You should skip crowdsurfing, moshing when concerts return after COVID-19, experts say

In order to practice social distancing when concerts return, you may not be allowed to participate in a couple of live music’s timeless traditions: crowd surfing and moshing.

Those are among the recommendations by the Event Safety Alliance, which released a reopening guide for events and concerts this week.

“Patrons cannot all stand at the front of the stage like they are accustomed,” part of the guide reads. “Moshing and crowd surfing are violations of social distancing per se and must be absolutely prohibited during this pandemic.”

The alliance got the opinion of more than 400 producers, event organizers, university employees and arena personnel to make its guide.

Randy Blythe, vocalist for metal act Lamb of God, said he doesn’t think social distancing will work at concerts, according to Metal Injection.

“Let’s be 100% realistic — I don’t think a bunch of metalheads or punk rock kids or hardcore kids, when they all go to a show, if there’s gonna be social distancing, any band starts playing, that social distancing ... (is) gonna go out the window,” he told the publication. “It’s like, ‘It’s time to mosh ...’ You know what I mean? That’s not gonna work for us bro.”

General admission events, where crowdsurfing and moshing often take place, are “challenging to supervise as is,” the author of the guide said. Workers should provide information and enforce post-coronavirus rules at shows, according to the guide.

The guide calls for temperature and health screening upon arrival at venues, staggered entry and face coverings for all patrons. It also gave suggestions for venue workers, including recommendations for social distancing, hand washing and paid sick leave.

The author of the guide said that while it can’t be guaranteed there will not be illnesses from concerts, following the recommended measures is the best way to keep patrons and workers safe.

“They’re going to miss stuff because they never had to think about it before,” Event Safety Alliance vice president Steven Adelman told Billboard. “Everybody wants their stuff clean and in good shape, but my goodness, to avoid transmitting COVID-19 and killing people — that’s a lot to lay on somebody who’s a theater manager who’s used to wearing all black and Dickies shorts 12 months out of the year.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 8:16 AM with the headline "You should skip crowdsurfing, moshing when concerts return after COVID-19, experts say."