Goth & subcultures
Created | Updated Nov 27, 2008
As My first article: A study and compilation of the Social divisions in Britain & its teens, Focused mainly on the GOTHIC SUBCULTURE.
Well, where to begin? Firstly, I would like to shed some light on as to why I have taken the time write this text. After hearing a great deal of negative opinions about Goths, and because of my natural insatiable curiosity, I decided to take to the internet and to books to find out what this intriguing niche' of society is about. At first, I was presented with the standard goths are evil/satanistic/throughly miserable point of view. However upon widening my thought horizon and digging a little deeper, I came across a very simple, easy to understand truth: Goths are nothing like the media paints them to be, the same amount of them worship the devil as the general population, if not less (due to a high degree of neopaganism) and the vast majority of them are more content with thereselves than the average Joe is in the street.
In The Beginning
So who are these mysterious, oh-so-evil-people whom the media rant about? and where did they come from? And why exactly are they called Goths?
Well all the answers you did & didn't want to know are here in their amazing entirity.
Originally, the term dated back to the era in Germany prior to and at the same time as the Holy Roman Empire (Look up 'really big empires').
Germany, has in its past always had problems with internal squabbling between what were then many fractions vying for land, power and supremecy. Out of all these splinter powers three are notable, the Visigoths, the Vandals and the Goths.
Now out of all the tribe names listed above, you will notice that two of them are words used today; a vandal, and a goth.
So how, i here you ask, did these words become associated with bad and/or negative things?
Simple. The three tribes above are notable in history for a very good reason: the were the ones who battled, conquered and seized one of the largest empires to have ever existed, even going as far as to occupy Italy's capital city, Rome.
And so it was that due to this massive conquest, the Goths became seen as war-mongering, uncultured barbarians, despite becoming more civilized than the people they had conquered. (Also that is why today someone who mindlessly destroys is still called a Vandal).
During the next few centuries, the Goths faded out of history, but the term still remained.
>>>The style of architecture now known as gothic was only so named *after* it fell out of fashion. It was not viewed as being barbaric at the time, only afterwards when classical architecture became the accepted norm. Classical architecture is based on the Roman style, and since the Goths were partly responsible for the downfall of the Roman empire, the non-classical, and therefore un-civilised style was named *restrospectively* as "gothic."- Thanks to belladonna_eyes.
Many more years later in the Victorian era (about 1700s onwards), after the hype about Gothic architecture had dyed down centuries before and been all but completly forgotten, people again started to hunger for the Gothic architecture that had been so hated when it first surfaced, and a great revival of this style took place. The Victorian populace became deeply interested in Medievil Gothic ruins, Romances that had happened during the Medievil period and a proportion of the populace became interested in various religious denominations, icludinding Roman Catholicism. These people who recieved a heavy dose of nostalgia for gothic Architecture and the Medievil Period became coined (jokingly) as Goths. ( A few decades on, it was this type of Religious, occult interest that led Jerald Gardner to stumple upon the still active, if underground, network of Wicca and Paganism in Britain.)
Though the above defines where the word Goth came from, it still doesn't actually define 'Goth' itself. That is because one of the corner stones of how this definition would form was only published in 1764, in the form of a book titled 'The Castle Of Ontranto', written by a Mr. Horace Walpole, whom was the leader of the entusiasts whos revival and interest of all things Gothic would lead them to be nicknamed 'Goths'.
'The Castle Of Ontranto', as well as being the founding work of Gothic Novels & Literature, also established much of the modern day ideas and imagery surrounding Goths, including a mood of horror, the supernatural, the dark, spooky trees, graveyards, vampires, and melodramatic plots. This book also set the stage for the Gothic villains, like Bram Stoker's Count Dracula. Later on, the Gothic Villain evolved into the 'flawed' or 'Byronic' hero ('Edward Scissor Hands' is a good example of this). This imagery carried on right through to the 1960s, where sitcoms like 'The Addams Family' and 'The Munsters' used this theatrical, if dark, flair for camp comedy.
