"dancing"

[territa]

...and yet, it's the time of your life!

[firehazard]

As I'm generally not allowed down in the moshpit, I tend to watch the goings on from on high. From that perspective, you can tell when a gig's not that good, because you get distracted and start watching the crowd instead of the band... Of course this has never happened at a Pogues gig - however lovely the crowd may be, you can't take your eyes off the stage.

[texasmick]

Never have I pogoed with so many other gentlemen with #1 or #2 haircuts as I have in Glasgow. Best crowd for spontaneous dancing among like minded individuals with no risk of physical harm. For a contrary experience there's my fond memory of having to foot sweep some giant mexicano dude at a Rage Against the Machine concert here in SA because he appeared ready to kick my arse. For a completely contrary experience, see or hear virtually any Fugazi live show wherein Ian MacKaye stops the show at least once to admonish individuals in the pit to: "stop hitting each other", "pick that person up", "explain why you're pushing others". To hear Ian's rather headmasterish comments in the midst of the show is truly a one of a kind experience -- kinda takes you back to the high school assembly.

[Guest]

You must be into bands I've never heard of

[soulfinger]

DOC MARTENS do come in handy!those shoes can take a beating and come out looking good

Yep! DM's ought to be compulsory.

Though I made the mistake of wearing a suedey pair at Birmingham and they took a bit of punishment.

[Plastic Paddy]

Me and a matey saw the Pogues at Hanley in 88 (a gig that saw Shanes Jacket ripped off and flung into the crowd) and there was some stage diving going on then. Matey got a hugely impressive shiner that lasted for weeks after being hit by a descending boot from some such activity.

Can't see the point of it myself. Is it a cry for attention or some kind of freudian thing where participants never got enough tit when younger?

[Simon Maguire]

Does anyone actually like them? They do my fucking head in - I can't stand them. You can't actually hear the music which kind defeats the object of going to a gig.

Agree?

[Shant on]

Only just clocked this thread. I came home from a gig in Brighton about 88 ish with only 1 desert boot. Stupid choice of footwear for a Pogues gig !

[mats]

Kroil from Norway walked home (not to Norway) with only one shoe after the Pogues gig in Gothenburg this summer. He was so drunk so I don´t think he knew about it.

[Phoist]

Generally when I go to a show I'll be in the pit for the openers then bolt for the front row for the headliner or the act I am there specifically to see. Basically every show I've ever been to the moshpit has been a real friendly communal sort of trying to kill each other. The problems come mostly from hyperactive 15 year olds and a few people who are just pricks(and probably are day to day as well) The one thing I cant abide by is crowd surfing from the back forward, stage diving whatever but to try to come forward is obnoxious and you will get a punch in the ribs when you pass by me.

[Niall]

i generally go to metal gigs so my view of a moshpit is a b it differnet,. Theyre great craic

[Matt50]

I learned early in my concert-going career that it is the best to be right at the barrier. For the Philly show last year my 50 year old mom went with me and we were right in front of Darryl and it was fine, she actually had a great time. Of course there was one drunken asshole who like tackled us from behind into the barrier but after a bunch of people yelling at him was taken out by security. This was Greenland Whale Fisheries because I was torn between being amazed at the song I was hearing and almost getting into a fight. St. Paddys in NY in the same spot was definately rougher but all in good fun. I prefer to hold onto the rail and jump a little, nothing crazy. If I'm say 5 people back from the stage I cannot take the constant swayinga pushing though, it's either right up front or farther back for me.

[rumsodomyandthelash]

For me a Pogues gig is all about being down the front jumping around like a lunatic, and I've been there countless times as well as at Shane & The Popes gigs. I just enjoy it. It's a great party atmosphere like nothing else.

And I'm referring here to Pogues gigs specifically. I've been to other gigs where it really is violent and nasty down the front. In my (considerable!) experience I really don't find it like that at Pogues gigs. Everyone is friendly, having a laugh, singing along, arms round each other. If you fall down, you do get picked up at a Pogues gig.

Obviously it isn't everyone's kind of thing, but in my view there are plenty of other places to stand or sit. I don't see the point in getting yourself right down to the front, then complaining about it when you know full well what goes on there.

By the way, I'm 34 and, despite being a tall fella, in no way 'macho'. I'm just down there enjoying myself.

Well said, i still love it down the front, though it does mean watching without mrs Rum, who's only little and cant cope with it, i don't know if its me getting older, I'm 41 by the way or the crowd getting rougher but last years Brum gig was as rough as i've ever seen it and i've seen them all over the place. I don't know if all American gigs are the same but i went to the first gig in New York at the Nokia and thought it was the tamest crowd i'd ever seen the Pogues with- ah well everyone to there own i suppose

[Doktor Avalanche]

For a completely contrary experience, see or hear virtually any Fugazi live show wherein Ian MacKaye stops the show at least once to admonish individuals in the pit to: "stop hitting each other", "pick that person up", "explain why you're pushing others". To hear Ian's rather headmasterish comments in the midst of the show is truly a one of a kind experience -- kinda takes you back to the high school assembly.

Yep - Seen Fugazi a few times and that's the rule - nobody gets hurt. That's still the pit attitude at a fair number of shows in the DC area. One I subscribe to. Back in the day, you'd mosh to get out some agression/adreniline, but it had an understood choreography to it. There was usually a circle, running counter clockwise and you'd sort of pinball off each other. Things went bad somewhere in the 90s when it became more of a mob trying to take each other out. Sux.

I'm kind a short (5'8") and old (40) so now I look for seats in the back with good sightlines. Last Pogues show I attended was in Philly and we were in the very back of the topmost balcony. We could see perfectly, the accoustics were good and we had lovely waitress feeding us Guiness.

Much better than the abuse on the floor.

[chinaski]

no, but shoes are very important I couldn't have made it without my Doc Martens... and, maybe it was the venue -- in Glasgow everyone was there to have fun -- but my observation is that Pogues fans are better behaved than most. Fugazi shows excepted.

steel toed Doc Martens.....saves the broken/sore toes and you can kick the piss out of anyone being a complete disrespectful jack ass. I don't mean this so much for The Pogues..more for the above mentioned situations and bands.