i always find it weird where people try to start pits at gigs where there clearly aren't even enough at the entire gig to form a decent moshpit.
a good example is the genghis tron gig i went to at coventry jailhouse a few years back. the venue is TINY, maybe only twice the size of my bedroom and i do not by any stretch of the imagination live in a big house. there were maybe 20 or 30 people there, including the band, merch guys, support band and bar staff. due to the ridiculously chaotic nature of GT's music, particularly the strange and constantly changing rhythms, it seems like it'd be pointless to try and dance/mosh as you'd never be able to keep time, but whatever. most of us were just stood a few feet from the stage staring openmouthed at the insane sounds that three guys were managing to wring out of synths and a guitar, but for some reason, three asymmetrically-fringed twats in skinny jeans (you know the type) decided to do the whole batter-the-fuck-out-of-anyone-nearby-and-do-spin-kicks shit. i had to step between them and my girlfriend-at-the-time to stop her getting kicked in the head, and thus spent a few songs getting kicked in the back as a result. i'm 6'2" and fairly stocky, but the guy stood next to me pretty much dwarfed me, and had been giving me the "these fucking kids, eh?" look every time the mosh brigade kicked off. he ended up elbowing one of the little shits in the face with some considerable force when they were in mid-air. i don't think it was calculated, more of a spontaneous fuck-off gesture, but the kid and his friends retreated to the back after that. i've been in the same position as that guy at several other gigs, i.e. administering a small amount of pit violence in order to put an end to an ongoing annoyance to everyone. i kinda think at times it's acceptible/necessary.
tbh though, this is one of the main reasons i tend to go to mainly punk/pop-punk gigs nowadays. there seems to be a much better sense of cameraderie/shared enthusiasm/community/whateveryouwannacallit in putting your arm around a friend (or indeed a stranger), both of you with your free fist in the air shouting/singing along, than there is in pushing/shoving/shitkicking.
