#strong talks

NO ONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU IN AN AUDIENCE. If you come to a punk rock show, you are going to get stepped on, shoved, possibly punched, and definitely bruised (unless your show is lame :( ). That comes with the territory.

If you are in need of assistance, cannot stand up for a few hours, are fragile, hate being next to people, idk bleed easily???, or something??? then you cannot go to a punk show and expect everyone to cater to you. I DO NOT KNOW YOU. If you don't want me to step on your toes when the frontman SCREAMS at us to jump, then wear. Fucking. Steel-toed boots.

No, I will not move out of the way so you can stand in front of me with your friend. We bought floor tickets and I got here before you, or you walked away, or someone else walked away and I took their spot. There is no saving-of-spots here. I get to go out to a concert every few months, and I get there fucking early and I stand in the front. I scream. I jump. Yeah, I'm gonna bump into you. But I'm also going to watch my elbows as carefully as I can while I'm headbanging, do my best to put my feet only in the tiny area that I am allowed, and I'm gonna tie my hair into braids and keep them from hitting your face.

Music is a cathartic experience for me. If you cannot hang with the crowd - with a band that is SCREAMING at the audience to start a mosh pit - then you should find a concert where you can sit, or stand in the back. At the very least, do not complain when someone else goes to a PUNK SHOW and they act like a fucking PUNK for a couple of hours.

I'm not fucking responsible for you. I'm responsible for myself. I wear earplugs, stay hydrated, and make sure I've eaten before I show up. That's what I have to do for myself. Everyone is different - if you need to be at the very front, you better get there at 8 fuckin AM. Now, I'm not here to purposefully hurt you, but again, if you play with fire you gotta be okay with getting burned - which I AM.

Feel free to bash me in the side at a punk concert. Hit me with your elbow, scream in my ear. But don't you dare come up to me afterwards and tell me that I'm being PUNK THE WRONG WAY. This shit keeps me alive. This is my medicine.