Many people believe that punk and metal shows are dangerous to attend or at the very least there is an element of danger, but is this really true or is this just a myth made up by people who don’t go to shows and come to their own conclusions? In my personal experience, the answer is yes and no.

    Some of the integral parts of these shows include mosh pits, crowd surfing, and stage diving. These all can be somewhat dangerous. At shows I’ve gone to, I have been punched in the face, kicked in the head, knocked over, had people dropped on me, been dropped by people, and had stage divers landing directly on me.

None of these were peaceful events, and I fully understand where this can turn many people away, but none of this was done with ill intent. When I was punched, it was by accident when a guy was pushed from behind and was quickly followed with an apology. I got kicked by a girl who was crowd surfing and obviously out of her element. None of these mishaps left me with any real injury besides a bruise here and a scrape there.

    In almost all cases people at the shows are very nice. If you get knocked down, there will be people there to pick you up in an instant. If someone gets a real injury, people will stop and help them. If you get pushed, it’s not that person trying to hurt you; it is merely part of the show, often the best part of the show.

    Overall, I urge people to not avoid punk or metal shows because they think it will be dangerous. All of the things that have happened to me happened because I put myself in places where they were likely to occur. The sides or back of a crowd should be completely safe. Punk and metal shows I’ve gone to have been some of the most fun I’ve ever had. Don’t miss out due to being nervous over a crowd.

Header photo by Thebigredfox and thumb photo by Krzysztof Raś  vis Creative Commons.