That Ol Euphoric Feeling

I would just like to say I am highly upset that the Chicago Cubs fans have been ranked number 1 as most annoying fans on www.spike.com. Even though who really gives a SHIT what Spike TV has to say about ANYTHING as they are morons, there is way worse sports clubs out there with worse/more annoying fans (I FEEL) than the Chicago Cubs, for example, Calgary Flames bandwagon jumping Mikka Kipursoff (sp?) fans. Fuck. Right. Off.

Anyways to buisness. I was just at Sobeys about half an hour ago and I couldn't wait to get inside and talk to my friend Kurstyn about Slayer coming to Calgary. When I did run into him in the meat department I was so stoked to share my excitement about the fact that I was going, and we started to discuss what we thought they would play, what we wanted them to etc. On my way home I started to think how unbelievable it really is to be able to make music that people are more than willing to be physically involved in. I mean, what actually physically compels someone to run full on into a circle pit and run around as fast as you possibly can throwing your fists forward? Why is it at hardcore shows people cram into tiny pits and quite literally spin and kick, punch and full on haymaker crowd kill people knowing that just inches away someone else is doing the same thing, or that someone at any minute could kick them in the side or back as hard as they can to get them out of the way so they can have their chance in the pit? How is it that musicians have the ability to make music so powerful that people want to jump onto each other and try and grab the microphone from the singer, or try and run across peoples heads?

I was thinking about all this, and it amazes me that music has such an ability to move people very literally into extremely dangerous situations. I am sure I am not the only one who gets this either, that feeling right in your gut just before you start to throw a windmill and barrel across a pit into a pile of innocent bystanders. Or when you're the guy holding onto a piece of the roof beam or rafters, or light support on top of a pile of bodies screaming lyrics at the top of your lungs at the band on stage. Or when you get on a stage that is elevated just above head height and you stage dive head first back into the crowd. When I saw Every Time I Die in Perth Australia, on my second or third time stage diving, there was a split in the crowd and I fell straight on my right shoulder and hit my head on the ground because I jumped clean over the people standing in the front row. When I saw Madball at Republik last summer I saw a guy run from one side of the stage to the other and jump about 8 feet horizontal and land flat face first on the ground behind a crowd of people. I just don't understand what compels us to participate in these dangerous ass activities, and its a question that will never have an answer. However, for a musician, what a feeling it must be to be able to make people build up enough emotion, enough passion, or enough faith in your music to put themselves on the firing line like that for you. I just give many thanks to all the artists I have listened to in the years for everything you have given me, even though you don't realize it. You are always there to remind me of some of the best days of my life. Music is the air I breathe.

-Swanny