Goth - the making of.

[Black Planet]

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

I wear black at the office....it's easy to color coordinate. On my own time I wear blue jeans!

[paint it black]

I wear black at the office....it's easy to color coordinate

...and to hide in the shadows, appear smaller and unsignificant, or just plain weird. And yet at the sametime, menacing, domineering and cool

black is the new black. they've tried other colours and finally settled on black

[Black Planet]

I wear black at the office....it's easy to color coordinate

...and to hide in the shadows, appear smaller and unsignificant, or just plain weird. And yet at the sametime, menacing, domineering and cool

Menacing? Domineering? In heels and a skirt? Moi? I am far to angelic looking for that.

[Carrie]

The odd thing being that at work I'm usually the only person in the room NOT in head to toe black (OK, the kids don't have a choice - lucky sods - they should try spending 7 years in a navy kilt, boater & blazer like some of their elders & betters had to, not that it scarred me for life or owt...) & yet STILL I get asked 3 or 4 times a week 'Miss, are you a goth?'

Perhaps I should ditch the false fangs?

I always liked 'spooky stuff' (horror in books & films, punky jewellery)...then at 15 or so I started getting into bands like the Damned & the M!ssion...but I must admit I like the look a lot more than I like what passes for goff music these days...

[Angelchild]

The odd thing being that at work I'm usually the only person in the room NOT in head to toe black (OK, the kids don't have a choice - lucky sods - they should try spending 7 years in a navy kilt, boater & blazer like some of their elders & betters had to, not that it scarred me for life or owt...) & yet STILL I get asked 3 or 4 times a week 'Miss, are you a goth?'

Perhaps I should ditch the false fangs?

I always liked 'spooky stuff' (horror in books & films, punky jewellery)...then at 15 or so I started getting into bands like the Damned & the M!ssion...but I must admit I like the look a lot more than I like what passes for goff music these days...

How I came into Gothworld sounds pretty similar to Carrie,but also what ATG said about an alternative to the masses.
It's always the state of being I've always felt most at ease with, and to me there's never really been anything else that's held the same appeal musically to me

[Almiche V]

Thanks everyone, this is all good stuff. Another question is - why black and purple? Apart from it looking good. Is there some sort of statement being made by people who wear these colours?

BTW I mostly wear black, I can't help it.

[Black Planet]

Black is a basic color. It goes with anything.

It is also the color of mourning, which would be my guess why Goffs like it. It represents their sadness, perhaps?

I like it cause it goes with my fair skin and red hair. And like I said...it goes with every other color out there.

[Andy TG]

As 'Creaming Jesus@ - (90's "Goff" band - and sadly missed!) said during their cover of "Temple Of Love" called "Temple Of s**t"

"Goth Goth Goth Goth Goth ---- Goth
Black Black Black Black Black - Black - Even Blacker"

Had to be said really !

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

[Heartless]

Now is there a way of living for goths ... personally I think it's pretty much like the early punk movement: Bored teenagers looking for a light at the end of their sorry little tunnel and continously failing finding it.

At least that counts for me.

Oh, and never ever in a million lightyears forget the sunglasses at night, long black leather coats, tons of cayal, very weird make up in general and some borderline-syndrome or other psychological malfunctions. That's 75% of the German Goth Scene.

[Thea]

Creaming Jesus

Love 'em.

[mugabe]

Now is there a way of living for goth's ...

http://www.angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif

[Almiche V]

I am putting together a questionnaire, thanks to the good Andy. Hands up all those who are happy to participate.

[paint it black]

As 'Creaming Jesus@ - (90's "Goff" band - and sadly missed!) said during their cover of "Temple Of Love" called "Temple Of ****"

"Goth Goth Goth Goth Goth ---- Goth
Black Black Black Black Black - Black - Even Blacker"

Had to be said really !

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

Cool

[Quiff Boy]

I am putting together a questionnaire, thanks to the good Andy. Hands up all those who are happy to participate.

*raises hand*

[Thrash Harry]

Goth appealed to my catholic reserve. Enjoying yourself too much was obvioulsy frowned upon. Smiling was a sin, unless your credentials were impeccable. Talking was optional. Being able to stand in the shadows looking disinterested was the key. I’d been doing that for years. Now all I needed was the image to say that I’d chosen to stand there as opposed to just having been sidelined.

[Almiche V]

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

I'm 35 and was never comfortable calling myself anything when growing up. Hell, I still am growing up and I don't like saying "I am this" or "I am that". I don't understand how someone can say "I am a Tory", for example. Goth is different though, I can see how someone is happy to be Goth as it's quite open minded. It actually takes some guts as well, because some people just don't understand. I guess I'm goth-ish.

