Mosh pit/slam-dancing, etc.

[taylor j]

I don't know the earlier history of these words, but I
know by the time they had percolated down to me
(Florida, 1989-1992ish being the peak years), some
change in meaning (or firming-up of meaning) had
occurred. One moshed, in a mosh pit, to speed metal,
thrash metal, or death metal, not to punk or hardcore.
It was indeed slower, circular, more orderly if you
will, than slamming. One slammed, in a slam pit, to
hardcore punk. The uncoolness of "slam dancing"
described by Gavin was preserved in the transmission.
Thrashing referred to rhythmic up and down head
movements which resulted in tangled hair and neck
pain, and was, like moshing, done by metalheads, not
punks. Skanking was still associated with ska.

Joanna Taylor

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