Modern Usage
The last sentence above brings me neatly to the next part of this century-spanning tale: The 1960s. Now this is where things can get a bit tangled. The 60s (and to some degree the 70s) saw the huge rise of a discontent, mainly adolescent chunk of society, in both Europe and the U.S., against the older, conservative section of society. This split in thinking led to many 'subcultures' being formed. One of the most prominent of all these was the Punk subculture, a subculture with its roots in music, who rebelled because of, among other things: War, Conservatism, Vietnam, Politics, Homosexuality, Social diversity and individuality in general. Music played an important part in the movement, with such bands as The Ramones, The Dictators and The New York City Dolls becoming popular.
The Goth Subculture could be termed as being a 'Sub-Subculture' as it was a direct offshoot of the Punk movement, however the two eventually split into seperate fractions. The Punks' focus remained on political interests and the rebellion against the 'status quo' by means fair and foul, whereas the Goths, most likely realising - in my & and many others - opinion that society was a lost cause and beyond saving. This rift got bigger when concepts the two groups used to have in common altered. Whereas most (but by no means all) Punks were motivated in their rebellion efforts by political and social reform, and to send shock waves through the general populace, the Goths were motivated by self improvement, personal freedom, sexual liberation and spiritual open-mindedness.
So by the late 60's to the mid 80's, the majority of Punks were dressing, thinking and acting in a certain way to effect other people and their views, whereas the Goths were thinking, acting and dressing the way they did for them, because it made them happy and warranted them a degree of social freedom. Hence, one of the core philosophies in 'Goth' is individuality.
The Present Day Goth, its comeback,
and the other teen cultures that are opposed or
affiliated with it.
Though it has never technically 'died', the Goth subculture goes through 'quiet patches'. The scene was 'quiet' from the early 90's to the early 2000's and recently it has started to peak again.
Why is this?
Well, it is not irrational to hypothesise that is this may be because as society is again falling apart, (albeit far more drastically than in the 1960's), several new subcultures have sprung up, and as these divisions, 'the rat race', and consumerism grows, the more people feel like a 'number' and start to feel alienated and question the norm.
From this split, the more common and/or brainless end of society (the consumerist, blow random things up, 'I-hate-you-because-your-different'end) formed into varying groups, dependent on there geological location in the U.K. These groups or 'sub-(un)-cultures', despite having different names due to local'e, are all identical in attitude, mentality and ideology. I am refering of course to the social plague that has swept Britain like the Black Death: The Chavs!!!.
Uncultured as they are dim, and as aggresive as they are alcolholic, the Chav populace has spread across the length and breadth of the country. The go by many names, ( most of which are one syllable, so as not to confuse the chav) including: Neds, Kevs, Trevs, Scallies, Hood-rats, Yobs, Yobbos, Can Gangs and Trendies. They are the the complete mirror-culture to Goths & Greebos (or anyone with two brain cells to rub together).
They are characterised ideologically as follows :
They exterminate what they dont understand
Are petrifyed of individuality (hence why they all wear the same named clothes like sheep)
Are eye-contact aggresive.
Have at least one ASBO.
Wears a cap.
Are easily killed if thrown off their ego onto their I.Q.
Are unbelievably narrow minded
Hate the following- Goths, opposing ideas, diplomacy, Homosexuality, any sexual orientation besides Heterosexuality, Thinking, culture, any music with meaning or a message, geeks, Things they can't understand, and anything that doesn't conform to what is the 'norm' or expresses any individuality, as this would automatically be classed as strange/wierd and would have to be obliterated.
The Anti-Chav Response
So as the ranks of the Chavs swelled with 'sheep', the more intelligent/ emotional/ sane/ sexually liberated/ gifted end of society started to form into groups of its own.
For the younger, approximatly 12-16 end of the teenage age range, these groups are as Follows:
The Greebos- A chav name for those who like rock, dress purposly different from them, and grow their hair long. Very similar to the American surfer look, just with a splash of heavy metal and the colour black. They like bands such as Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Bullet for my Valentine and Panic at the Disco. Greebos tend to wear very wide, loose fitting, baggy jeans, a T-shirt with one their prefered bands name on, and a black hoodie. The name was originally a derogitary term for Bikers.
