Climbing onto the stage at a rock concert and jumping straight into the crowd, or falling backward into the crowd, usually into a mosh pit or slam dance pit, where you hope people will be receptive to your jump and catch you, is known as stage diving. During the punk rock era, when mosh pits were common, the practice of stage diving grew in popularity. Iggy Pop is credited with being one of the first musicians to perform a stage dive in front of an audience. Crowd surfing is a similar or related practice in which a person is passed back and forth the crowd over their heads. If the musician is crowd surfing, he will eventually be passed to the front of the crowd and allowed to return to the stage.
Stage diving can certainly be considered an aggressive and dangerous act, especially if you are not a member of a band. To begin with, if you jump off a high stage and no one catches you, you may suffer broken bones and concussions. You might get trampled under the feet of head bangers or slam dancers, or just the enthusiastic crowds at the front, in a high-energy mosh pit.
Second, security may be tight at large concerts in large venues. Many bands request that a barrier be built between them and the stage. It’s usually a few feet from the stage and may be guarded security personnel. Attempting to get over or under this barrier may result in you being ejected from the concert.
Finally, stage diving is not appropriate for all concerts. It’s usually done in bands that are either heavy metal or hardcore rock of some kind. At a Celine Dion concert, don’t try stage diving. There will be no mosh pit to catch you, so you’ll either be caught security or fall flat on your face if you do get on stage.
There are numerous discussions on the Internet about the best places to try stage diving. Many people recommend smaller venues with the least amount of security. If you don’t get caught moshers, some people also recommend diving off of lower stages where the risk of injury is low. Higher stages and higher security may be part of the challenge for hardcore stage divers, who insist that while the risk is higher, the rewards of a successful stage dive are much greater as well.
Despite the fact that it is a common occurrence at concerts, it is not recommended as a recreational activity. The risk of injury is far too high. Stage divers continue to engage in what can only be described as an extreme activity despite, or perhaps because, of this warning. Avoid the front and middle of the mosh pit if you want to avoid being leaped upon at a concert where stage divers are likely to try jumping into the crowd.