Why Concert Etiquette Is Desperately Needed Again At Live Shows
After the tragedy at Travis Scott's Astroworld music festival in Houston, music fans are now discussing how concert and mosh pit etiquette has been lost. The tragedy at Astroworld over the weekend has brought a lot of questions up about how people act at concerts or more specifically, music festivals.
I've been lucky enough to attend several music festivals, from Coachella, Neon Desert, and Austin City Limits, and have seen how the energy at festivals has changed over the years.
My first concert was Coachella back in 2003 when I was only 12 or 13 years old. Pretty young for a festival but since I knew lots of people going to the concert my parents allowed me to go with older friends. At the concert, I was nervous but excited to see what the festival was all about. The crowd was so friendly and everyone seemed to look out for each other.
Every year, I noticed a camaraderie between the fans all making sure everyone was safe. In 2006, I passed out during a performance from heat exhaustion in the middle of the crowd. I remember it was during Kanye West's performance. It was terrifying, feeling myself losing consciousness and not knowing where I was. Thankfully, a kind couple picked me up and took me out of the crowd.
When I finally came to, the male was feeding me water and checking my vitals to see if I was ok. They gave me water, some food they had and once I had more strength, helped me get to the first aid tent. I was so thankful this kind couple helped me during my time of need, but now I wonder if this would still happen.
At various Warped Tours, there were plenty of mosh pits I was in, where I would see people fall down during the excitement of a band's performance and there were always helping hands to get people up. This is what concerts are all about.
The events at Astroworld show just how much concert etiquette has changed. At a concert, people need to still be helping each other. A video from a Linkin Park concert has gone viral where you see Mike Shinoda stop the song so the crowd and can see what concert-goers need help.
This is what concerts are about. Fans of the same band or artist, all enjoying themselves safely. Hopefully, this concert brings awareness to people who attend festivals about what they should be doing to help people out during a show, so everyone can make it home safely at the end of the night.
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