To those who have not encountered it, moshing and other punk show antics can be a very strange cultural phenomenon. As far as concerts go, dancing and jumping are activities that are commonplace to the scene, but things like crowd surfing, circle pits and two-stepping prove themselves to be more out of the ordinary.
Hardcore acts Momentum, Sunami, Judiciary and Kublai Khan all visited Minneapolis at the famous First Avenue venue on April 9. The former two being from Los Angeles and the latter two from Texas, these bands have not had the chance to visit Minnesota in many years. In Sunami’s case, it was their first time playing in the state. Fans were scampering with energy for these artists, wanting to remind them what the Twin Cities are all about.
It is undeniable that hardcore concerts have a history of being violent spaces. At many shows similar in nature to Kublai Khan’s in Minneapolis this past Tuesday, there have been countless altercations, brawls, and fights that take place in these mosh pits across the globe. As a result, a term has been coined in the scene that details these types of interactions, dubbed crowd killing.
Crowd killing describes the action of hardcore dancing into the sides of a mosh pit intending to hit an unsuspecting crowd, typically by punching or kicking them. Although being visually violent in nature, the community is still split on the issue.
The hardcore music subculture is intimate– allowing this cathartic release of vitality to happen in a safe, controlled environment alongside individuals who feel the same– but have they gone too far? Are these spaces dangerous?
Some newcomers to the scene had attended the show that night. “I loved the energy of the crowd. Personally, I’m not the type of person to just stand at concerts, I want to get into the music, so it was nice to be in the pit with people who also do that,” first-year Hailey Cronquist said in regards to the Kublai Khan concert.
Cronquist is a fan of all music but gravitates most towards alternative metal and rock. “I feel a sense of comfort being in spaces and concerts especially when they’re metal or punk. I find them to be some of the most caring people, everyone kind of takes care of each other, and most[ly] everyone is always so polite. I’ve never felt unsafe within a punk space,” she said.
The punk and hardcore scene is known to be a very tightly-knit group. “It brings like-minded people together through music, art, activism, and politics,” senior Cat Vang said, being a frequent attendee to the scene, “Everyone sticks together.”.
Vang points out a key factor regarding the unity of the subculture. As rampageous as moshing looks, the chaos is controlled and people do not hit one another with ill will.
“If someone falls in the pit, you help them up, if someone gets injured, you call for help,” Vang said.
Music is a reckoning force that is meant to bring people together. With communities as passionate and energetic as the Twin Cities hardcore scene, this unity is integral. Although these spaces are seemingly intimidating at first, individuals always have each other’s backs.
“I’ve made a lot of friends and connections through this scene,” Vang said. The people are always a reason to keep coming back.
“I think the experience was worth it,” first-year Kylie Jones said. “It was my first time and I’m excited to go to more hardcore shows.”
While people can be disrespectful at shows, they aren’t claimed by the community and creeps will be kicked out or shunned. The scene is supposed to be a positive experience for everyone, and uncivilized or bad-tempered people won’t be tolerated.