Goth - the making of.

Almiche V · 22 Jan 2004, 21:42

Folks! I am doing some research into an essay about image and identity and have decided to write about the Gothic image. I would be very grateful if any of you could help me out. The main question I'm interested in is why does a person become a goth in the first place? I guess that primarily it's the music. But is it also because there is a certain way of life as well?

Thanks to all

emilystrange · 22 Jan 2004, 21:44

it was siouxsie's fault. when i was very young i just wanted to look like her, and a lifetime dependency on black eyeliner started.
everything else followed.

22 Jan 2004, 22:07

i blame those 87/88 photos of eldritch! i saw them on the cover of a magazine about the sisters/mish that came free with NME in about 1989/90

saw the photos & thought he was very very cool so i read the biography in the magazine (good old steve sutherland!)

the next day i went out and got falaa and floodland and never looked back.

dyed my hair, started wearing floodland-era von-style clothes, started tracking down other goth(ish) bands (mary chain, bauhaus, cult, etc etc) and other bands that influenced the bands i like (stooges, suicide, the velvets, etc etc)

i quickly found that a hell of a lot of bands that people called "goth" seemed to make a sound that really appealed to me. and most of looked the business too

emilystrange · 22 Jan 2004, 22:09

hmm bout 1984 for me i spose

Mrs RicheyJames · 22 Jan 2004, 22:27

For me, always liked the goth look..........a few years later i got into the Cure..............

Almiche V · 22 Jan 2004, 22:54

I'm thinking of using the line "mundane by day, inane at night" from Floorshow in the essay. Eldritch has said that the line seemed to sum up the scene at the time. Is this a specific way of life for some goths?

emilystrange · 22 Jan 2004, 22:55

it was mine for a while. work is a terrible thing

Thea · 23 Jan 2004, 00:20

for me it was a whole bunch of stuff i liked - lydia from beetlejuice, my brother's "this corrosion" 12", shakespears sister... started out as dressing up for fun, then came the music - dear lord the music. i made a very good friend via teletext who used to recomend a band or two every week and i'd go raid second hand places for their stuff - and he was NEVER wrong.

When you get right down to it - i just LOVE dressing up. allways have. i don't allways dress goth, but 99% of the time i'm dressed in goth garb of some description - anything from trad to cyber to gothpunk.

goth can be a way of life if you want it to be. i'd rather keep goth as an interest rather than a substitute for a personality. i could never pin myself down to just one style.

Andy TG · 23 Jan 2004, 00:55

Quiff Boy wrote:i blame those 87/88 photos of eldritch! i saw them on the cover of a magazine about the sisters/mish that came free with NME in about 1989/90

saw the photos & thought he was very very cool so i read the biography in the magazine (good old steve sutherland!)

the next day i went out and got falaa and floodland and never looked back.

dyed my hair, started wearing floodland-era von-style clothes, started tracking down other goth(ish) bands (mary chain, bauhaus, cult, etc etc) and other bands that influenced the bands i like (stooges, suicide, the velvets, etc etc)

i quickly found that a hell of a lot of bands that people called "goth" seemed to make a sound that really appealed to me. and most of looked the business too

@ Quiff Boy - You took the words right out of my mouth!

As has been written by QB - I appear to have picked up the same "influence" at about the same time. As I has siad before "Andrew Eldritch" has a lot to answer for

I too took to wearing (and still) do the sort of Garb that Von was wearing in 87 88 91 and 81 - 85 - That said I look CRAP in "surfer" shirts!

I feel alot of the attraction towards the "Goff" scene was the mystery and "underground" feel - at leat in was in the late eighties and early nighties. This was before all that psuedo "Cyber" rubbish came along - It sounds just like Rave music to me.

The Goth scene also allows people that feel "outside of society" to not be afraid to feel "ad-normal" or have "weird" ideas - about Music, Film, Clothes, Food, Drink, Sex etc etc

BTW I guess I am not the only one who would be happy to help with further "Research" - perhaps you could produce some of "questionare" via EMail that we, as *cough* GOFFS could complete.

Knew You'd Be Pleased......

Almiche V · 23 Jan 2004, 01:18

AndyTheGoth wrote:BTW I guess I am not the only one who would be happy to help with further "Research" - perhaps you could produce some of "questionare" via EMail that we, as *cough* GOFFS could complete.

Knew You'd Be Pleased......

Thanks ATG, that's a great idea and would be very helpful

It'll take me a while to think up some questions as this is only the second essay I've ever written.

Big Si · 23 Jan 2004, 01:32

Quiff Boy wrote:i blame those 87/88 photos of eldritch! i saw them on the cover of a magazine about the sisters/mish that came free with NME in about 1989/90

saw the photos & thought he was very very cool so i read the biography in the magazine (good old steve sutherland!)

the next day i went out and got falaa and floodland and never looked back.

dyed my hair, started wearing floodland-era von-style clothes, started tracking down other goth(ish) bands (mary chain, bauhaus, cult, etc etc) and other bands that influenced the bands i like (stooges, suicide, the velvets, etc etc)

i quickly found that a hell of a lot of bands that people called "goth" seemed to make a sound that really appealed to me. and most of looked the business too

I remember that insert in Melody Maker. It was factually wrong. "That Guitarist played on Temple of Love" etc

(sorry Quiff, had to post this, I'll go back to the weeding section now.)

