A dummies guide to metal
Headbanging

Headbanging is a type of dance which involves violently shaking your head in time with music, most commonly heavy metal music. It is most visually effective when the person Headbanging has long hair.
There are various styles of headbanging, including:
• The up and down - Which involves shaking your head up and down
• The circular swing - Swinging your head in a circular motion - This style is more commonly known as the Windmill or Helicopter.
• The half-circle - Swinging your head repeatedly from side to side in a downward arc
• The figure of 8 - Which involves shaking your head in a figure of 8
• The side to side - Which involves shaking your head from side to side, whipping your hair on each transition
They can be mixed together and varied according to taste and the tempo and aggression of the music.
Additionally, it is common to find people's bodies banging with the head, having the body move in a serpentine fashion up-and-down along with the music.

Air guitar
•
________________________________________
An air guitar is an imaginary musical instrument that can be played anywhere at any time, as it doesn't make a sound and is very light to carry around. It is usually played as an accompaniment to background music that includes heavy metal guitars.
Musical artists often instinctively follow the rhythm and mood of their music with their body while they play which is also a means of identifying meter and keeping time. In rock music, many guitarists exaggerate these movements to make them a part of their performance; some even add acrobatic stunts, the choreography becoming their distinctive trademark. Their fans often mimic their idol's movements in adoration, and can become swept away by the music. Playing air guitar can be considered a specialized form of dance.
For some, playing air guitar has become a hobby in itself, and they pride their ability to mimic the style of countless artists. In fact, air guitar competitions have been held in several countries, and since 1996 The Annual Air Guitar World Championship contest has been a part of the Oulu Music Video Festival in Oulu, Finland. The first US air guitar competition was held in 2003.
Mosh
________________________________________
Moshing also known as slam dancing is a type of dance which involves jumping around or pushing others to loud heavy metal or punk music. It is very popular amongst young rock and metal fans, especially heavy and nu metal fans.
Most participants consider it fun, but it can be dangerous to people in and around the "mosh pit", and has resulted in serious injuries and hospitalization. Slamdancing is closely related.
The term "Mosh" has often been attributed to Vinnie Stigma of the hardcore group Agnostic Front as an acronym for "March Of Skin Heads", but most authorities cite Darryl Jennifer, bass guitarist for Bad Brains as the term's originator: a Jamaican-accented pronunciation of the word "mash" in "Mash down Babylon."
Moshing means different things within different genres of music. Moshing at hardcore punk performances is frequently very different from moshing at grunge or nu metal performances.
Originally, there were different types of "slam dancing." One type was the slam dance itself, which is now referred to as moshing. However, there was also the "pogo", where dancers jumped up and down, as if on a pogo stick, and sometimes bumped into each other. In Germany, Brazil and Italy, pogo is the common name for all moshing.
Slamdancing
________________________________________
Slamdancing is a dance form associated with various punk rock and heavy metal music’s. Moshing is closely related.
Slamdancing is characterized by its aggressive nature: the movements consist of slamming into each other, swinging of arms and legs, jumping, all which is done in a staccato fashion to the beat of live music. Slamdancing consists of either throwing your body into another person, or giving another person a gentle but firm shove to the beat of the music.
Critics have charged Slamdancing with inciting or condoning violence, but supporters argue Slamdancing established friendship and camaraderie.

Stage diving
•
________________________________________
Stage diving is the act of getting onto the stage at a concert while a band is playing--usually heavy metal or punk rock--and then diving into the crowd below, hoping they will catch you. If they catch you, you can then attempt to crowd surf: people remain supine while being passed from person to person by the audience.
Iggy Pop is among the first musicians to have stage dived. Initially seen as confronting and extreme, stage diving is very common at rock music performances.
Crowd surfing describes the process whereby a person jumps off a relatively high place at a concert or party, such as a stage or a balcony, and the people below that person, perhaps in a mosh pit, catch that person, passing them from person to person, transferring them from one part of the concert venue to another, above everyone’s heads, with everyone's hands supporting the person's weight. Naturally, it is a good idea to wear soft shoes such as trainers, when attempting these maneuvers so that no injuries occur. It is illegal at most gigs due to the number of deaths each year.
Nicknames for heavy metal fans
• Headbanger (or just 'banger)
• Metalhead
• Metaller
• Rivethead

Heavy metal fashion
________________________________________
Heavy metal fashion refers to the fashion, clothing habits, and general appearance of heavy metal fans. It typically consists of black clothes, t-shirts sporting a logo of a heavy metal band, album covers, or images of the band itself, jeans (sometimes ripped) or leather pants, leather biker jackets or denim jackets (sometimes both, with the leather on first, then, the denim, usually with the sleeves removed, on top), spikes, chains, tattoos, body jewelry (often silver), sometimes black eyeliner (black nail polish is also not uncommon), and long, ragged hair. Footwear is often combat boots, "biker boots", or construction boots, rather than the more stylized footwear of Goths. Traditional heavy metal fashion has some crossovers with Goth and grunge clothing, particularly in colors, and excessive body piercing.
Heavy metal fashion has seen a recent resurgence in the UK (and to some extent in the US). Mainstream 'pop' fashion retailers have picked up what is accurately labeled as a cross between heavy metal fashion and skater fashion and are successfully marketing it under the labels 'Goth' or 'rock' fashion. This typically consists of t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts with heavy metal, nu-metal, or punk logos, paired with baggy 'skater' jeans, chains, and dark colours. This is largely the result of the increasing popularity of nu-metal and skateboarding in the UK.