Violence and Rock & Roll: Hand in Hand? :: essays research papers fc

Violence and Rock & Roll: Hand in Hand? People that have been to concerts know what kind of damage goes on, and how many innocent people are hurt by the violence that goes on at these shows. This is something that needs to end. Many people have been punched, kicked, shoved, thrown, hit by flying objects, fallen, trampled, crushed and, sadly in many cases, sexually assaulted. Concert-goers have suffered from concussions, wounds, rape, and death. All this violence can be ended, but it’s getting worse and worse by the day. The more the fans get out of hand, the more injuries people will undergo. Many people don’t want to go to concerts any more, because of the fact that there is too much hostility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Concerts nowadays are too brutal. This violence needs to end. Even the artists that play at these shows are outraged by this aggression. Even they want to make this end. â€Å"Concerts get such a band name, because of all the [violence] and everything like that,† said Limp Bizkit (a ‘flavor-of-the-month’ band) guitarist Wes Borland. Sprains and broken bones resulting from moshing (a violent form of â€Å"dance† in which fans careen off one another) and crowd surfing (a practice in which fans are passed over head by the members of the crowd) have been common at concerts for many years. As many people remember at Woodstock ’99 the destruction at the festival was at its peak. This shows how degraded popular culture has become. â€Å"The thing that I felt was unfair, in the follow-up in the press, was the demonization of a generation,† said guitarist Tom Morello of, a popular band, Rage Against the Machine, â€Å"There was jus t this vilification of a whole generation and the bands that they like, based on this concert. I think it’s ridiculous.† (Arizona Republic, 10-3-99) But who’s to say that this violent behavior doesn’t go on at other concerts? Well, in fact it does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One trend that has occurred at concerts, are the numbers of sexual assaults. Many girls have been groped, sexually harassed, beat, and even in many cases raped. Just at Woodstock ’99 alone there were 8 sex offences, which included an alleged mosh pit rape, which police were aware of. Tom Morello also added that, â€Å"The one thing that is absolutely unforgivable or unpardonable are the reported sexual assaults.†(Arizona Republic; Phoenix; Oct. 3, 1999) The mosh pit scene at a recent Vans Warped Tour show in Asbury Park, N.