An interaction between Australian band Trophy Eyes and a fan on Instagram has gone viral. It all started when Trophy Eyes posted a handful of Australian tour dates on their Instagram. One fan who recently attended a show in Atlanta, GA took to the comments to express their disappointment at the amount of moshing during Trophy Eyes' set, saying they felt very unsafe.
"First time I ever heard of you guys was the concert in Atlanta tonight and the lead singer kept encouraging mosh pits and crowd surfing, which made the majority of us, who were there for Against the Current, feel very unsafe and have to go to the sidelines, which is not fair because we were there before your crazy fans," wrote the fan. "I almost had a panic attack. I didn't even get the chance to find out if I liked your songs because I had to keep worrying about getting kicked in the head."
Let's stop there for a few seconds and address a few things. First off, it's completely valid not to feel safe if you get caught up in a mosh pit. That's understandable, especially if you're not sure what the hell is happening. On the flip side, getting to the show early doesn't mean that you get to reserve your spot and everyone has to bend to your will of how you'd like the night to go. You're up front, sometimes things get a little nuts. We're not condemning or condoning it – it's just how goes it.
And if things do get crazy, I'd say most (if not all) venues have places you can stand right off to the side that's away from the moshing and still has a good to excellent view of the stage.
Trophy Eyes eventually saw the now 1,000-plus comment thread and succinctly responded "fuck you." So not exactly a good explanation of their position. The concertgoer the responded "just the reply I expected from a band that encourages people hurting each other. Let me fix it for you: 'we're sorry, we suck.' There. Screenshots are forever, btw, so you can erase your comment in the morning, but it's too late." Also not the best response, and not exactly the best understanding of moshing. Folks are generally helpful if someone gets hurt in the pit.
Look. At the end of day, try not to hurt each other in the pit for sure. But also understand the etiquette of standing room at a show, and that you're not guaranteed a spot. Especially if things are taking a turn you're not a fan of. As for the 1,000+ comment replies (loaded with very reasonable opinions devoid of expletives and personal attacks, of course), maybe drop it? It's just Instagram, y'all.
As for Trophy Eyes' music, it doesn't really feel all that moshy.