Andy TG · 23 Jan 2004, 02:21

snubnoseuk wrote:
AndyTheGoth wrote:BTW I guess I am not the only one who would be happy to help with further "Research" - perhaps you could produce some of "questionare" via EMail that we, as *cough* GOFFS could complete.

Knew You'd Be Pleased......
Thanks ATG, that's a great idea and would be very helpful It'll take me a while to think up some questions as this is only the second essay I've ever written.

I am very glad you think its a good idea - I was asked to complete a similar "email" about a year ago for a simalar reason!

Only to happy to help!

Black Planet · 23 Jan 2004, 02:53

Big Si wrote:(sorry Quiff, had to post this, I'll go back to the weeding section now.)

What? You are only in the weeding section now? What's that all about?

Get yer ass back at the bar and earn your keep...NOW!

I for one have missed you.

As for Goff..sorry. I'm not a goff, so I can't really help you out Snubs.

Mrs RicheyJames · 23 Jan 2004, 02:54

There speaks the voice of a true Von fan...............

paint it black · 23 Jan 2004, 09:04

snubnoseuk wrote:
AndyTheGoth wrote:BTW I guess I am not the only one who would be happy to help with further "Research" - perhaps you could produce some of "questionare" via EMail that we, as *cough* GOFFS could complete.

Knew You'd Be Pleased......
Thanks ATG, that's a great idea and would be very helpful It'll take me a while to think up some questions as this is only the second essay I've ever written.

On a scale 1- important : 5-unimportant

Q1. How do you rate black

23 Jan 2004, 12:08

I can blame "The Young Ones". Specifically the episode "Nasty". In particular the way that Dave Vanian looked.

It all went downhill from there really.

*Edit to add* Oo-er I've gone gonzoid!

emilystrange · 23 Jan 2004, 13:14

oooh dave vanian.. squiggles abound

23 Jan 2004, 13:48

emilystrange wrote:oooh dave vanian.. squiggles abound

Not now though. He's a right fat tw@t. Having said that, my waistline isn't as narrow as it was

Thea · 23 Jan 2004, 13:51

markfiend wrote:
emilystrange wrote:oooh dave vanian.. squiggles abound
Not now though. He's a right fat tw@t. Having said that, my waistline isn't as narrow as it was

aww bless him! i was totally in awe of vanian untill i realised how short he was

IMO, he still looks fantastic. maybe not the best-looking bloke in the world, but he's got style!

23 Jan 2004, 13:56

d00mw0lf wrote:
markfiend wrote:
emilystrange wrote:oooh dave vanian.. squiggles abound
Not now though. He's a right fat tw@t. Having said that, my waistline isn't as narrow as it was
aww bless him! i was totally in awe of vanian untill i realised how short he was IMO, he still looks fantastic. maybe not the best-looking bloke in the world, but he's got style!

Ah, well, it was the style that I wanted too. I was a right geeky kid, and I just wished I looked as cool as he did then.

Almiche V · 23 Jan 2004, 14:06

Blimey, my boss is all gothed up today! Black boots, black velvet skirt and top, and loads of rings etc.

Think I might ask her to marry me.

Black Planet · 23 Jan 2004, 14:09

Sexygoth wrote:There speaks the voice of a true Von fan...............

Well I wouldn't want to raise his ire before we even met!

But I am in black today, as usual.

Dave R · 23 Jan 2004, 15:33

If you want the opinion of an old git....

Blitz Kids - "look good when the bomb drops.." the whole Marc Almond "wear black and hate you parents" ....fad gadget and bauhaus on BBC2....

UK Decay - crap band but called themselves goth...

Then came 1981....

Its a tribal thing, its a colour thing "I only wear black until they invent something darker..."

Reading Material : Mick Mercer - The Black Book.

Mick bless him followed every 'goth' outfit in the world, wrote about them in a p***take kinda way and turned a few into gods.

Tribes: Crusty Grebo Goth Indie Kid Rocker Rapper Raver Punk etc etc

Question: Madchester killed tribes - discuss???

All kids look the same, all music sounds the same - is this age?

Rule Number One - EVERY GOTH DENIES BEING A GOTH.....

What are/were you..................................

?

Me - I'm a 37 year old Goth (says my wife)
Me - I'm a 37 year old Sisterhood Member (says me)

WHAT is the difference????

The Doktor says : Discuss....

paint it black · 23 Jan 2004, 15:57

Black Planet wrote:
Sexygoth wrote:There speaks the voice of a true Von fan...............

Well I wouldn't want to raise his ire before we even met! But I am in black today, as usual.

the pecentage black was noted in your photo.

erm none.......

i conceed i'm wearing dark purple and black, so not 100% pure

23 Jan 2004, 16:05

"How much more black could it be? And the answer is none. None more black."