Are concerts really that brutal?

[Arkhangelsk]

So here's the deal: I'm a huge fan of metal, and everyone I know tells me that if I set my foot in a metal concert, I will wake up with my spine poking out of my mouth. But I've seen bunch of live videos, if only for compensate. And when I saw a few videos of In Flames, they barely seemed to move at all. They just stood there, jumping a little on the same place. This is probably a stupid question, I've known people who've broken ribs and passed out during concerts, but are all this brutal, and if so, why are they so stupid to knock each other out? Isn't the meaning of a concert to enjoy the music? If I want to pass out while listening to music, I'll wrestle in a ring while the radio plays Slipknot.

EDIT: If it helps, the bands I'm aiming at seeing live are In Flames, Trivium, and possibly Children of Bodom and Rob Zombie. If we're not talking metal, I want to see Depeche Mode, Billy Talent and Muse. There, now you have some reference.

EDIT 2: OK, FYI. The reason I'm worried in the first place is my size. I don't think I'd survive, cause I'm 5 feet and weigh 96 pounds (approximately, I'm not good with foreign measuring).

 

[Matronadena]

I spent the first twenty minutes at a type o negative show being checked by medics after being hit with a chair... missed the end of Tool for the same reason... avoid being near the asshole in arms reach of a steel folding chair.

 

[Rasak11]

It can get crazy depending on who you hang out with and who your hanging around i know one time i got in mosh pit with about ten of my friends at a slipknot concert and i almost broke my nose when i fell down and got trampled. Also a lot of fights tend to break out at metal concerts so if you go with a bunch of your friends than you should be fine.

 

[Ophiuchus]

If there's a lot of idiots around who do stupid things to try and injure people, yes, it can be brutal. If it's a decent crowd of people looking for a good time, it's awesome.

 

[kickin wiing]

If you go to Hardcore concerts be ready to take some hits. I went to one and was punched in the face multiple times in the pit. But thats the risk you take when you mosh.

 

[JanatUrlich]

You'll be fine if you just avoid getting right into the middle of things. I suggest working your way down the edges and then getting to the front. It works everytime and you don't have to queue for ages to get a decent spot! =D

 

[TheBlackKnight]

What everyone else already said::
Depends on the band and the crowd.

 

[Lexodus]

Read Metal Hammer; in one edition, one of the guys from Machine Head tells of how his first gig involved a guy running around clubbing people with a cow's leg bone.

 

[Stormcloud23]

depends on who's playing...

 

[ActionDan]

Well, have this video for comparison against InFlames....notice the guy in the blue and white shirt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqK_0BbZGJY

 

[Lexodus]

Well, have this video for comparison against InFlames....notice the guy in the blue and white shirt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqK_0BbZGJY

lol that poor guy looks fuckin' retarded. And I mean retarded, as in actually ill retarded, rather than just stupid.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

It depends on who's playing. Quite a few metal concerts will be brutal, and Pendulum gigs as well can get fairly active from my experience. However, none of these match up to The Who, who once held a concert where about 10-12 people died from being trampled on.

I've also seen the exact opposite though, people like Joe Satriani just aren't right for the mosh pit type gig.

As for the audience, that could also be the issue, as you do get some true idiots. Such as this guy who climbed onto the stage during a White Stripes gig before getting bitched at by Jack White for about a minute as a result:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sfk5rS-IeM

 

[ThePocketWeasel]

I've never been injured at a gig, but I steer clear of the middle where all the scene kids like to jump all over each other and dry hump their friends.
It depends what band you go and see really and what their fans are like.
I went to see Enter Shikari a couple of years back and there were chavs there, who of course decided to start on a guy and his nose pierced ended up getting RIPPED out covering my friends arm in blood.

However I've never been injured and neither have any of my friends.

 

[Gado911]

I went to a Lamb of God concert.

What ever you do don't go in the middle of a circle pit!

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Well, have this video for comparison against InFlames....notice the guy in the blue and white shirt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqK_0BbZGJY

Okay, that was sick, the band actually encouraged it! Suddenly lost all my respect for Lamb of God.

You'll be fine if you just avoid getting right into the middle of things. I suggest working your way down the edges and then getting to the front. It works everytime and you don't have to queue for ages to get a decent spot! =D

It also depends on your size, and how it will go when you get to the front. I forgot to tell, I'm 153 centimetres, and way 43 kilograms. It think that's around 5,01 feet and 94,6 pounds.

 

[Skeletorfw]

It's quite insane how violent people can get at gigs
I've had mates go into hospital after gigs...or put people into hospital for that matter.
It does depend on the artist though

When I saw Friendly Fires, the Hadouken! then Pendulum That was a violent and generally crazy night!
And when we say the Blackout followed by Funeral for a Friend, that was again violent
On the last night of that festival it was the streets, and that was just insane!

I nearly broke a rib or two during pendulum!

However I have been to gigs (like alkaline trio) where there was only a bit of dancing, and that was quite nice.

I'm going to see Enter Shikari in october though and they have some really really crazy gigs

Each gig is different, but if you don't want to get hurt, stay out of the moshpits.

 

[WaffleGod]

I went to graspop for 2.5 days. Nothing seriously happened there. Just don't go into the mosh cause you CAN get some broken fingers, ribs, arms, .... or like most of the time, a couple of bruses.

Seriously, you should definately go to a concert if you want to see the band play. In my experience, most metalheads are rather nice.
But then again, I live in Europe, not America, where everybody is batshit insane. (/JOKE)

 

[Crash486]

I've been to a number of concerts and no they're not all that brutal. Given, some are, it really depends on the band you're going to see, obviously. Tool always seems to attract a crowd of idiots. I've been in the pit at few of their concerts. The worst that's ever happened to me was I got kicked in the face (accidently) by a passing crowd surfer, and when I moved up to the front gate I got dry humped by the other 4000 people in the pit, which was quite an odd feeling.

I can say that pits at heavy metal concerts can get out of hand very quickly. I don't recommend taking a pit seat unless you're large enough to handle yourself. If you're young (or scrawny) I'd recommend just getting a seat in the seated area, balcony, mezzanine, lawn, grand tier, etc, depending on the venue you go to. The further away from the band you go, the less riled up the fans get.