First Timer's Survival Guide.

Any Tips On Moshing Safely?
Or Avoiding Them?
Getting To The front?
What Sort Of Things To Wear?
What To Take?
If Anything?
How To Meet The Band After?
How Big A Group To Go In?
Crowd Sufing A Do Or A Dont?

Ect. Ect. Ect.

oxox

My first peice of advice is to NOT wear sandels or flip flops, especailly if you plan on moshing. (I know that's pretty much common sense)

The only way to get to the front is if you have tickets. You could try sneaking in but there is the risk of security guards.

If you want to take a camera, I would make sure it's okay by going to the venues website, because you defiantly don't want them taking it from you. Also I never a purse to concerts. I have some friends who do but there is the risk of getting your purse stolen or losing it. I always put money in my front pocket for buying shirts and stuff.

I'm not sure about how to meet the band. The only band I've met isn't that famous and I saw them at this local music club I go to and bands pretty much just walk around when they aren't playing so it's pretty easy to meet them.

I'm not sure how badly you want to mosh. They can get pretty rough. And I've never crowd surfed just because I'm not that into tons of people I don't know touching me. Although to warn you, I've had a friend get dropped while crowd surfing and she had to go the hospital.


And of course have fun

If you're going to a general admission show make sure to bring plently of money for water...outside or not it gets very hot very fast and pushing your way through hundreds of sweaty bodies is quite tiring. If you ARE outside you'll want to wear lots of sunscreen. Trust me.

Speaking of general admission concerts, if you are seeing a big band where there is going to be a lot of people and you want a good spot try and get to the venue a good few hours before the show...if you're not the kind of person who likes to mosh or push people around then it would be hard to get close to the stage.

It is a good idea to set up a meeting place with your group before the show starts( i.e, the t-shirt stand, exit signs, or any other noticable landmark) so you know where to find each other when it ends. This way, if two people want to stay in the back and one wants to get to the stage you can do so without worrying about finding each other later.

If you're worried about how rough the crowd's gonna get there's nothing wrong with sticking to the back. Don't do anything that would make you uncomfortable or that you don't think you can handle...remember, you're there to hear some good music and watch the band you love put on a good show. Have fun!

always brace yourself for when the crowd starts moving from side to side
(you may fall over if you dont :S) i didnt but some others did

Most of the points have been said dont wear sandals
if its just standing then you will get closer than you were but probally not to the front with people pushing at the back and people at the front pusing you back...If you go there early you will get to the front times vary but are mostly around 2 in the morning in the uk

Go somere where and buy PLENTY of water i took 3 bottles with me before =] shaared it with some randoms as it does get very hot and sweaty. Just remember to wear a tshirt or vest top i would not reccomend wearing a jumper long sleeved tshirt etc also jeans stick to you more with all the sweat but its not really that bad because i wear jeans to al my mcr gigs =] so that ones up to you

If u fall over someone will always help you out people are pretty nice at mcr gigs =]
Also if you get in any sorta trouble Gee will point it out to others hes ver y good with things like that =]

If your taking a camera phone etc and theres a thing that you can tie one of them strings that go around your neck or wrist get one as it can prevent you losing your phone or camera or you dropping it

i crowd surfed once but since its your first time and your young i wouldnt reccomend it also most of the time you get taken out of the standing area ( i never though) and have to watch it it from the back/sides

the bigger the group the better..always a chance of not losing someone also as someone else said arrage a meeting place if you do lose anyone e.g at a stall or at the front door

to meet them you most likey have to wait outside and try your luck to see if anyone comes out but dont get your hopes up they do sometime depends about the size of the gig and how far they have to travel after but if your lucky they will be there but some times its not till around 2 in the moring

hope that helped = ]

x





if you can wear zipped trousers or jeans to keep your ticket it and try only to take money notes coins are easier to loose ( also you can put money in your sock or shoe etc yeah sounds stupid but it does work ! )

-Don't wear jaggy/studded belts or jewelery. A few months ago the top I was wearing got shredded by some kids belt, not happy!

