I went to the Indigo last week to The Who gig and really pleased that I had a floor ticket which meant I could stand up and really get into the music. At previousWho gigs my tickets have been somewhere up in the gods and makes it more difficult to get into the music sitting down. But after a while the music gets me up off my seat to play either (air) lead guitar, bass or the drums or all three at once only to be met with “Oi would you seat down”. My response is “this is a who gig not f*cking Pink Floyd” but this normally causes bad feeling for the rest of the gig, and being a considerate person I try and constrain myself. But this of course ruins my night of seeing one of the world’s best rock n roll bands.
Anyway back to the Indigo, thinking that everyone on the ground floor would be up for it and then…..the people behind we kept asking me to put my arms down as they couldn’t see? I looked behind me and there was a woman of about 4’6”in height (a bit taller than AFKA Bartram). I kind of looked quizzical at her thinking (a) it’s the Who (and not f*cking Pink Floyd) and (b) why did she choose to stand behind someone who is 6’ tall and obvously drunk and really into the music? And then another person asked me again.Why couldn’t they just f*cking move or get a ticket in the stand?
It’s really putting me off going to gigs now (next one is in the AC/DC gig in the 02).
Is it todays (and not my my my) generation? or should I ban myself from going to anymore gigs?
Solid (whispering) gone
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I recognised this twonk as a NOTW journo and one of those no-marks who always pops up as a talking head on those 'Top 50 greatest' type programmes.
I'd had had a few cold drinks too and let it pass for a few songs.
I then felt the need to go to the loo but couldn't be bothered to walk to the toilet. . . . .
I made my excuses and left. . . .
i did him that it was coldplay and probably evreyone was supposed to be miserable - also he is someone you don't want to mess with being over 6ft 4 tall - sits in upper west so you may see him getting slung out on Friday if we win !
I was considering waiting for him outside to give him a slap (which would have obviously ended up with me getting my shwede kicked in as there were about five of them, all much bigger than me) but sometimes fortune smiles on you. He decided to get into the pit towards the end of their set but whether he wasn't familiar with what a hardcore pit was like or not I don't know - because he took an absolute f***ing pasting - with me delivering the coup de grace of a nice, solid heed to the nose, splitting it across what remained of his mooey. Twat.
Standing is fine, not a lot you can do if you get an arsewipe who won't move if they are massive and you are short unless you fancy scrapping and possibly ruining the night. I cannot abide blokes who mince about getting to the front only to hoist a bird on their shoulders right in front of you. Fair one if your further back where its a bit more spread out. Had a dirty row with a couple of blokes and girls at Wembley arena for Oasis doing this a couple of months ago about 20 feet from the front bang in front of me and a mate! What the f*ck!! They got down, the bloke told me to f*ck off and so I diplomatically reasoned with him that I would drag his divvy bird of his shoulders and fill him in if he didn't get the picture, it ended peacefully but could of got incredibly messy.
As regards to standing, I'm 6'3" & if I see someone behind me that is not as tall, & is struggling to see, then I will always let them stand ahead of me. Sod's law for me though, I get the 6'8" buggers standing right in front of me! Haha.
In terms of mosh pit action, especially at hardcore/metal gigs, I'm not into the pounding the shite out of one another(walls of death, circle pits, impressions of the Karate Kid, etc) theory of enjoyment. Each to their own, I just enjoy a good bounce. But those who get into those areas of violence(usually behind the 1st 3-4 standing rows) must be careful, so should navigate their way to the front via the sides.
Funny though, I've always found the 'pits' at indie gigs to be oddly tougher to negotiate than the metal gigs. I saw Suede one night, then Sepultura the next & felt less at ease in the Suede mosh, than the latter.(Blur at Brixton being thoroughly insane, as another example of the indie experiences)
Many a happy night spent watching bands at the Astoria Leroy, such a shame its going soon.:-( I've got to get back their at least one more time,(& always wanted 1 of my bands to play there-sniff). From Faith No More to Machine Head, Skunk Anansie, Mansun, SOAD, Slayer, Deftones, Incubus, the aforementioned(& at that point, just reformed) Life Of Agony & many many more seen there(& thats before we head down to the LA2!:-), such good memories!
I remember one at the Barbican where I had to listen to somebody two rows behind recount their day at work during the middle of a set, they were told to shut the feck up in no umcertain terms by my Missus! Poor buggers didn't know what had hit them.........she even fot a round of applause from those around us.
A total t pot at a Bjork gig... get away... LOL
The last gig i went to was the foo fighters at wembley and i couldnt move my neck for 3 days. but i wouldnt have gone unless i knew they were standing tickets. sitting down at a rock concert is just pointless.
Attended a fair few hardcore/thrash gigs in my distant youth and as much as they were lively they never quite hit the real loony mosh pit heights.
Having said that I once had back to back metal nights at the old marquee - Lawnmower Death - there was actually a queue to stage dive!!! More people on the stage than in the mosh pit that night!. Followed by napalm death (dear oh dear) that was insane.
My all time mad moshpit is definitely The Meteors at the Venue circa 1991. Wasn't a particularly big pit but 20-30 hardcore Teds knocked the shit out of each other for an hour or so - stayed well out of it.
The Venue used to be such a good place for bands. Remember some awesome gigs there. Mudhoney, Oasis, Carter USM, New Model Army, Silverfish etc etc.....was anyone else an attendee back in the very early 90s?.
Saw Carter there in 91 (I think) It was chaos!
It all started with The Meteors as far as I am concerned, first time I saw them at the Hope & Anchor in Islington about 1981 it was chaos, couldn't believe it. Loved every minute!
The place must have held 800-1000 not sure why so many bands played under assumed names. New Model Army played there as Raw Melody Men, Mudhoney as Superfuzz and I'm certain Chumbawamba (before they charted and became utter shite) played there as Working With Tomatoes.
Even though I had drunk about 10 bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale before they came on, I still remember being genuinely scared. They covered these boots were made for walking and were actually stomping (skinhead style) anyone that went down!.
In the early days if someone went down, the others picked them up and then threw them back in the pit!
John Fat Beast, what a legend.
Bumped into him in the Spice of Life at Cambridge Circus before a Natural Life gig at the marquee
A- no one can nick anything from out of it and
B- I can lean on it.
It seems to work for me. Saw The Damned twice this month on their tour and The Rezillos which was at a venue so small, I spent most of the evening being pushed into Eugene, the male lead vocalist
Also went under once at the Town & Country Club and got trampled to bits. Couldn't walk for a couple of days after.
Fuck that for a game of soldiers!
Heh, true enough, sitting at Metallica at Wembley was almost painfull.
Seem to remember Sepulturta at the Amersham Arms (how insane was that?) being a bit naughty too - largely because 1200 people tried to squeeze into a venue ratified for 300...
As for the Venue back in the day, I remember seeing Godflesh support Prong there (awesome gig) - I broke my nose 30 seconds into Godflesh's set and carried on in the pit like nothing had happened - the next day it swelled up to the size of a tennis ball and I couldn't breathe out of it for a month - had to have it re-set and still got a deviated septum as a result. Happy days
The venue is was always good for broken bones. Broke my wrist in the old Star Bar (top floor) and carried on like nothing had happened.
Next day was not good.
Was back the following Friday moshing along to the Silverfish. There were people jumping from the balcony overlooking the main stage that night!.
Could be quite a good add to the thread actually - what is the madest thing you have ever seen at a gig? I'll start it now.