THE CULTURE OF THE MOSH

Photo Credit @zucco.alex

You’re in a dingy pub filled with band posters falling off the walls, clutching a pint in your hand, feeling oddly out of place. Your mate says tonight they’re playing “stoner metal,” and to “give it a shot.” Yeah, alright.

The band gets on the stage, and after a couple of minutes of riffing and setting up, a wave of overwhelming sound fills the room. Before you’ve got a chance to put your drink down, a wave of metalheads collide, dragging you into the chaos. Suddenly, a 6ft bloke in a denim vest has launched your way. His elbow inches closer to you, almost in slow motion. Trusting your instincts, you push him away, and the man launches in the other direction. You’re not safe for long—the crowd swerves to the side, launching you right back into him. Smack, bang, etcetera.

In what feels like less than a second, a man propels through the crowd, and in about another second, everyone’s dropped and they’re rowing…? This energy is amazing, you’re thinking, why do I kind of want a broken arm? What is this animal I have become? How can I do this again!? That’s the mosh, kid.

Where did this all start?

The rise of moshing can be attributed to the American hardcore scene, which developed in the early 80s, a scene that was one of many predecessors to the punk movement. Although it was the “pogo dance,” a move created by Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols in the late 70s, that could be crowned the first official “mosh” move. As the name suggests, much like a pogo stick, one would jump up and down with their arms by their side. Totally hardcore! Although we may laugh at the simplicity of this move, it was totally original in the late 70s… supposedly. And if you’re thinking that you could’ve sworn your baby cousin did that same move last Christmas—Sid did it first.

It was early 80s America that really began what we’d call moshing. Bands like Black Flag, X, Fear, Bad Religion, and more were at the forefront of crowds that started to push and pull, eventually leading to moshing’s original name, “Slam Dancing.” As these bands grew in popularity, and fans travelled around to other venues, slam dancing exploded in Boston and LA, eventually spreading globally as a required element of the hardcore, punk, and metal shows. The word “mosh” itself comes from H.R., the lead vocalist of Bad Brains, yelling “mash it—mash down Babylon!” But due to his faux Jamaican accent, fans heard it as “mosh it—mosh down Babylon!” Today, moshing isn’t strictly a hardcore or metal thing—but also part of rap culture as well.

How Do Cultural Influences Dictate a Mosh?

The moshing culture in Australia is almost entirely a given if there’s enough booze, beefy guys, a venue that won’t kick you out for it, and guitar riffs that make you hate your dad. It’s no doubt Aussie rockers have a very rough-around-the-edges attitude, making it great for young music goers with anger issues to have their release at essentially any day of the week, at most pubs with a stage. I found it different when I travelled to Japan recently, where it seemed the mosh was reserved for a few outgoing folks who were willing to make it work. For example, at a math rock show at Liquidroom in Shibuya, in which I covered myself in roll-on deodorant beforehand, anticipating the wildest night of my life, I was completely taken aback. My expectations quickly dwindled when the band started, and everyone was… stationary. I counted four headbangers in my area, two “woo!”ers, and one guy who shuffled a little when he really liked the song. This was a common occurrence seeing shows in Japan, even at hardcore performances where, if those bands had performed in Australia, someone would certainly go home with a broken ankle and a huge grin on their face.

This can, of course, be attributed to the universal politeness of Japanese culture, and the differences between the easy going attitude of Australia compared to the more reserved standards of Japan. I was shocked to witness this stark difference and a bit frustrated at times, since my body started vibrating after being reduced to a headbang and the occasional air punch.

The Internet Versus the Mosh

On the topic of culture affecting the way we mosh, there seems to be a noticeable divide internally in Australia. I may even argue that it isn’t the venue that dictates the nature of the mosh, but the nature of the fanbase behind it. Let’s consider a band with a primarily internet following versus a band with a pretty gig-heavy fanbase:

It’s Good Things Festival 2022, Deftones memes have filled up my FYP. Yeah, fine, I’ll check it out. It seemed to start off pretty standard, but as the music continued, the crowd became very difficult to be in. I tried to escape, but no matter how much I said, “I want to leave!”, not a single slither appeared in the crowd. I attempted to crowd surf out three times, and I was dropped each time, without fail! There was one person who picked me up out of those three times. I was, for lack of a better term, pissed.

Comparing this to Pennywise earlier in the day, where a ring was formed around me because someone pointed out my shoelace was undone, I found the juxtaposition slightly comical. Same venue, same festival, different bands with different kinds of fans. My conclusion, particularly after the rise in Deftones’s (and alternative music’s) internet popularity, along with a very internet-adjacent crowd, was that perhaps fans of bands that become popular online simply aren’t aware of mosh etiquette. It can be a bit wanky at times to be one of those “etiquette of the scene” pushers, but when it's a situation where someone could get seriously hurt, I think it's important for these rules to be accessible.

Another Perspective: Mark Andrew (VETERAN)

I spoke to Mark, a veteran in Melbourne gig-going, who’s attended every Big Day Out (all but the first one!) and clocked in exactly 208 gigs last year alone to get his perspective on moshing in Melbourne.

Firstly, what would you describe as your wildest moshing experience?

“Big Day 95, I think, it was my first one. I was in my mid-20s, I ran at the festival with so much energy, I just wanted to experience everything all at once. It was one of the most freeing experiences I've ever had. The Breeders were touring Australia for the first time, so it was a huge deal, and Kim, the lead singer, already had a huge legacy from the Pixies.

Being 1995, the uniform of the day was huge, baggy everything: shorts, shirt, etc. I was carrying everything on me. My mate more or less picked me single-handedly and threw me in the air. It was an incredible ride. I landed safely, and I thought I had everything on me. About midway through the set, Kim yells out, “Someone has thrown a present up on stage!” It was a set of keys. 80,000 people laughed, and I didn't think anything of it.

Flash forward to a drunk Mark at 2 am getting home and realizing that I didn't have my keys—KIM DEAL HAD MY HOUSE KEYS! I had to drunkenly explain to my mum that a rockstar had my keys.”

How do you think mosh culture has changed from your early days to the current atmosphere?

“Moshing culture is a lot safer these days. It's a lot more sedate. Moshing still happens but only at certain venues. I think pubs have discouraged it because of liability issues. Whenever I would get back into it in the day, you'd fall down, and people would pick you up. People would look out for each other. Nowadays, I'm not so sure. Not exactly sure why.”

Is there anything you would encourage younger people who are looking to get into moshing to do?

“If I was going to encourage people to get into it, I would say be aware of your space, be aware of your impact and behaviour, enjoy the music but just be respectful.”

Be respectful! If there was ever a sentiment more true, it's that respect is what keeps the mosh a fun place and prevents it from turning into Fight Club 2. It’s the camaraderie, complete strangers going out of their way to look for your contact lens, a wall of kind gig-goers forming when you fall down, a simple “you alright?” if you’re looking out of your element and letting loose with fans who love music as much as you do.

Moshing is integral to the Aussie music scene, and I reckon it's up to us to keep the culture up. Not only in that we encourage people to get out there and bump each other around, but in that we continue to take care of each other and even spread the word about mosh etiquette to all the newbies who wanna get out there and push each other around too. Elbowing strangers rules, just as checking up on the bloke next to you does.