[Angelchild]

I am putting together a questionnaire, thanks to the good Andy. Hands up all those who are happy to participate.

*raises hand*

And me. Happy to help

[Chairman Bux]

I am putting together a questionnaire, thanks to the good Andy. Hands up all those who are happy to participate.

*raises hand*

And me. Happy to help

Will it ever end?

[Heartless]

Now is there a way of living for goth's ...

http://www.angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif

Forgive me for me being an irc addicted german IT student

Edited it now. Thanks for pointing it out, I hope I won't do it in my business english exam on friday, hehe

[mugabe]

Thanks for pointing it out

Read and learn, limeys.

[Andy TG]

I am putting together a questionnaire, thanks to the good Andy. Hands up all those who are happy to participate.

Count Me In - as it was kinda my idea!

[Gripper]

I am putting together a questionnaire, thanks to the good Andy. Hands up all those who are happy to participate.

Count me in. Since I became politically aware I've always thought that, by growing up in Britain, we were all taking part in some massive sociological experiment run by those 'in charge' anyway. So, snubnoseuk, analyse away.

I feel like I can trace my goth roots back to an age earlier than I would ever have heard of anything at all to do with it. The first records I bought, aged 7 or 8, were by The Sweet, Gary Glitter, and other glamrockers of the time. Even then I was aware that most of the songs were loud, beat-laden, and either about celebrating or moping about lost loves. The seeds of gothdom had been planted. And there was an accent on make-up and dressing up too...

The next thing I really got into was punk, at about 11 or 12. Again, lots of loud guitars, songs about either being really happy or really, really pissed off, and more excuses to wear clothes my mother didn't want to see me in. Again, the direct line to World Of Goth (t.m.) continued.

I stumbled through the post-punk world of Simple Minds, Magazine, Joy Division and Tubeway Army etc. until a friend played me 'Body Electric/Adrenochrome'- this was when the fuse was really lit. On we went through Alice, Anaconda and The Reptile House, stopping along the way to meet the charming Mr. Eldritch before The Sisters played The Gallery in Manchester. He even signed my fag packet! Now there really was no turning back...

Time passed; the records, Black October and eventually The Albert Hall came and went, and the clubs- Peppermint Gardens in Warrington, Planet X in Liverpool, to name but two- slammed in and faded out. All the time, however, there was a feeling that we were different, we were just...better, especially as the rest of the north west lapsed into the uniform of the shell-suit. We had the best clothes, we had the best drinks, we had the best drugs, we had the best sex, and of course we had the best music. And what's more, the music and the lifestyle seemed to reflect the realities of life in the shadow of the bomb.

Because, I suppose, that was when I was happiest, and (or because) that's when my life seemed to hold the most possibilities, then I've never really changed inside. Whether it be Acid House, the rest of the dance revolution, or anything else, NOTHING has ever gripped me like goth, whatever that is. Nothing ever suits. The world has changed, and the records and the gigs have come and gone, but Ol' Father Goth, he just keeps reapin' on.


Blimey- that really WAS supposed to be a one-line comment. Anyway, got it off my chest...

[paint it black]

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?

I think he might just have been having a laugh. see the fire sermon. the bit where tiresais is looking down on the people. Eliot was taking the p*ss. Eldritch was taking the p*ss.

bum bum, ayieee

bum bum, ayieee

We all take the p*ss together

[James Blast]

A hands up for the Q? here.
My own story, being an EBG Heartlander is that I was in love with early Genesis (pretty gothic if you care to listen back) and Hawkwind. Lemmy to me was the star of Hawkwind, when he was kicked out and punk was happening I immediately changed my allegiances to Motorhead. Lemmy brought his 'biker chic' to rock, and to this day it is still being sported. Pushed along by the punk rock rush (I was 17) I got into The Damned. There was a lull till I returned to Glasgow in 81 and hung out at NightMoves, where they played a lot of Bauhaus, Soft Cell (Sex Dwarf was a fave) and PIL (while I checked out the Gothic Maidens). The JAMC changed my life with the sonic assault that was Psycho Candy... it was only a matter of time.
FFWD to 84 and The Sisters and my wee friend Anni, I decided, I had to join that crew. Afterall I liked the music and loved the look.
I always hung out with flat-tops at Hurricanes and we had a great time, more drunk than wizzed outta oor nutz. The purple and black, as far as I'm concerned is a Catholic thing, purple being the colour of the vestments worn for a death ceremony or an anniversary of such.

Well that's my story

[Almiche V]

Fantastic, thanks people. I should have the questions sorted by Sunday night. Where possible I'll e-mail them as a Word '97 document. Is this ok for those with email? If not I'll PM them to all. Gripper, I'll PM them to you.