| TEAR
THE ROOF OF THE SUCKA! CONCERT OR COMBAT? by Terry James Recently, a disturbing trend has emerged in the concert-going experience. Fueled by misused intoxicants and misplaced aggression, some fans seem more intent on destroying the venue than enjoying the music. Mosh pits, once the sole property of the punk movement, are now a staple of any show which features a solid rhythm section. Vandalism seems to be unilaterally condoned as well. Burning and looting even took place at a Dave Matthews concert this summer. Dave Matthews?! He’s like the James Taylor of his generation; warm, fuzzy, good time music. The band plays acoustic instruments! How the hell did he get a crowd worked up to riot status? I have to conclude it is not so much what the band incites in the crowd, as what the crowd brings with it to the show. Now, I’m not trying to be the Old Man shaking his finger and scratchin’ his head at "kids these days." I just want to point out a few things that I have observed, and ask you all to think ahead a bit at where this all may be going. Let’s take a look at moshing first. At a concert this month, a group of us brought along a friend who had not been to many recent shows, and was unfamiliar with the phenomenon known as The Pit. As we were devoted fans of the band, we placed ourselves near the stage for a good view. Knowing full well that mosh pits generally break out front and center, we stayed well off to one side. Despite our planning ahead, our friend found out firsthand what moshing was all about, as the moshers "spread their love" liberally about the room, sharing it with our friend in the form of bruised ribs. Now, I’m sorry, but nowhere on her ticket did it say "Price of Admission: Bodily Injury and Pain." Going to a concert and hearing good music is supposed to be a constructive, healthy experience, not physically dangerous. Right now I can hear the moshers calling me names: pussy, gutless, whiner. But if I wanted to, I could sling a few names right back; posers, wannabes, thugs. Whenever people take aim at moshing, and denounce it as a social convention, the same argument comes back from its participants. It’s not really violence, it’s comraderie at it’s most basic, primal form. We are actually a community of friends, showing our love for the music and each other in a highly energized way. Besides, Moshing is a social tradition that has been around for more than a quarter of a century, so it obviously has social significance. My response to most of these statements is a resounding: Bullshit! First of all, the "tradition" of moshing began with the punk movement in Britain. The youth of the dirt-poor working class found themselves in an elitist system in which they were given no power, offered no decent work, and therefore could not affect any change in their social and political environment. They were understandably outraged, and their anger blossomed into punk rock and slam-dancing. The average punk of the day was poverty-stricken, undereducated and completely disrespected. They’d gather in shit-hole bars, drink the pain away, and sing anthems of angst, pure and simple; the musical language of the oppressed. Their violent behavior manifesting generations of frustration and a desperate need for self-empowerment. Compare this to the average "punk" of today who arrives at the show in his late model Jeep, wearing $70 Hilfiger jeans, $80 dollar BlackFlys sunglasses and the obligatory beeper or cell phone strapped to the waist. All of this, his $30 ticket to the show, and the over-priced Northern California weed he smoked in the parking lot were purchased with the money he made at his "job." He gets to spend like this because mom and dad already have plenty of money coming in, and don’t need Junior’s wages to keep food on the table. They’re already paying his tuition to UCLA, and subsidizing his living expenses, so the only reason junior even has a job is to buy more toys. Junior is also living in a society which shamelessly worships youth, and gives them numerous media soapboxes from which to spout their opinions, well-informed or not. So, tell me, how is Junior oppressed? From whence springs his fount of misery? How exactly is he continuing the Grand Tradition of Punk? (An oxymoron if I ever heard one.) Let’s throw away all the history crap, and take an honest look at what is going on. What we get at the typical show is high-energy music and a highly-charged crowd - a live musician’s dream. Great! Everyone’s happy to be there. When testosterone levels climb high enough, some fans feel the need for some "bonding" and form a pit. Fine! The crowd always clears a space for them. Then some over-amped drunks begin shoving their way through the crowd or shoving each other further into the surrounding crowd. Whoa! Now the crowd agreed to give up the space in front of the band to allow the moshers their pit. Everyone’s preference for a concert-going experience has been made clear, to push beyond that becomes merely selfish. Furthermore, to continue this aggression into acts of wanton mayhem and destruction is nothing short of criminal. Some would argue - it’s a free country, I can do what I want! (This would probably be preceded by an epithet and accompanied by the obligatory extended middle finger.) To those who drag out this tired cliché to excuse their inexcusable behavior, I would remind them that freedom does not equal abandon. There is no venerable document which guarantees the right to Assault and Vandalism. We certainly do have the right to pursue our happiness, but like it or not, we also have a responsibility to each other and this society in general; and if you’re driving a car, going to school, buying goods, or holding a job, you are a part of this society, no matter how much of a rebel you style yourself to be, or how hard you front. There was a time when the music of youth was rebellious and dangerous. The innovators were often at odds with the social and political structure of the day. Sad to say, this has changed considerably. That band of happy-go-lucky punks is now pimping athletic gear, the edgy little label is actually a subsidiary of M.O.R. Records, and everybody is making a whole lot of money selling the romance of danger. It’s become a very calculated business, and people in this business are sensitive to only one thing - profit. This leads us to the most important consideration in this discussion of concert violence: what will the industry do if violence continues to escalate? To answer that question, just ask yourself another: would you invite guests back to your house after they peed on your couch and set fire to your car? Promoters and venue managers have a business to run, and are not generally swayed by social commentary, especially if it comes at them in the form of mobs of spoiled kids from the ‘burbs tearing up their clubs and raising their insurance rates. There are plenty of other paying customers who are a lot easier on the furniture. It will be very easy to turn away the destructive acts. Hell, they’re doing it now. Those venues that do opt to house these mobs, will no doubt, step up efforts in the area of crowd control. This last word being a thorn in the side of all true children of rock and roll - punk, metal, or otherwise - why would one continue activity that encourages it? There is nothing that equals the power of music, and the simple joy of hearing your favorite band. Everybody is entitled to these experiences. Freedom of expression is a right I treasure highly, and I would deny it to no one. I ask only that my rights, and everyone else’s, be considered as well. Rock and roll has always had, at its core a flagrant disregard for convention, yes, but coupled with an overpowering need for respect. I’ve learned that respect is a gift only given in return. Think a little before you make a fist, or give the finger. Ultimately, where will this take all of us? It’s already a sad road we’re walking when Woodstock goes down in flames. |