Crowd surfing

[Quark]

18 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

I once stage dived at an Anthrax gig. Everyone moved out the way and I hit the floor.

At a Motorhead gig I dived just before security gripped me but the bloody crowd threw my back on the stage to their waiting arms.

On a more successful expedition, I crowd surfed stagewards at a Jane's Addiction gig and landed at Perry Farrell's feet just in time for him to scream "Sex Is Violence!" into my face.

I'm all for it. 

Remember going to Reading in '99 with a mate who was there for RHCP but wasn't really that into the rest of the rock day. Stood at the back of the crowd for Backyard Babies for all of 2 minutes before I said "fuck it I'll be back in a bit" and pegged it into the crowd. He said afterwards that the last he saw of me was a pair of DMs disappearing over the top of the crowd. 

Fun times

[Physical_graffiti]

5 hours ago, Bonaneas said:

and nobody gets away with assaulting me. Simple as.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Physical_graffiti

[shoptildrop]

6 hours ago, Spindles said:

Same   At an indoor gig so sweaty plaster was falling off the ceiling and it was raining indoors.  When you stepped out to the bar people had steam pouring off them, it was fantastic.  I've seen some people get quite sniffy about it in recent years, but for me it really adds to the atmosphere and while rarer than it once was at Glastonbury these days you still see the occasional entertaining use of it (such as the lads in the inflatable pool at Faithless in 2010).

I miss gigs like this:

 

I remember the lads in the dingy during Faithless as we were talking to them later in a bar and they mentioned. Only young but we're really nice to talk too as really passionate about their music

[Amy Lawn]

Amanda Palmer did the best Glastonbury crowd surf in 2013; wore a big fabric rainbow trailing for many many metres behind her and crowdsurfed around singing summat or other. Literally one of the very best Glastonbury sets I've ever seen and any time I bring it up nobody else seems to have been there, it's a great shame.

[CaledonianGonzo]

2 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

On a more successful expedition, I crowd surfed stagewards at a Jane's Addiction gig and landed at Perry Farrell's feet just in time for him to scream "Sex Is Violence!" into my face.

Heartbroken at this instance of someone not taking the opportunity to punch Perry Farrell in the balls.  Sad!

[Waapster]

8 hours ago, Bonaneas said:

Being kicked, elbowed or kneed in the head, from behind and without warning, is an unprovoked, unwarranted physical assault, and nobody gets away with assaulting me. Simple as.

If you are at a gig where people crowd surf and you have that attitude you are either in the wrong part of the venue or perhaps should just watch it on telly. FFS, you punch them? 

[plaskins]

This reminds me of the moshing thread a few years ago - that was intriguing and had a varied response.

I personally don't mind a crowdsurfers, good on 'em. Agreed it's not so common now, or I'm too far back in the crowd to know about it (due to being old and boring, haha! )

What takes more balls? crowdsurfing/moshing, but that's another debate entirely? 

[MilkyJoe]

10 hours ago, Homer said:

I went to see a fairly small band - Splashh - at the Bussey Building in Peckham recently and people were actually crowdsurfing - so it does still exist!

 

Don't really miss it too much though. At Reading 93 (only time I went) was getting a DM in the face about every 30 seconds at the front.

 

Tim Booth was at it during James' set last year though.

Tim Booth loves a bit of it! If you watch last years set back the big security guy stood behind him fucking hated it. He was hanging onto his boot and wouldn't let go until he waved him off!

9 hours ago, Bonaneas said:

Being kicked, elbowed or kneed in the head, from behind and without warning, is an unprovoked, unwarranted physical assault, and nobody gets away with assaulting me. Simple as.

Apart from Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris would get away with it.

[DeanoL]

1 hour ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

Amanda Palmer did the best Glastonbury crowd surf in 2013; wore a big fabric rainbow trailing for many many metres behind her and crowdsurfed around singing summat or other. Literally one of the very best Glastonbury sets I've ever seen and any time I bring it up nobody else seems to have been there, it's a great shame.

I was at that! Was an uphill battle as the sound for the first couple of songs was just so bad. But then really took off.

(Although then I backed her Patreon on the back of it and now she sends me weekly updates of the most inane nonsense it's kind of painful. At some point I need to go through them to find the new album...)

[shoptildrop]

2 hours ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

Amanda Palmer did the best Glastonbury crowd surf in 2013; wore a big fabric rainbow trailing for many many metres behind her and crowdsurfed around singing summat or other. Literally one of the very best Glastonbury sets I've ever seen and any time I bring it up nobody else seems to have been there, it's a great shame.

Was she on after the Hives? As the crowd was tiny when I did a walk by so surprised she managed to crowd surf.... she sounded okay but I was on the move elsewhere 

[The Placid Casual]

Surfed twice at Glastonbury, both times at Smashing Pumpkins in 2013.

[mario man]

I did it once, at the very first gig I went to, Carter USM at tonbridge angel centre back in the early 90s. My mates did it so I thought I should as well, it was pretty precarious due to the crowd being not that big or densely packed! 'Not for me' I thought, as security grabbed me by the ears and hauled me across the barrier. Still, a good way to catch a fleeting glimpse of your heroes up close, if only for a second 

Edited May 20, 2017 by mario man

[Fladog]

12 hours ago, Simpo said:

Very much enjoyed my first visit recently to the Brudenell in Leeds. It's a bit of a free-for-all there, no barrier, good beer, good people.

And seeing DFA1979 at Gorilla in Manchester was just surreal. Sebastien said "This is cool, I feel like I can reach out and touch you" and literally did, as I was pressed against the stage right in front of him.

