I’ve been part of a few crowds this week. The most impressive in regards to scale was definitely the Good Things Festival in Melbourne on Friday. I tried to find exact numbers but all I can confirm is that over 80,000 metal heads attend all three concerts across Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.
I haven't been to a metal show for years and it turns out that a few things have changed. For example mosh pits used to be contained within the first 5 - 10m directly in front of the stage (larger if it's a massive band) but there is normally a pretty clear safe zone and you could always get a bit closer to the stage if you were willing to go far right or left.
I’d managed to wiggle myself into a great spot centre stage and clear of the mosh pit for Refused (the main band I'd come to see). I was completely absorbed by the music when suddenly a massive void opened up beside me. The crowd had parted and an area the size of a large living room appeared almost instantly. People around the periphery were either shuffling to get out of the way or starting to look crazy eye’d like they were about to go nuts.
This was the beginning of a Circle Pit. A slightly more choreographed version of a mosh pit where people create a space so they can run as fast as they can, in a circle, crashing into each other. Needless to say I was quick to jump out of the way to avoid being slammed into but some 20 something, sunburn, shirtless dude dressed as a viking. Once I had figured out the dynamics of the circle pit the rest of the day was awesome.
Surprisingly, going to a metal festival with 40-odd-thousand people was quite a peaceful, almost spiritual experience. The anonymity that came with being part of such a large crowd was the opposite of everything else I do in my life. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t recognize anyone and no one cared who I was. Once I settled into this vibe it was very liberating and the day took on a new zen-like quality.
I did exactly what I wanted. I wandered around. Listening to bands that transported me back to my youth - Garbage, Wheezer and Tool. I love feeling the music in my chest. I drank about 4 litres of water because it was hot and my backpack was full of muesli bars along with a packet of lifesavers to keep my energy levels up. I felt nimble. Alone, I could move swiftly through the crowd and if I wanted to chat to people I just made buddies with whomever I was standing next to.
I ate when I was hungry. Sat when I needed to and just soaked in my surroundings. The people watching at Good Things was extraordinary. Goths, metal heads, half-cut middle aged parents trying to recapture their youth or teenagers smuggling in their hand sanitiser full of vodka. Everywhere you looked this was something interesting to take in. I also never realised how many different types of fish nets there are and how little you can be wearing and still be considered ‘clothed’. Humanity is truly amazing!
Fast forward to a very different crowd I was part of yesterday with the STEM Centre: End of Year forum in Melbourne. This is the annual event where the 11 Tech Schools, plus other educational STEM centres come together to celebrate and share lessons learnt throughout the year.
There are 10 other Tech Schools, soon to be 15, around Victoria and we’re all slightly different. Each Tech School has evolved independently to better serve their community and has created unique programs to suit their students. The great thing about the Tech School network is we share everything. If you see that the Geelong Tech School is running a cool program you can easily ask for help on bringing it into Ballarat.
It was my first forum and I had put my hand up to run a session talking about the Student Leadership program we run at the Tech school. Since I’m now a professional speaker, I’d better start getting some reps in. I ended up presenting to about 50 people but it was awesome sharing how impactful our student leadership program is. Turns out I really can talk about anything if I believe in it. I had 4 or 5 people come up afterwards really excited to chat about bringing elements of our student leadership program to their Tech School which was awesome.
I also had a stack of my fabulous colleagues in the front few rows as a cheer squad. It really does make all the difference when people you respect and admire are so encouraging. Even though I was a touch nervous (and over tired as I only slept a few hours the night before, probably because I was so excited), their unwavering confidence in me, smiling faces and thumbs ups in the crowd showed me that I had this even before I turned the mic on. This level of support when starting something new, like speaking to crowds, is invaluable.
My crowd participation gets smaller as we head into the final weeks of the year. Tomorrow, we’re taking 12 kids out to the bush for Laser Tag to celebrate Frank's 10th birthday. I’ve saved the most dangerous and unpredictable crowd to last! Ten year olds with guns.
