Concert Safety

And I'm back! Keeping with the theme of concert info I wanted to make a post about concert safety especially for young women.

Going to concerts can be hard as a young woman. I would know; I am won. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't attend concerts it just means to be careful doing it. Here are some tips and tricks I've picked up going to hundreds of concerts.

• Know the type of music you're going to listen to.
• If it's a heavy metal/death metal/thrasher concert, there is going to be a mosh pit. If you want to jump in by all means. As a 5' 9" and 120 lb twig of a person, mosh pits have never been my thing. So be aware that they might break out right next to you and react accordingly. See if there are any people (aka big biker dudes) that will be willing to take the abuse of the pit for you. You don't want to end up on a stretcher.
• Take a weapon of some kind.
• I always carry a pocket knife with me. Have since I was younger. I highly advise one because of how useful they are but they are also great weapons to protect yourself. However, I will warn you that most venues make it very difficult (if not impossible) to smuggle a pocket knife into a concert. That is why I also recommend getting what my roommate calls a "stabby kitty." It's a plastic device kind of like brass knuckles that allow a user to defend themselves without it being considered a deadly weapon. They are nice and lightweight and can go on keychains really easily.
• Take a buddy.
• If at all possible, always travel to concerts with a friend. Have someone there to watch your back and keep an eye on you. It's also a lot more threatening to walk up to two people and initiate a conversation than it is to walk up to only one. It's also nice to make them carry all your stuff. Just saying...
• If you're being harassed, tell the bar staff.
• Every venue I've ever been to (which is a lot) have a safety feature like this in place. Some places call it ordering an "angel shot" or asking for your friend Angie. What that means is if someone is harassing you or you feel unsafe leaving (male or female) you can ask the waitstaff to call you a taxi, call the police, or have someone walk you to your car. And if you think you're being a burden by asking just think how bad the wait staff will feel when they realize they could have helped you if you only asked.

I could go on and on for hours about concert safety but I think these are the basics. Like always friends, be safe, have fun, and rock on!