A Message to the Scene

So, I’m making this status that is very long overdue, mainly because I’ve seen so many more posts about it now that it’s an issue that goes far beyond anything else I know of in any music scene, especially in the “-core” scenes. It’s all about an issue with respect for one another. This is going to be a LONG status, so if you just want the basic gist, just go all the way to the bottom of this post.

Yesterday, I saw two different status updates about sexual abuse from the same bastard of a person in the New Jersey hardcore scene, from what it appeared. To be completely honest, I have no idea how the NJ hardcore scene works, because I have never been a local concert in NJ. Hell, I think the last time I went to a show in NJ period was when I saw System of a Down in 2012. However, the issue of sexual abuse and misogyny in the hardcore scene, or any of those “-core” scenes is also very noticeable in any other state that has a strong “-core” scene, ESPECIALLY New York.

Being someone who has attended many shows across many different “-core” scenes (hardcore, metalcore, deathcore, etc.), you can almost smell the sexism as soon as you walk into the venues. Then you look at some of the people involved in these scenes’ Facebooks and notice statuses that are either super passive-aggressive about the 14-year-old girl who rejected them for being a sleazy 27-year-old, or just straight up being pricks about how every girl in the scene is a slut or bitch or some other incredibly sexist term. This in itself is just proof that these losers and their defeated masculinity is too noticeable in this scene to not acknowledge as a problem, but then you get the scumbags who actually get physical about this shit. This involves the fuckboys who harass, assault, and in some cases, RAPE these women that just want to feel like they’re part of a group that understands them. How the fuck is ANYONE going to feel safe in a scene that has this obvious problem running through it? Say it’s in the minority all you want, the fact of the matter is that it’s present, and for however long it’s going to be present, it’s going to be a problem.

While I do believe sexism and sexual harassment is a huge thing to focus on, as people in the scene have shown, discrimination apparently has no end here with some people. You then get your hyper-masculine fuckboy jocks who are pretty much bigots to everyone that isn’t an insensitive pile of festering garbage who will complain about everyone getting offended too easily while getting offended when they’re told that their shoes aren’t that nice. Homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, and any other sort of bigotry has no place in ANY music scene. You may think that calling someone a faggot may not have any effects and people are just being too politically correct, but when you keep using these terms, ESPECIALLY around who you don’t really know, you’re making them feel more and more unwelcomed in the scene, and if you’re going to keep blaming them for being too easily offended, it really shows what your character is.

Finally, I wanted to address a little about crowd activity. Now, if you know me, you know that I really don’t like doing anything aside from watching the band, jumping a bit, and potentially getting the microphone to scream a few words. That said, I am pretty much accepting of most forms of crowd activity, so long as nobody is a complete asshole about it. Moshing can be a bit annoying, especially when the room gets tighter, but if the people who are moshing keep the pushing to everyone who is in the pit, I don’t care. Crowd surfing irritates me a bunch, but if there’s security guards who will catch you as soon as you’re done, and you’re not a 6’5, 300 lb person, then I will brush it off (I hate to sound like I’m discriminating against body types, but come the fuck on, everyone under you is suffering because you’re a piece of shit who feels like they need to jump in the air in order to have fun at a show). I made many points about how I think stage-diving is in every way stupid, so I’m not going to bring that up again. I also don’t really like karate at all, especially with how much room it takes up for (on average) 2-4 people, but if it’s kept where it belongs I don’t try to mind too much. This brings me to one crowd activity that I feel like SHOULDN’T need any explanation on why I hate it, but it seems like everyone who does it is just such an insensitive asshole about it that it needs to be brought up for the sake of shows in the future. Of course, this is crowd-killing. You know, when people actively go out of their way to punch, kick, and swing at people who obviously want NOTHING to do with it at the shows.

For the majority of the time, the people doing this shit are in the minority. The only times where it appears to be most of the crowd is when it’s one of those local metalcore/deathcore shows or it’s This is Hardcore Fest, which kind of says a lot about their “fans,” but I digress. What makes it annoying at every show though is the fact that it is usually like 2-4 people who take up the ENTIRE FUCKING CENTER OF THE ROOM. Concerts are usually stuffy and crowded enough as it is, do we really need to throw in these people with anger issues just actively going out of their way to hurt completely innocent people trying to enjoy a goddamn show? I know that sounds like a PSA, but it’s honestly the truth. Why does anyone actually need to do this? Is it really THAT fun to hit someone you don’t know? A lot of the times a common excuse is the fact that many people grew up in different environments where violence and shit like that was a more acceptable answer, but honestly this puts me in a more confused state than before. When I started getting myself more involved in these music scenes, I did it to get away from my real life troubles. I know that not everyone had it as easy as I did growing up, but that doesn’t give anyone the goddamn right to hurt people. Hell, most of the bands don’t even really seem to like it. Yeah, you have a bunch of the local bands with guys who do it themselves promoting it, and you got some more “professional” bands doing so as well, but for every comment I see of a band promoting it, I see two people from bands telling people to stop doing shit like this.

The sad truth is, nobody who does this shit is really going to learn from it. It does take a lot of ego and a seriously fragile masculinity for anyone to start crowd-killing, or be a rapist, and any common sense you try to inject into their minds is going to be backfired with some ignorant ass bullshit like “I’M JUST TRYING TO HAVE FUN” or “EXPECT THIS SHIT AT A PUNK ROCK SHOW” or “THE FUCKING BITCH DESERVED IT.”

I’m not writing this status for these people to find sense in their minds (though if they do, that’s wonderful, because we need less assholes in this world). The reason I even took time to write this was to encourage people to not be afraid to voice themselves in a scene that is obviously having some major trouble with pieces of shit human beings all across the United States. I started getting really into music in 2008, and by 2013, I decided to invest pretty much all my leisure time into supporting and loving the music I do love, which at this point has become mostly “-core” related music. So being part of this scene, I naturally want to do and say what I think is best for this scene, and I certainly believe weeding out the assholes is a step in the right direction.

I admit that I feel a bit guilty that I haven’t made a status like this earlier, because this is such a fucking huge problem in the scene, whether people want to accept it as such or not. Some people may look at this and think it’s not a huge issue. Some people may think you’re being “too sensitive” about shit. NEVER let them silence you if you feel uncomfortable with your local music scene, or any sort of scene you are part of, because if it bothers you, chances are that it bothers many others in the scene as well. Nobody should have to go to a show with the worry of being punched or harassed or assaulted of any kind. Trust me when I say, despite the assholes who are poisoning this scene, or any other scene for that matter, with their bigotry or actions, there are many who are here to support you and cherish you for being a human fucking being. This isn’t to “unify the family” or any bullshit like that, this is for people to enjoy a show without any assholes fucking ruining it for them. Everyone who wants to go and see their favorite artists has the right to without fear.

tl;dr: The “-core” music scene(s) is/are full of rapists, bigots, and just overall manchildren who that their anger issues out on innocent people. These people will unlikely change, so be the voice to keep them as far away from every scene you possibly can.

​-Alex Brown