Slamdancing in the Big City

THE PIT is ferocious and frightening: Young men's bodies slam into each other, arms and elbows out, fist flailing, like razor-edged Mexican jumping beans popping madly on the dance floor. Mayhem is played out against relentless, primitive, over-amped rock. The lead singer does combat with the instrumental backing. Occasionally a dancer will leap to the stage and execute a swan dive back onto the floor; sometimes, it's the band members who fly into the audience without a trapeze or a net to catch them.