-Chat to the people around you while you're waiting for the band, that way they'll be more considerate of you once the show starts.

-The left hand side of gigs is generally calmer so head for that side to get a spot nearer the front that isn't quite so mad as the same spot in the middle or right hand side

That's all I can think of for now...

oooooo
watch out for flying clothes/ shoes cups, bottles and condoms!!
i got hit in the face with a hoodie xD
and there was a condom that had been blown up and being batted around!!! (it had something in it aswell :S)

here are my tips:
.drink plenty before the show to try to avoid dyhydration (lots of venues take water off you)
.split your money up (e.g. £20 in one pocket, £20 in another) this is so if you lose your purse or something you always have a back up
.attach your purse to your clothes somehow i use one of them circle link things you have on keyrings (can't remember what they are called) there fore shouldn't lose it.
. Have your hair tied up if its long, i know it'll probably won't look as nice or whatever but nothings worse then having hot wet hair stuck to your neck it just makes you a lot hotter in the pit.
. Be careful if you wear glasses, only wear them if you have to
.You can crowd surf if you want but most venues disallow it and to be honest as a non crowd surfer i find it irritating having someone go over my head every few minutes and also you'll only get dragged off by security guards and taken to the back of the venue so is it really worth it?
.Avoid circle pits yif you dont want to sustain injuries
. take your phone if you want to take photos as lots of venues take cameras off you for some reason.
thats all i can think of at the moment

Wow, thanks for these tips people
-even tho i didnt even make the thread-
this has really helped
i was actually SCARED to go to this concert earlier,
I feel kinda better

erm

- Wear shoes that aren't likely to come off. I find converses good, as long as you tie the laces up tight. I wouldn't recommend Vans though, they might slip off.
-Definately tie your hair back, it's a lot cooler
-Take water, drink plenty beforehand so you don't get too dehydrated, some venues don't allow you to take water bottles in but they let you take cups in.
-Try and find a toilet somewhere beforehand, and then take it in turns to go to the loo before you go in. Just don't leave the line completely or you'll have to go to the back, [thats kinda obvious but i just thought i'd add it in XD]
-If you do feel faint, definately tell someone and get out
-Be prepared to get a bit squashed
-Don't take valuable stuff, except for a phone and camera[some venues don't allow cameras over a certain lens width, so check with the venue beforehand]
-If you do take a phone/camera make sure its safely in a pocket where it can't fall out. or it's attatched to you so it can't get stolen or lost.
-If you don't want to mosh then stay away from the mosh pit.
-If you do get pulled in then it's fairly easy to get out, so just head for wherever people aren't moshing.
-Have fun:]

so is there like particular parts where people mosh

sry i feel really dumb for asking these questions over and over

i think [having never been in a mosh pit myself ] that people usually just mosh wherever they are.
Theres not a particular place. If a mosh pit breaks out next to you and you don't want to be involved just head the other way. worked for me:]

circle pits just randomly breakout they are not usually really close to the front though i have to admit.
So if you can get close to the front its better for you, you may get a bit more squashed but hey if you get in danger either a sucurity guard or the band themselves (especially mcr) are likely to see you and tell someone in the crowd to help you out so no worries.
Getting to the front can be quite easy because of the pushing in the crowd, so in the end you could get pushed to front by not actually doing much yourself just by the people behind you getting excited and trying to get to the front as well. Also if you see someone faint and get carried to the front then take their place that way you can gradually get closer and closer to the stage.

Any Tips On Moshing Safely?
There's no way to "mosh safely". Be careful, but know that it's pretty risky.

Or Avoiding Them?
Steer away from any groups that are moshing. If someone tries to get you, kindly ask them to avoid you while moshing.

Getting To The front?
Unless you want to get to the venue early and wait 3 hours for the actual concert to start, you may want to mosh your way to the front, or crowd-surf to the front. If you think you can pull it off, a safer alternative would be slipping through the crowd, just remember to go with the flow--if the crowd is pogoing/moshing/flailing around, you'll have to do the same to avoid risk of injury.

