What Is Crowdkilling? And why is it dumb?

A music festival that I have gone to for the past few years (I think 5?) is trying to gather a group of people to begin a crowd killing trend. Now personally, if I got spin kicked in the face by some guy who wanted to look cool and do it to people in the crowd, that would have a high probability of ruining my day.

But a question that is commonly asked is "What is Crowd Killing?", when I first heard it, I didn't even know what it was, so I did what any sensible human being would do when they had a question about anything. Google. Now the best way I can describe crowd killing with words and flailing your arms like a drunken windmill. Along with the occasional attempt at a spin kick if you're in breeding season with other morons.
But basically, Crowd Killing is when there is a mosh pit, but instead of the normal either circle pit or everyone plays aggressive bumper cars with each other (but at least aggressive bumper cars with human decency). Crowd Killing, which I am now going to abbreviate to CK because I am a lazy writer, is where you intentionally seek out harm to others around and in the pit. Either the drunken windmill, or trying to ninja spin kick a chick in the pit, CK is the “Classiest” form of pitting i’ve seen so far.

Now personally I think CK gives the metal scene a bad name, and I found a nice post on MetalSucks that verifies my point even more, I’ll put the link to the MetalSucks post here, but here is the meat of it. There is also a picture of the injury in the post.
“I attended the Chelsea Grin concert on the 24th of February this year in Copenhagen, Denmark.

At the concert I got kicked in the knee by a “crowd killer.” It was not accidental. I could feel the force that the kick hit me with, and it was both with accuracy and with force, hitting my knee sideways. It resulted in me getting the knee dislocated and it led to a damaged meniscus. It was the single most painful thing I’ve ever experienced.

There were no security guards at the front or in the back who saw me getting hurt and no one else seemed to be bothered either. I talked to one security guard who was by the wardrobe outside of the concert hall, who said, “We can’t do anything, you don’t know who kicked you and the police won’t do anything either.” The whole situation seemed to be taken very lightly, and it makes me very upset. I had to go home and couldn’t see the rest of the concert…..” “The argument “don’t go to the pit if you can’t handle the mosh” is irrelevant. I don’t go to a concert for fighting; it’s not an MMA-ring. I didn’t do anyone any harm or threaten anyone, I just went to have a good time and listen to good music with like-minded people. It feels like some of these physical abusers (crowd killers) have this excuse to bully and level physical abuse on others since they can get away with it because “that’s just how it is now”.

Another thing: the bands are in a way responsible for crowd killing, because they are accepting the bullying and physical abuse that is going on in the crowd if they don’t do anything about it. They have to take a stand, call people out and stop playing if people are getting abused at their concert. It is also the whole metal community’s responsibility to take a stand against physical abuse. Last but not least, the venues that have these events and concerts have to make sure that none of their guests are being physically abused during their events.” MetalSucks reader Julius P.
There is a very common argument in favor of CK that is “If you don’t like it don’t get in the pit”. Allow me to tell you why that argument is very flawed.


Usually Reddit is one of the greatest sources of information on content for stuff like this, so when I nosedived in I found this gem of a quote that really sums up a lot of people’s feelings about CK. As a side note, I did remove all of the curse words in it, not only because I would get reported for the colorful language the Redditors used, but because said language could also end up getting my blog shut down if it pissed someone off enough, better safe than sorry!

“I just got home from seeing Sworn In play at a tiny venue nearby. They were absolutely insane. I just don't understand why they encourage people to crowd kill and "bash [expelled] skulls in." Am I missing the fun in being extremely overweight and pushing whilst punching everyone's heads? Just stop crowd killing, you ruin everyone's good time.”

[–]Oceanfloorsmusic 60 points 5 years ago

Because the kids that wear camo shorts and fitted hats and are 75 pounds overweight don't seem to understand that every time they act "tough" and break a 15-year-old girls nose by swinging into a crowd of people they get one more venue shut down which is why there are no shows in my state anymore. [expelled]'s corny man.

[–]Adon1kam 53 points 5 years ago*

I live for crazy shows. Stage dives, crowd walking/running, circle pits, Ect. but what I hate more than [expelled] anything is these [expelled] bag [expelled] who want to get into the pit and start acting tough, and then stay on the very edge and start kicking/hitting the crowd who clearly do not want to get in the mosh pit. I have gone out of my way several times to lay these [expelled] [expelled] bag [expelled] [expelled] out. Totally unacceptable. By all means do it to each other as much as you want, just don't get the people who are clearly not interested in your idiotic tough guy act.

And for the record, to the people I'm talking about. You look straight up [expelled] ridiculous stomping around waving your arm everywhere like you're walking in the dark trying to find what is in front of you. Stop that, it’s embarrassing everybody.




Now, I could compile so many pages and pages of people’s accounts on people being idiotic at shows and CK. But, instead, I would rather leave a Open-Letter like response to people who want to bring CK up into the surface as a “Normal Thing” for the metal scene.





Dear, Whoever this concerns.

I would, along with many other members of the metal community, like to kindly ask you to not CK at any concert. Unless you are getting punched in the face by your own kind. It is unfair to be enjoying the music of a band you are fond of, to be sucker punched, kicked, or injured in any way, by someone who thinks it is metal of them to do so. Now, if you did that out of a concert, in public, I am pretty sure that would be considered Assault. Not only that, but you claim that there should be no “fighting back”. So when you punch a man’s wife in the face, you can call no tag backs and run around in a circle continuing on your onslaught of childish malicious intent. I think I speak for many when I say, we kindly decline in Crowd Killers being welcomed in the Metal Scene, go try Country. But not really, just leave everyone alone and enjoy the music.