one man team. It gets lonely sometimes. But I don't mind, because I love you all.
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