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Headbanging is a type of dance which involves violently shaking the head in
time with music, most commonly heavy metal music. It is most visually effective
when the person headbanging has long hair.
Styles
There are various styles of headbanging, including:
The up and down - Which involves shaking the head up and down - This style
is demonstrated at the climax of the Bohemian Rhapsody scene in the movie
Wayne's World.
The circular swing(Windmill) - Swinging the head in a circular motion - This
style is more commonly known as the Windmill or Helicopter. Popularized by
Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. and George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher of
Cannibal Corpse. This style is often used by members of Amon Amarth and Opeth.
The half-circle - Swinging the head repeatedly from side to side in a downward
arc-This style is often used by Tom Araya of Slayer.
The figure eight - Which involves shaking the head in a figure eight.
The side to side - Which involves shaking the head from side to side, whipping
the hair on each transition.
The Whiplash - An especially violent form of the traditional "up and
down" style, characterized by the hair of the handbanger moving about
so rapidly that it obscures their face.
The All-out - The most insane form of all, often involving dropping on the
ground, holding oneself up with his or her arms, and violently swinging the
head between the arms. This style sometimes involves grabbing onto tables
and other fixed objects to hold the headbanger up, as their head movements
have become so violent they seriously affect balance.
Various styles are often mixed together according to taste and to the tempo
and aggression of the music.
Headbanger's bodies usually bang with the head, reducing the strain on the neck and making the body move in a serpentine, up-and-down fashion to the music.
There are a number of different stances a headbanger can stand in, which include:
Standing up straight. This is most commonly performed with the legs slightly
apart, mainly to keep balance.
Standing with the legs slightly bent and the hands on the knees or thighs.
This is a common stance for headbangers peforming the half-circle, as it allows
maximum movement and balance.
Standing with the hands behind the back.
Standing with one leg in front and one behind, with the hands held together
near the lower body. This style is often used in tight spaces or to alleviate
cramp and maintain balance.
Origin
The term "headbanger" was coined on Led Zeppelin's first US tour
in 1968. During a show at the Boston Tea Party audience members in the first
row were banging their heads against the stage in rhythm with the music.
Health issues
In practice, headbanging is considered much safer than moshing and has hardly
any short-term side-effects. Unsafe practice, such as headbanging drunk or
too close to someone else is the common cause of injury. In 2002, Jason Newsted
claimed his departure from Metallica was partly due to wear of the cartilage
in his neck, but this is the only known case of alleged physical damage as
a result of long-term headbanging.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.