mosh-pit lingo (1980- )

[Benjamin Zimmer]

One more moshism...


* head-walking, n.

1989 _Houston Chronicle_ 22 Sep. 15 (Factiva) As DRI's lead singer and
front man, Brecht does more than spur the thrashing. He joins it, "stage
diving" - plunging - into the crowd. "They catch me - sometimes. But I
have hurt myself. It's dangerous, but it's fun. Sometimes I do
head-walking, too." Come again? "I walk on people's heads." How far has he
walked on people's heads? "Well, it's hard to balance," Brecht said. "I'd
say six or seven steps is the farthest."

1992 _Billboard_ 16 May 22/5 Other than the intensity level, observers say
the mosh pit generally is the same the world over, but with subtle
nuances. ... Boston has its "pig pile," reports Glitter, while San
Francisco had a thing called "headwalking," adds Schnapp. "At some shows
there the kids would be packed so damned tight upfront that there was
literally no room to fall in between. So I guess some ingenious person
decided to walk on people's heads and shoulders."

1993 _S.F. Chronicle_ 27 May E1 (Factiva) They squeezed into the Phoenix
and began their ritual "moshing" and "head-walking" -- playful,
orchestra-pit mauling to the beat of the music -- as Primus slammed into
its first throbbing groove of the night: the stop-start chant-heavy "To
Defy the Laws of Tradition."

1993 _Portland Oregonian_ 21 June A1 (Factiva) The stage divers were
already skittering like water bugs across the audience despite signs at
the entrance sternly forbidding headwalking and diving -- if not modern
forms of dancing, then definitely audience participation.


* head-walk, v.; head-walker, n.

1993 _S.F. Chronicle_ 28 Oct. E7 (Factiva) Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie
Vedder will watch as the daredevils in the crowd stage dive and head-walk.
... Sometimes, head walkers are brash enough to attempt cartwheels or back
flips.

1995 _S.F. Chronicle_ 13 Aug. 32 (Factiva) Crowd-surfers, head-walkers and
stage-divers are grabbed by the belt, seat of the pants, beneath the arms
or wherever else the security staff can get a grip; lifted up and over the
stage barricade; passed from guard to guard like human sandbags; then
whisked off to the periphery.


(As for "pig pile" in the '92 _Billboard_ cite-- I believe that's a
longstanding variant of "dog pile", no?)


--Ben Zimmer