(It's just dawned on me that I rarely click on cuts when it's not obvious what's behind them. So why should you ? So, behind the below is a request for your thoughts on moshing.)
I've been vaguely pondering for a while about the dynamics of a mosh pit. On the dancefloor is a bunch of people piling around, looking pretty much indistinguishable from a fight, but as soon as someone falls over, people stop to pick them up. Two people might be thumping each other one minute, then singing along arms-round-shoulders then next. What's going on there, then ?
And yes, I do it too. I will happily hurl myself onto the dancefloor for Holiday in Cambodia, despite the fact that a bunch of bruises or someone's elbow in your nose is a fairly likely outcome. Why is this fun ? How many people take the entirely sensible view that no, that hurts, and they're staying a long way away from it ?
However, the reason for suddenly writing about this is that the mother (who's a columnist) (of the journalistic rather than fifth kind) is pondering writing about such things. So, as her part-time research worker, I have been requested to gather opinions.
So, what do you understand by the word "moshing"? My Dad tells me that all the cool kids in Darlington refer to the habit of barging into one another as, er, "barging". And I've known a lot of people use "mosh" to describe the keep-your-feet-still flick-hair-forwards-and-backwards I'm-listening-to-Metallica dance. (So have I just got it completely wrong ?) Would you use the word "mosh" ? What would you mean by it ? What other words might you use to describe dancing styles ?
Does anyone have any idea where the word "mosh" comes from ? And why the word pit ?
"For God's sake, someone teach the Oxgoths to pit!"
- Hatchet, c. 1999
I've been vaguely pondering for a while about the dynamics of a mosh pit. On the dancefloor is a bunch of people piling around, looking pretty much indistinguishable from a fight, but as soon as someone falls over, people stop to pick them up. Two people might be thumping each other one minute, then singing along arms-round-shoulders then next. What's going on there, then ?
And yes, I do it too. I will happily hurl myself onto the dancefloor for Holiday in Cambodia, despite the fact that a bunch of bruises or someone's elbow in your nose is a fairly likely outcome. Why is this fun ? How many people take the entirely sensible view that no, that hurts, and they're staying a long way away from it ?
However, the reason for suddenly writing about this is that the mother (who's a columnist) (of the journalistic rather than fifth kind) is pondering writing about such things. So, as her part-time research worker, I have been requested to gather opinions.
So, what do you understand by the word "moshing"? My Dad tells me that all the cool kids in Darlington refer to the habit of barging into one another as, er, "barging". And I've known a lot of people use "mosh" to describe the keep-your-feet-still flick-hair-forwards-and-backwards I'm-listening-to-Metallica dance. (So have I just got it completely wrong ?) Would you use the word "mosh" ? What would you mean by it ? What other words might you use to describe dancing styles ?
Does anyone have any idea where the word "mosh" comes from ? And why the word pit ?
"For God's sake, someone teach the Oxgoths to pit!"
- Hatchet, c. 1999
no subject
Date: 2004-03-11 03:57 am (UTC)Was out of the house most of yesterday so it's having its first play as I type... Track 12 and counting. Highlights so far: recognising the sound of the Auteurs before looking at the artist name in detail (and who is Luke Haines?), the little harmony thing at the end of Busted, the slightly hurt voice in Nobody Likes You (When You're dead), and the ever lovely when I argue I see shapes when I argue shapes when I argue
Oh, on the Moshing theme again, I've just been reading Jan Fries Seidways (on swaying and shaking trances) and any article I'd write about moshes would involve at least a nod in the direction of pagan/shaman/ancient-cults-of-bear-fat-and-sharp-sticks-and-lots-of-mud with their ritual drumming, shaking, possesion, conciousness changing and the like.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-11 04:02 am (UTC)He had a fit of ego, as far as I can tell, when the last album came out. Admittedly he more or less is the Auteurs, in the same way Hannon is the Divine Comedy. But even so, subtitling the album "The Songwriting Genius of Luke Haines" was pushing it a bit, in my book.
Nice rendition of the Idlewild middle eight :)
I own a copy of Seidways, but have never got round to reading it. I'll have a look when I've, er, cleared this enormous backlog of things I'm meant to be reading.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-11 04:11 am (UTC)well that explains why it was so distinctively Auteurs then. I'd forgotten he is (involved with) Black Box Recorder too.
A further observation... Looper's 'the Snare' is just like one of Orbital's 'The Box' variations, but with lyrics on top.
Seidways was just starting to overwhelm me with anecdotal evidence of (mostly Northern) shamanism, but then settled down to the practical about 1/3 of the way through. In a similar vein I guess I should get round to reading helrunar some day...