What Sort Of Things To Wear?
Honestly, it's no big deal. Wear a band T-Shirt or hoodie. Unless you plan to wear a pink micro mini-skirt, no one will judge you based on your clothing.

What To Take?
Water and food. (if allowed) If the concert ends late, you may want to bring a sweater.

If Anything?
Do not buy the pretzels at the concession stand--they're so salty you'll drink way too much water and spend half of the concert in a public restroom.

How To Meet The Band After?
If you can get backstage passes from the MCRmy, great, if you can't, and you're willing to stay up late until the crowd thins out a little, they might be willing to get out of the tour bus and sign some autographs.

How Big A Group To Go In?
As big s possible. Try to get all the MCR fans you know to come. If you're underage, you might want to bring an adult.

Crowd Sufing A Do Or A Dont?
It depends. It's a big risk to take, but at your age, it's probably unthinkable. But, when you're a little older, sure.

so....dec 1 is my 1st mcr concert as i fly from indonesia to melbourne.
just wondering , from you guys experience.....is there any fans meeting or anything after the concert?
any chance to meet the band? i mean besides waiting for them came out and walk to his bus.....

facobasten1984:

so....dec 1 is my 1st mcr concert as i fly from indonesia to melbourne.
just wondering , from you guys experience.....is there any fans meeting or anything after the concert?
any chance to meet the band? i mean besides waiting for them came out and walk to his bus.....

well you could stay after the show and meet fans and maybe meet the band (but that means waiting quite a while)
Or you could go really early to the show (am hours) and meet fans whilst waiting outside the venue and maybe if you go early enough meet the band going into the venue. I don't think they talk to you as lng though if you meet them before the show because they've got to get ready and do sound check etc. So if you really want to meet the band you're better off waiting after the show.

I've never really been one to mosh exactly, but just remember to be as curtious as you can in a pit- In other words- DON'T WEAR HEELS! Sorry- I got my foot crushed more than once... Personally, I'd rec. that you wear shoes that you know won't fall off either.

Best bet to getting up front it getting in early, or if the venue is small enough, you may be able to squeeze up to the front early on- but as soon as the headliner is up- good luck, it probably won't happen.

If it is cold outside the venue, bring a hoodie or something along those lines- something you can take off and secure to yourself before getting in the pit- keep hydrated too- You can overheat quickly in the pit, and if you are somewhere in the middle, you can get in trouble really fast- I did that to myself at an MCR gig last year. Learned my lesson.

Obviously you may need to bring a few esstential items- ID, cash, poss. credit card (though be careful about that) and cell phone. Wear something with deep pockets that you can secure- you're less likely to loose the items, or have them stolen. An ID holder attached to a lanyard can work, just tuck it in your shirt. You'd be suprised at what people loose in the pit- keys, phones, I ended up with a belt that someone lost ot the MCR gig too (no one claimed it), and I was at a 30STM gig that someone lost their copy of A Beautiful Lie in the pit- I stepped on it, and once again, no one claimed it, so I got it signed...

Sometimes there are arranged Meet 'n Greets following the show, which is how I met 30STM- usually in order to go, you have to buy merch. Also, support your local or smaller bands- they're more likely to want to talk to fans, and you don't get that groupie/teenie thing. If you're lucky, they might remember you (New London Fire).

I've never gone to a concert with more than 3 people, no less than 2 (including myself). However, I've wandered off into the pit by myself. Trying to stay together always seemed to ruin the show for me- just be sure to have a way to communicate, and a place to meet up after the show. I would never go by myself because (a You are usually in a city to see a concert, and being in a city you aren't familiar with isn't the best of plans if you are by yourself (b If something happens to you, someone will notice that you are missing.

I never liked the idea of random people touching me, so I personally don't crowd surf. However, it does prove to be useful at getting strange/annoying/drunk people away from you- just be careful- they kick.

As for other warnings- be prepared to lose your balance- and try to help those around you. You'd be suprised at how strangers will watch your back. Just keep your cool, and if you feel dizzy/ill- let people around you know, they will usually help you get to the front (another point for crowd surfing) or back so you can get some air. It's nothing to be embarassed about.