Brudenell in leeds is by far my favourite place to watch gigs, I saw slaves there a couple of years ago, WOW...............

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I've never seen someone crowd surf in real life. I'm quite sure that, apart from visually, it wouldn't affect me. 

I do know for sure, however, that if I dived off a stage in to a crowd of people, I'd definitely be charged with manslaughter, at the very least. Apocolyptic doesn't even begin to describe the carnage that would ensue. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you - The Hiroshima Belly Splash. 

[Tommy101]

Frank Carter encouraged girls to crowd surf during their recent tour as part of raising awareness for assault at gigs and providing a safe place for all at gigs etc. Doubt he'll do the same at a festival but the spirit may continue. 

The first and last time I crowd surfed was at Reading to Queens of the Stone Age about 10 years ago. It was fun and a tick off my bucket list but don't feel the need to do it again.

[Woffy]

12 hours ago, Quark said:

Ty Taylor from Vintage Trouble gave it a good old go on West Holts in 2015. 

Yeah, that was a cracking effort. Although fairly 'organised' to be fair IIRC. 

[Funky Jim]

I crowd surfed a fair bit back in the day (90s) but does seem to have fallen out of fashion, last time I did was at a Prodigy gig and the crowd looked at me like I was nuts! What did it for me were the tossing O2 acedemy security who pulled me out the crowd and threw me to the floor breaking a couple of ribs

But as someone else said you are meant to float over the crowd not flail about which is why people end up with a boot in the face, that's happened to me at Reading.

[Franky]

My one and only time crowd surfing was at Eminem with Marolyn Manson at reading in 2003 (I think). I said to my mates I'm going to the front for this to which they laughed and said good luck. I got to within about 15/20 rows from the front and then the set started. 

Within about 20 mins the crowd were all falling over each other,  girls screaming etc etc. From memory they even stopped the set and asked people to calm down. 

They didnt, crowd carried on going mental so I thought fuck this and asked the bloke next to me for a foot up. I started surfing towards the front. Now, as I got to the front I could see the security lifting all the short skirted, short wearing chicks down gently, they walked up to me, took one look and kept going to the next hot chick. The crowd holding me up then thought fuck this and launched me over the barriers where I fell about 8 foot onto the ground. Luckily as I am a fully trained ninja I broke my fall, stood up shrugged it off and walked out of the side and went and found my mates. 

I have not crowd surfed since ! 

[morethanaphelan]

1 hour ago, Funky Jim said:

I crowd surfed a fair bit back in the day (90s) but does seem to have fallen out of fashion, last time I did was at a Prodigy gig and the crowd looked at me like I was nuts! What did it for me were the tossing O2 acedemy security who pulled me out the crowd and threw me to the floor breaking a couple of ribs

But as someone else said you are meant to float over the crowd not flail about which is why people end up with a boot in the face, that's happened to me at Reading.

I was at a gig in the Boston Arms the other night and the there was plenty of it going on. Was a young band/crowd too. The kids are alright. 

[Justiceforcedave]

^{I did a little crowd surf during Smashing Pumpkins......mainly to get to the back of the crowd.}

[Amy Lawn]

16 minutes ago, Justiceforcedave said:

^{I did a little crowd surf during Smashing Pumpkins......mainly to get to the back of the crowd.}

Was that when they played the Other stage? There was quite a lot of crowd surfing going on there, probably most I've seen at Glastonbury, and a human pyramid at one point also.

[Waapster]

33 minutes ago, morethanaphelan said:

I was at a gig in the Boston Arms the other night and the there was plenty of it going on. Was a young band/crowd too. The kids are alright. 

I'm off there on Tuesday for The Districts

Edited May 20, 2017 by Waapster

[The Placid Casual]

21 minutes ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

Was that when they played the Other stage? There was quite a lot of crowd surfing going on there, probably most I've seen at Glastonbury, and a human pyramid at one point also.

Crowdsurfed out for Today, got back to the exact same spot for Zero then crowdsurfed out again.

 

Great show.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Crowdsurfed down the front, but only to tuck in Uncle Fester's t-shirt.

By the time I'd surfed back it'd already popped out again.

[Bonaneas]

12 hours ago, Waapster said:

If you are at a gig where people crowd surf and you have that attitude you are either in the wrong part of the venue or perhaps should just watch it on telly. FFS, you punch them? 

Yes I do. If someone has zero regard or respect for my safety & well being by flailing about with his knees Boots & elbows im sure as shit not going to think twice about theirs. Fair point if I'm in wrong part of venue but I don't go the front anymore, not for a long time, mixing desk is close enough for me, but at Festival or arena sized crowds it can happen anywhere.

As I said previously these dicks aren't true crowd surfing with respect & trust like in the past. If someone walked up behind me in a pub and kicked and elbowed me and Mrs in back of our heads, why should I treat him any differently than a knob at a gig doing exactly the same? If you don't want your nose broke & teeth loosened don't kick me in the head while I'm looking the other way at a band Ive paid good money to watch and am here to enjoy without fear of being injured. People have had their necks broke at gigs from it. As well as the other head injuries. It's not big funny or clever and should rightly be banned at every venue & festival and the dicks chucked out for good. 

Moshing is very different. You have the choice about whether or not to join in, and you see what's coming at you so protect & brace yourself etc. There's a respect and an awareness, and it's all good playful fun. With modern crowd 'surfing' there is none, it's a selfish dickish act on a par with throwing pints of piss at your fellow gig goers.