Report: Hardcore Music Is 'Closely Associated With Violence'

Jason Abbruzzese of Sentinel & Enterprise reports that the brawl that erupted last week after a hardcore punk-rock show at a church in Leominster, Massachusetts reportedly began as a fight in the mosh pit in front of the stage, where the band CUT THROAT was playing.

One of many?

The fight, which resulted in three arrests, is just another example in a long line of altercations at these types of concerts, according to Justin Prokowiew, 19, of Shirley, who said he and friends attended the show on August 12.

"I hear a lot of that kind of stuff happens at the shows," said Prokowiew, who also works at a local Newbury Comics. "[At] local shows, a lot of fights break out. It's pretty much just local kids getting into fights with other local kids they know. No strangers are doing it."

Other local area youths say that moshing is a big part of the local music scene for teenagers.

Shane Caron, 15, of Fitchburg said he feels that 15- to 20-year-olds tend to do the most moshing.

"That's like the major age range for moshing," said Caron, who said he mostly listens to punk and heavy metal. "It's usually just the atmosphere — mosh pits everywhere."

New genres of rock have emerged with similar qualities to predecessors of metal and punk but with an extreme edge.

One of the most recognized movements, punk-rock music known as "hardcore," is closely associated with violence.

Michelle Shaughnessy, 18, of Fitchburg, said the most intense violence can usually be found at hardcore shows.

"At real hardcore shows there's a lot of fights," said Shaughnessy.

She said she has see her fair share of mosh pit injuries, including being hit in the head with a bottle at last year's Locobazooka concert at the Fitchburg Municipal Airport. "People get messed up."

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