Where there are crowds, there is a bigger chance of something going wrong. One of the recent tragic examples is the Astroworld concert where several people died and many others were injured.
People who have concerts and go to them know that crowds surging as well as people getting dehydrated and fainting during a concert is not a rare occurrence. There are other things that may happen too, and you should always be aware of your surroundings because security or the artists themselves don't always notice everything that is happening in the audience.
Image credits: tessfstevens
So an experienced concert attender and a singer herself, Tess Stevens, shared some safety tips that are useful to keep in mind when going to a concert.
More info: TikTok
#1 If You Are Involved In Moshing, Or Like To Do Any Of That Stuff, If Someone Falls Down, You Pick Them Up
I mean, stop what you're doing. Go over to the person and help them up. Mosh pits are supposed to be a transfer of energy, a celebration of music, not somewhere to unleash your toxic rage, especially around others.
Image credits: tessfstevens
Tess Stevens has 359k followers on TikTok and she is a singer, songwriter and a guitarist based in California’s East Bay. As she introduces herself on her blog, she is “known for dark lyrics with sugary-sweet pop-punk melodies. [...] Inspired by punk from the ‘70s to today, Stevens adds a much-missed female voice to the high-octane world of rock and roll in this new world of independent artists.”
If you would like to hear her music, you can listen to her EP Patient 139 on Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon. She is working on her follow-up debut album now and is planning to release it next year.
#2 Watch Your Back
Most of the time, everybody's just kind of chillin, and then once the band plays, everybody pushes to the front. When that happens, older men would really enjoy pressing up against the backs of people. And when I mean pressing, it's like a borderline assault thing. If you feel somebody pressing up against you, look back at them, and just start screaming, even if the band is playing, put both your hands up and point to them. Sometimes men will go as far as to start groping you. That is when you literally start kicking, I do not care if this advice is inappropriate, start kicking.
Image credits: tessfstevens
#3 Once You Enter The Crowd, Keep Track Of How It Compresses Before The Opening Band
If people are already pushing to get up front or to loop you out of your spot by taking their foot and angling it in and trying to push you out of the way, you know that the crowd is going to be rowdy and you might want to remove yourself from the situation and head to the back. The closer a show gets to the headliner, the more compressed a crowd becomes.
Image credits: tessfstevens
She started her series on safety tips at concerts at the end of August, so it just proves a point that concerts could get crazy even before Astroworld and it was up to the staff, organizers, artists and audience themselves to take care of each other.
Bored Panda got in touch with Tess and asked who should take the most responsibility for keeping everyone safe and she thinks that it should be the artist, "Yes, there are hundreds of people on their team who make concerts happen, but to create a safe environment at your shows is ultimately the musician’s responsibility. As an artist I never would want anyone to be uncomfortable or unsafe. Music is my happy place, and concert goers just want to experience that too."
But there are things that you can do in the case of feeling unsafe and Tess shared what they are. The first video went really viral with 4.4 million views and 1.5 million viewers liked it. People wanted to know more, so the TikToker uploaded a couple of more videos including one giving advice to people who go to concerts alone.
#4 If You Feel Faint, Dizzy Or If You're Dehydrated Get The Attention Of Medical Personnel Or Security Immediately
But if you're in this situation where in the middle of a crowd you can't move, can't breathe, scream 'Help! Help! Get me out, get me out! I want out!' If you're able to move your arms, wave them wildly. If you are struggling to breathe, angle your head up.
Image credits: tessfstevens
#5 If You Go Up To A Large Group Of Women, They Will Take You Under Their Wing And Watch Out For You
This happened to me a couple times at some DIY shows when I was in my late teens, early 20s. Some creepy person would come up, start talking to you and offer a drink. You feel super awkward and ask "Hey, I'm getting some weird vibes. Would you mind if I stood with you guys for a little bit?" More often than not, you're probably just going to start talking about music and become friends with them.
Image credits: tessfstevens
In these videos the singer stresses how important it is to be aware of your surroundings while having fun and to trust your intuition when you’re feeling something isn’t right and the strangers around you don’t wish you well.
