The goth culture changed. It was a rock band to start with, but their music was full of escapism and suicidal intents. I think that pretty much summed the original ideas but not completely true of what it is right now.

I guess that was my experience of it, but it was just "goth" then. The more modern interpretation seems quite alien to me. You'd still get the "taking themselves too seriously" types back then, too, and it was always amusing to watch their faces when claiming that Teh Damned were the epitome of gothicness.

I think of warriors who fought on both sides of the Battle of Catalaun...oh you mean the guys who try to copy black metal and mix it with Twilight?

Stay away from me!

I was a goth years ago when I was in school. I remember having a nose ring (along with lots of other piercings), and wearing a pair of fishnet tights as a crop-top. I remember the look being very crucial to me. It was a way to belong to a group of people in a very obvious way. Because the look is so in your face I think it has the effect of distancing you from other social groups, which then in turn makes your particular social group far more close knit, if that makes sense.
I would listen to things like Coal Chamber and Queen Adreena. The piercings have all gone but I still love Queen Adreena.

I generally associate Gothic subculture with bands like The Sisters of Mercy, Clan of Xymox, The Mission, Bauhaus, Seraphin Twin, etc. Not so much the clothing trends.

I think of bats. Thousands of bats

Most people I've met who call themselves 'goth' are try-hards who think that rebelling against mainstream society for the sake of it is any different than conforming to mainstream society for the sake of it.

When I think goth as in style, I think Skinny Puppy and dark clothing. Lots of mesh, lots of rings but no gauges, Doc Martins, tight shirts, frizzy hair. So basically http://www.90smovies.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/johnny-depp-as-edward-scissorhands-1990.jpg.

EDIT: About the hostility of the first section of my post: I sound so bitter because I used to be one of those people.

Can't say I know anything really about te gothic subculture, but what I'm thinking of is http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Lady_Amaranth.jpg/200px-Lady_Amaranth.jpgor http://www.dreamstime.com/gothic-man-in-a-desolated-build-thumb6227758.jpg. I don't really think it looks that cool, but there are some styles of gothic fashion that is kinda http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Whitby_goth_couple.jpg/648px-Whitby_goth_couple.jpg.

Oh, and of course http://www.90smovies.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/johnny-depp-as-edward-scissorhands-1990.jpg

You mean that's not true? EVERYTHING I KNEW OF THIS LIFE IS A LIE!

You mean styles like http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Reims_Kathedrale.jpg?

When I think of Goth I think of this----> http://images.wikia.com/totaldramaforever/images/8/8b/Gwen.jpg! Plus a group of people that work at Hot Topics, the place has some unique looking clothes in it.

And THAT dear children, is an example of going out of your way to behave like a total [censored] for no given reason.

Maybe it was a little strong, but it's perhaps a lesson in "has this joke already been made a million times before?" Yes, I've also sinned likewise (and worse) and don't like it being pointed out so bluntly, but that's how it is.

And THAT is a really fast way to get warned.



Knock it off, people, before I have to hand out warnings.


I remember when mesh shirts were genuinely cool i.e. when NIN wore them. The whole "batfarter" look (gas masks and skirts on men) is just embarrassing.


Yeah, that's my take on it, too. I was always more industrial than goth anyway.


The piercings were never pre-requisite, but heavy black eye makeup and black clothing was a given (though I still have a pink corset stuffed in a drawer somewhere).


Gaaaah! Skinny Puppy weren't/aren't goth! They're industrial! Goth in style is 80s Sisters of Mercy.

What about Joy Division and The Birthday Party? This is the first I've heard of Sisters of Mercy.

Dealing with so called "Gothic" symbols and ideas I think of the demonic stuff dealing with skulls, and macabre scenes/depiction of gruesome things. Obviously I can't speak too much about it here since it can be extremely dark and/or graphic.

If you are dealing with the old school "goth" art then you can best look at some of the old medieval style churches that had depictions of saints praying or angels surrounding human figures.

As a death metaler, I have to say that goth is not "gruesome" in any way possible.

I think of this guy. http://www.downfallguild.org/sites/www.downfallguild.org/files/images/Goth%20Hula%20Hoop.png

As a former death metaler, I can confirm this. Black Metal is the gangsta rap of the Netherlands. Only except with burning churches and necklaces made from the bits of a band members' skull.

*cough* *splutter* *cough*

WWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTT????

You need to start your education RIGHT NOW! This is gothic rock (and, incidentally, some of the greatest pop songs ever written):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZQRv7o49Lc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROnXv7Z7v28 feat Ofra Haza
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDuW3NvjqJY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWvOHT0zfXY

It's basically if you took the worst theatrical excesses of Meat Loaf, filtered it via The Addams Family and applied it to catchy rock. Joy Division and The Birthday Party are post-punk.


No, that's not "real goth" - I regularly went to goth clubs for years and really it was more kitsch and Halloweeny. Again, the Addams Family vibe. It's not so much inspired by 12th century churches as by Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker's Dracula. It's way too camp to be gruesome - put it this way, a goth told me, "I've never been in a fight - I might break a nail!"


Ha! No, Slipknot aren't goth at all - he'd have to be wearing a Bauhaus t-shirt. If you're rooting around for an image, The Crow was pretty popular "in my day".

This version of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xwGAFVm7Xs is a lot better in my opinion.

Some more good songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mzSKym9VYM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6_sm5ksCmc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1WcGXpqfnE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3frcQwZt324

I generally prefer their earlier music to the stuff from the late 80s / early 90s. Floodland is pretty good though.

He thoroughly enjoys hula-hoops, therefore your argument is invalid.