Despite being the shortest in the group, Linnea Schmidt Thomson from Stavanger is always on the lookout for moshpits at concerts. Preferably from the top of someone’s shoulders. Then comes the drop. A man saw Thomson lying helpless on the ground. – I’m small, so it was luck that he saw me. People were very kind and made way. She was taken further to the hospital. Where it turned out she had broken her collarbone. – I had to have an operation when I got home to Norway, it was quite sick. – Moshpit at all concerts One of those who, on the other hand, thinks moshpit gets too much focus during today’s concerts is festival enthusiast Herdis Høiland from Bryne. The frustration around the moshpit started when she was at a festival in Oslo to see Post Malone. – So many mosh pits were made for his calmest and most emotional songs. Sounds where it didn’t fit at all, so it was frustrating, says Høiland. Suddenly, the concert of her favorite artist turned into something that felt like a big “rollover party”. Herdis Høiland (26) from Bryne is tired of moshpiter. Photo: private She explains that there is one thing about a group in front of the stage “moshering” for themselves, but that it can lead to a wild domino effect. And not just in front of the stage, but several rings can quickly appear in the area. – No matter what festival or concert I’m at, there’s a risk that a mosh pit will arise in the audience. Whether it’s heavy metal or Postgirobygget. She finds that mosh pits at heavy metal concerts are often much more controlled. At concerts outside this genre, she has observed many inexperienced “moshpitters”. – I have seen some scary videos from Landstreff Stavanger where people jump into the ring far too early, and end up breaking various things. Moshpit at Landstreff Stavanger 2019 Itsy bitsy Spidy, youtube At the same time, she believes that those who want should of course be allowed, even if it is problematic in practice. As it affects others in the audience. – I would have been pissed if I had ended up in an uncontrolled moshpit, she says, and continues: – I understand that it is part of the fun, but people need to start feeling the room a little more. 26-year-old Herdis Høiland is often at festivals both in Norway and outside the country’s borders. Photo: private Originated in the early 80s Moshpits originated around the turn of the decade from the 70s to the 80s at punk concerts in the USA, according to Asbjørn Slettemark who is a music journalist and former guitarist in the band Jim was a Junkie. – The music often had a violent feel to it and people wanted to express themselves physically, but it developed into something people did more for fun than for the sake of violence. Slettemark has long been a fan of metal concerts and has been exposed to moshpits. Photo: Privat But in the last decade, the hip-hop genre in particular has drawn inspiration from metal and punk, let’s believe Slettemark. – In the last decade, hip-hop artists have picked up much of the aesthetics from metal. I think many of them were exposed to metal, and took a lot from there. – Is there a difference in the security around moshpits at metal concerts and today’s music festivals? – The metal audience is often a very experienced audience, and a surprisingly considerate audience. In today’s festivals, there is probably a younger audience with less experience, who may get an extra expression now after the pandemic. When you have a mini-generation that has not been to a festival, it is clear that it becomes more dangerous. Getting busy for healthcare personnel This spring and summer, Medic Sør has been on standby for approximately 300,000 people at festivals and concerts. During the year, their health personnel are at around 3,000 different events, including the country’s biggest festivals. – Injuries directly linked to the moshpit I would estimate to be 40-50 patients. Of these, around 15 have been sent on to hospital with either a need for admission or an X-ray, says general manager Frode Konnestad. Frode Konnestad works as general manager of Medic Sør AS. They have been on standby at several of Norway’s biggest festivals this summer such as Palmesus, Slottsfjell, Tons of Rock, Landstreff Kongeparken and Stavern. Photo: private He says that Medic Sør regularly experiences artists encouraging the audience to create a moshpit. – This sometimes triggers injuries among the audience. The injuries vary, but it is often shoulder and ankle injuries that recur, says Konnestad. He himself has worked at many festivals and explains that it gets busy in the tent when the biggest concerts are in progress. Then they like to have a separate tent with professional personnel close to the stage, so that anyone who is lifted over barricades gets help quickly. – When it comes to the moshpit, this is something everyone is aware can happen, and the audience who chooses to stand close to the stage takes a certain risk even by standing there, says Konnestad. Demanding to have a complete overview The Stavern Festival is a music festival in Norway that is known for large moshpits. They write that themselves on their Instagram. “If there is one thing Stavern is known for,” writes Stavernfestivalen under a photo of a moshpit on their Instagram. Photo: Maja Moan. – Moshpits have become a natural part of the festival experience with us, says marketing and communications manager at Stavernfestivalen, Jøran Kristensen. Especially considering that it is a festival where many young people participate and for that group, Kristensen feels that it is very popular. – As an organizer, you can never have 100 percent control over how a moshpit occurs and in the first few seconds it can be difficult to have a complete overview. That is why they work closely with the company Pro Sec, which has security at the festival. – A moshpit can create both joy and the feeling of freedom. Then it’s also an opportunity to give a little bang in the usual norms you relate to the rest of the year, says Jøran Kristensen. Photo: private – Does having fun trump safety? – As long as moshpits are fun for everyone involved, it is also safe. Fortunately, there has been no need to intervene so far, he replies and adds: – Then it is debated when you involuntarily end up in a moshpit, or don’t quite have the physical conditions to join. We see both sides of the issue, but feel it has become a natural part of Stavern and see no reason to introduce any new restrictions. He also emphasizes that the festival has so far not had any bad experiences with moshpits. – On the other hand, there have been a few cases of moshpits that occur elsewhere than in the concert area, for example in the food queue. That’s the limit, he laughs. I believe that moshpit prevents fights Henning Kristiansen is security manager and operational manager at Pro Sec Professional Security AS, and for several years they have used direct video surveillance at the biggest festivals in the country to get an overview of the audience. – We look at the cameras, and you can zoom in so you can see the smallest detail. So if someone falls, it takes an extremely long time for us not to see it. The audience is also well trained to help each other, we feel. The security chief believes that the physical contact people get in a moshpit means they don’t feel the urge to fight. – It’s a boy thing, they have to show how tough they are and show off a bit. A few years ago there were fights at almost all festivals, now there are almost never fights. Maybe they get out some aggression. Very rarely does anything serious happen with a moshpit. – Just as sliding tackles are part of football, the moshpit is now part of the festival experience, says Henning Kristiansen Photo: Pro Sec Don’t worry – Moshpits are not meant to destroy anyone else. It is for those who want to join. Then there are those who can be a bit unlucky and end up in one without really wanting to, says general manager of Utopia Fest, Espen Knoph. Utopia is one of the few festivals remaining this summer, and this year will take place on a larger area than before. Knoph expects moshpits, but believes they are well equipped for them. Photo: Mathias Oppedal / news – Will the new location present challenges? – It has been a somewhat demanding, but most creative process. This is what we love to do, to create a total experience for people. Ready for new moshpit Despite all this, Thomson is still ready to jump into the ring at the first opportunity. – I understand that it’s not so much fun with a moshpit at the Postgiro building, but I think it’s fun that people have the opportunity to do it if they want to, she says.
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Linnea (21) broke her collarbone in the moshpit – and it wasn’t at a heavy metal concert – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