The advice that is related to being pushed at the front of the crowd and feeling crushed is that it would be best to notice that the crowd is being compressed ahead of time, but you need to try to get to the back where fewer people stand. To do that, you can shout that you want out and people should let you do that, because for them, a new standing place that is nearer to the stage will open up.
#6 Never Take A Drink From Anyone
This could be the friendliest person on earth offering you some water. Sometimes at the barricades, security guards will give you like bottles of water that are sealed. Go for it. If anyone ever tries to give you an open container of any kind, you do not take it.
Image credits: tessfstevens
#7 If Both Of Your Feet Are Not Touching The Ground, At Any Point, You Need To Try To Exit The Crowd
Make sure that you're stable and you're standing firmly on both feet. If you are able to do that and you're able to raise your arms, you should have enough room.
Image credits: tessfstevens
As Tess went to a fair share of concerts herself we asked if it's worth being crushed in the crowd if that means that you're closer to the stage and she thinks it is really unnecessary to go up there, "When I was a kid I would rush to the front because I thought it was so important, but it is so not. You can dance and have fun anywhere at a venue these days. Many new places are designed to have no bad seat in the house. A lot of shows that have pit access also have seated areas. If you know you are susceptible to claustrophobia, have breathing issues, or simply don’t want to experience a sweaty crowd, get a seat! You won’t be jostled around and you can get to the show anytime you want."
#8 Always Have A Friend With You, Even If You're Walking 20 Feet
The buddy system can ward off all kinds of bad stuff, people will look to take advantage of people who are on their own. If you do have to go to a concert by yourself stick around the populated places.
Image credits: tessfstevens
#9 Before You Even Leave The House, You Need To Drink A Lot Of Water And Make Sure You Eat
I know people are not going to want to leave the line to go to the bathroom, but you're going to need to. So please satiate yourself and make sure that you are doing well. Feeling strong and healthy before going to a show so that you can have the most fun, bounce around and get all your energy out.
Image credits: tessfstevens
Tess wanted to create those videos because she knows how people get caught up in the moment and don't think or don't know what to do when the crowd in a concert becomes dangerous so that is why she thought her knowledge and experience could be useful for others. It breaks her heart to see people suffer because to her "Music is a celebration of our lives and emotions, and should not be a fight for who gets closer, or more rowdy."
She said, "it is important that we take huge precautions and think about each detail before playing whether you’re playing for 5 people or 50,000. I just want to arm people with knowledge and keep spreading the word so everyone can enjoy concerts for what they are - an escape from the every day, and a damn good time."
#10 If You're A Minor And The Guy From A Band Starts Talking To You And It Gets Uncomfortable Don't Be Afraid To Just Simply Walk Away
Meeting your heroes is pretty interesting and fun. But if somebody starts to make you feel uncomfortable, especially if they're in their 20s and you're in your teens, it can be really freaking weird. And if you are under 18, do not go to a second location with anybody.
Image credits: tessfstevens
#11 If You Feel Uncomfortable, Or Waiting In A Line By Yourself, You Can Totally Make Friends
When I was 15 or 16, I met some great people in line at a Panic At The Disco show, all kids around my age, talking about music the same way that I do, completely passionate. One of them, I think, was wearing the same shirt as me, which is how we started talking.
Image credits: tessfstevens
Do you think that these tips Tess gives can be useful? Do you like going to concerts in general? If you've been to many concerts, can you think of any tips that could be added to the list of what you experienced that worked? Let us know in the comments!
#12 Fake Phone Calls
This sounds a little juvenile, but it's gotten me out of several jams. It is just what I'm saying. Pretend like your phone has just rung or that you've gotten an emergency text and say "I gotta go," "My friend is coming," "My friend needs me." Pretend to be on the phone and that kind of discourse for somebody hearing that, if they're trying to creep on you or do something nefarious, will back them off.
Image credits: tessfstevens
#13 If You've Heard About Allegations, With A Band That You Enjoy, And You're Not Sure What's Going On With That And You Want To Make An Objective Opinion That's Totally Fine
But if you've heard about allegations, you start feeling that creepy behavior, run, okay? Nothing is worth an assault, a trauma for you. No amount of fame can fix somebody's heart.
Image credits: tessfstevens
from Bored Panda https://bit.ly/2ZgxLFU
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