For science!

[emeraldembers]

My darling lords and ladies; I am going to see a ~certain band~ on Saturday, and there is a very high chance that moshing will be involved.

Now, I have never been in a mosh pit. This being the case, I have been googling away to pick up advice on what to wear and what to do in case of emergency, but I could still do with a few odds and ends of advice.

First; what would you recommend wearing?

Second; given I'll need to have my mobile phone, some money, train tickets and concert tickets on me at all times, what would you recommend using to store them? Tickets and money can go in my bra if need be but the mobile is a bit of a concern; I have a holder that can be worn around my neck and tucked down my top, but of course most advice about what to wear in a pit says noooooo to any necklaces or similar things around the neck.

Other than that I'm thinking boots, leggings, shorts and a tank top :X.

SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOMED.

ETA: Also, I'm five foot four, so recommendations on staying out of harm's way despite being a shortarse would also be helpful <3.

Comments

[woodstarling.livejournal.com]

As a fellow 5'4 girl, I wish you luck. I've not been in many mosh pits, but I've been in enough to know to just expect to get beat to shit. :P Back in my day I mostly used defensive techniques. I really can't give much better advice, it's been a while since I've been to a show with an actual pit instead of people just shoving to get closer to the stage EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE ALREADY PEOPLE STANDING THERE. /rant

[lexhibition.livejournal.com]

I generally wear denim jeans or shorts with a pocket that can be buttoned to keep my phone and other stuff in, but if I haven't got pockets then I have a money belt (like the sort paranoid people wear for traveling abroad XD) which I wear really low on my hips, under my trousers.

Definitely sturdy shoes that will STAY ON. I wore sandals for my first mosh lololol never again.

Mosh pits get hot, but cover up as much as you can because you're going to be pressed up against a lot of hot, sweaty strangers and having too much of your skin open for accidental groping gets old fast.

A sports bra for jumping up and down!

Wear deodorant. Definitely. XDD

And it's not really that dangerous. I mean, you'll come out of there with some bruises, but nothing life threatening. If you're little - I'm only 5'5 - I've found that people will back off a little. If things do get intense often a bigger guy'll put his arms around you and it SOUNDS creepy but he's really just helping you out. And maybe getting a feel but also keeping you from being trampled. XD Other than that, don't be afraid to use your elbows if you feel you are going to be crushed! I've been knocked down in a mosh before (I think it was at Muse?) and I'm still alive.

[snuffkin.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, def. start using your elbows if its getting too much! And don't be afraid to push people! That's hard to overcome at first, but you have to fight for your space :D

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

I wore sandals for my first mosh lololol never again.

*intrudes* WORD TO THIS. I did it once and never gain in my life. Worst idea I ever had, concert-wise. XD

[snuffkin.livejournal.com]

if you wear jeans you can put your mobile in your pockets (the front ones).Just look that they're big enough.
I wouldn't wear it around your neck or anything because it will bounce around even if you put it under your top.

uh lesson I learned the hard way: Put up your hair. I'm always getting my hair braided now, when I go to concerts, because all the pulling was driving me crazy.

I was pretty scared of mosh pits and I'm a tall person but my experience is that people are generally helpful, especially when you're small. It certainly depends on the crowd but most of the times I've seen people help each other if someone falls down or seems hurt.
Get out if you're getting scared, there are probably people who don't like moshing and the groups leave each other alone most of the time. You can start slowly by working your way up into the pit lol there are always those who just like to jump around a little.

I hope that helps, even though I'm not the most experienced person when it comes to mosh pits lol

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Uhm, I've been in a pit a couple of times, though never for groups where they literally kill you by moshing... XD but I'd say... at least, comfortable shoes, doesn't matter which kind as long as they don't start to hurt when you need to stand up for a lot of time, and do never wear either sandals or a skirt (which I did one of those two times and yeah. Er. I shouldn't have. The other I had jeans and a normal t-shirt and clothing wise I didn't have a problem). For what you need to have on you, I'd say it'd be best to keep stuff on you all the time so you could bring a jacket and put the mobile in a pocket? Or in another pocket possibly with a zipper, so you don't risk it falling out. Also, if people next to you do something, do that, too. The one time I wasn't jumping when everyone else was jumping the first time I was sure someone was going to step all over me, lol. Also the two times I was in a pit I was in second and first row and first was definitely less painful than second. You just need to elbow idiots behind you if they push too much, otherwise you need to take care also of the ones in front of you. Then again when I was in first it was like 200 people attending and the other time it was 5000, so I guess it depends also from how many people you think would be there. Anyway if you try not to stand close to way-too-tall-and-muscular people and go with the flow when people start moving then you should be pretty much okay. (Also, don't go near the speakers if it's a small place. Because your ears might ring for the following three days. XD)

