Evolution of the Mosh Pit

Makeit-loud.com takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the state of Rock music’s mosh pit

Era	Genre	Activity in the Mosh Pit
1970s	Punk	Pogoing
1980s	Hair Metal	Head banging
1990s	Grunge	Slam dancing
2000s	Nu-Metal	Circle pit
Today	Alt-Rock	Filming

I used to love being in the mosh pit. You were close to the action and it was sweatier than a Swedish sauna.   

Pogoing to the Sex Pistols in the 1970s was particularly fun, but you needed to be fit. Jumping up and down on the spot was the kind of cardiovascular workout normally reserved for the gym. Diets were less Carb heavy in those days, so we were all a bit skinnier which helped.  Also, punk songs rarely lasted much more than 3 minutes, so you could catch your breath in-between songs.

The head banging era was probably the best.  Crowds of people with long flowing hair vigorously shaking their heads to a heavy beat.  That kind of action would probably put you in a concussion protocol today.  Circle pits were great too.  Swarms of people bouncing off one another like a crash barrier waltzer at a fun fair.

It’s all a bit different nowadays. It’s partly down to fashion.  The trend for short or shaved hair makes head banging a challenge.  Try it with a shaved head and people will think you’re having a seizure.  Try forming a circle pit and everybody will get out of your way.  Trust me, a one-person circle pit just leaves you dizzy.

Attempt anything ‘nostalgic’ in the mosh pit today and the most likely outcome is you’ll be filmed.  I’m sure there’s multiple uploads of me jumping around like a three-year-old full of sugar on a bouncy castle.  When you’re 5 foot 7 inches tall and 61 years of age it must make interesting viewing.  I’ve probably gone viral.  There’s likely a guy right now in a noodle bar in Tokyo, slurping on his soup, watching a video on his phone wailing “Who is this crazy English dude?”

I was filmed by multiple people a few years ago having gotten onto the stage at a White Miles gig.  I was later asked by management “why?” to which I replied, it seemed like a good idea at the time.  So did running naked through a Cactus farm in Arizona, but that’s another story.   

More recently I was captured on camera at a swim school gig. Singer Alice Johnson was in the pit and tilted the mic towards me and I got to sing a line.  That gained a smile from her (or was it a look of relief) and a fist bump from some kids young enough to be my grandchildren.

There was a time when attempting to film a gig would have gotten you thrown out of a venue.  Now some bands get upset if you don’t post a video – with the appropriate hashtag. There are even fans banding together to upload multi-cam videos of the same performance. I’m convinced that in the not too distant future someone will turn up to a gig with their own Neve 48 channel mixing console.

I understand bands need all the help they can get marketing their music.  It’s easier than ever to be listened to, given the number of streaming platforms, but it’s harder than ever to be heard (according to Billboard magazine over 100,000 new tracks are uploaded to DSPs every day).  Filming gigs also fits with contemporary culture, with its focus on social media and the preservation of experience.     

But next time you’re at a gig and see someone in the mosh pit really going for it, put down your phone for a minute and join in.  When people move together it really does feel magical.

See you in the pit.