[lexhibition.livejournal.com]

Awwww, the ringing in your ears is part of the EXPERIENCE! XDD

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

... well, yeah, I'll admit that it was, but I was supposed to have an exam like three days later and I was worried to death that I'd have ended up there not hearing what the guy had to ask me. XDDDD

[snuffkin.livejournal.com]

yeah and sometimes it will stay with you forever. Thank you, Franz Ferdinand :I

(so if you can buy some squishy thingies to put into your ears, it does not take away from the experience and it you'll feel a lot better afterwards lol )

[scarletsherlock.livejournal.com]

I haven't been in one for yeaars but when I did, I wore cargo pants to stash all of my stuff (I wear glasses and I used to take them off and stash 'em too--OMFG, broken glasses=FEAR OF DEATH FROM ABOVE because my mother would have killed me, and I would not have been able to see!). I also recommend a supportive bra for jumping, and light clothes cause you're gonna sweat! But wear something that will cover you up, because you're also probably gonna get groped. I used to come out with finger-shaped bruise-marks across my breasts, almost every time (I'm not small).

Put up your hair for sure if it's long enough, because people will accidentally pull on it when they're flailing around. Make sure you drink a lot of water if you can, because it will be very hot. People are generally pretty cool in the pits, though--I'm five-four also, and I actually got lifted out of a pit one time when it got too crazy, by an awesome guy I didn't know from Adam, when he saw that I was getting trampled. Like he picked me up and lifted me over top of everyone and pushed me until I crowd-surfed to the barricade and the security guards were able to help me out (and I'm not skinny, either). It was awesome. Other times I have been with friends and we looked out for each other, or if I was alone I found other girls to stand by and chatted with them before the show started, and we ended up kind of watching out for each other during the melee.

Have a good time! Report back to us when you can. LOL!

[seraphim-grace.livejournal.com]

support bras for the win, the more support the better, seriously, I'm an a cup and i used to come home with sore boobs
if you have long hair get someone to french braid it - two reasons, 1. it keeps it up out of the way 2. is a good protection from random crowd surfing boots at the back of the head
I second the cargo pants option, especially ones with fastenings on the pocket
wear really sturdy shoes, I used to wear doc marten boots, especially as that kept people off your toes (they were the oxblood colour, I wept when they finally gave up the ghost, seriously, I think I'd had them 12 years)
if you're wearing a band tee don't put another one under it - you'll swelter, a mosh pit is super hot
don't stand in front of the speaker if it's a heavy metal band - seriously, I was deaf for two days after bush at manchester
if the band throws water into the audience watch your head, as a little person elbows will get you then

if it gets too much allow the crowd to push you to the barricade they'll help you out, it's easier than going back into it
and flow with the crowd, the first time i went no one warned me of that and everyone got trampled at the start

[jenova.livejournal.com]

I have no useful advice (when I saw them, it was in a tiny indoor arena, so no real moshing), but YAAAAAY \o/

[syvia.livejournal.com]

:/ I have been told that if all else fails, curl into a ball and protect your head. That would be the extent of my 'mob danger' knowledge.

[planet-rain.livejournal.com]

My best advice? Stay out of the mosh pit. LOL. I ended up biting someone's elbow because they were thwacking it into my head and pushing into me so hard I couldn't move either of my arms to swat him away.

I know bein' up the front is like 'weee, yay' but I think I'm goin' to hang back from now on. Sound-wise it tends to be better from a bit further away also.

But all the other advice you've been given is good if you still intend to get into it :P

[unavoidedcrisis.livejournal.com]

I used to wear scrubs to concerts because they're super comfy and they dry fast when morons spill beer on you (or if you get sweaty). Totally not cool looking, but I was there to listen, not to do my little turn on the catwalk.

Also, as someone mentioned, do not be afraid to elbow anyone, even your own grandmother, if she gets too far up in your space.