The Emos- An offshoot of Greebo, Skater, Indie, and various other influences, the term Emo is in fact short hand for 'Emotional', often characterised by highly alienated, troubled individuals, many of which self-harm, but this by no means encompass all "Emo's". Emos have a similar fashion code to Greebos, but with less black, more wristbands and bangles, at least one item with a 'Heartagram' on it and hair in a vast array of colours and styles. Due to their higher emotions/ intelligence, both Emos and Greebos are tolerant of most sexual orientations.They prefer bands such as Hawthorn Heights.
The Skaters- Are exactly that. Usually Greebos or Emos with a heavy tendency to skatebaord, they can be found by most half-pipes. Many Skaters are frequently good/Fantastic on a BMX and are usually very acrobatic, performing leaps and backflips with relative ease. Their dress/mindset doesnt really differ from the above groups.
The Moshers- In effect, hardcore Greebos. Often described by Goths/Elder Goths as being 'Mini-Goths' or 'Baby Bats', These teens age, they tend to either become Goths, or calm down their appearance and go back to being Greebos or ''Normal''. Many older goths put people in this group down as 'wanna-bes', particulary
The Townies- A lot of teens fall mainly in this category while slightly overlapping into others. Not as extroverted as Chavs or Moshers, they tend to lean towards and have sympathies for at least one of the other groups, but due to their position in small towns or suburbia, they dont really have access to the nessercary stores and establishments to define their 'classification'. Many fall into this category simply because they are not socially confident enough to express themselves in appearence.
The Students- Not really a group as such, but most students tend to differ from those still at school by the varying groups mixing far more. They also tend to be more mature.
The Geeks & Nerds- No matter what their age, this group in society suffers constant, relentless abuse by most of the 'norms' and chavs. Heavily underestimated, these people are amazing repositries of knowledge, have some cool yet wacky personality quirks, keep your computer running and when forced into a crisis situation, make excellant technical fighters. There are Geeks & Nerds all the way through society, except in the Chav population, which, as we all know, contains 100% pure, unadulterated idiocy.
-Naturally, anyone of any age group can be classed as any one of the above or below fractions if they fit the criteria. However, I provide a rough age guide for reference, and it should not be treated as a parametre which has to be strictly adheared to.
As 'normal' teens, or any of the above get older, their viewpoint and ideas may change, especially if targeted by a chav. The 15-21 yearolds stereotypical group alternatives to chavs are as follows:
The Punks - Though no longer in its heyday, the 60's movement that caused the the existence of countless other subcultures such as Goth still has followers. Though still having quite a large degree of black, Punks like neon and shocking colours, various radical patterns and some animal prints. They are Huge fans of really spikey, dyed, big hair, leather and piercings. Many of the teens from the 60s and 70s who went into the Punk scene in yester year can still be seen in its ranks today. They like music by bands such as The Motor City Five, The Cramps, The Ramones and The Stooges. Still going 40 odd years on, and has out lasted other sub-cultures, such as the New Romantics. Punks range from roughly 18 - 35 in age.
The Goths - Heavily criticised Punk offshoot. Has grown into its own culture, with Goths being fans of Death Metal, Gothic Rock, and bands such as The Ramones, The Cramps, Black Sabbath, Fields of Nephilim and Bauhaus. Suffers bad media coverage, such as the false claims that the Gothic subculture is in fact some type of satanic sect. Research by Sussex University shows that Goths tend to get on better in life, are more productive and are highly intelligent. Contrary to general believe, Goths don't envy popular people, and aren't a bunch of necrophilical depressives.
The Cybers or Cybergoths - A very removed subculture that has it roots in both the Goth and Rivethead groups, as well as some beginnings in the Rave/ Hardcore Clubbing scenes. The subculture, though small, is growing rapidly. The music of 'Cybers' includes Hardcore Rave and Electronic Dance. Most 'cybers' have an interest in future technology, and enjoy things like The Matrix, Bladerunner and Ghost in the Shell. They attend clubs such as Slimelight and Gatecrasher.
NOTE: It should be noted that the Chavs also have groups as they get older that they can be sorted into, however they still retain Chav status aswell. Such groups include Boyracers, Drunks, cowboy builder, drug dealer, and Mc.Donalds employee for the male Chav, and stripper, prostitute, Kappa Slappa, awful pub singer and barbie doll for the female 'Chavette'.
Goths- Religion & Beliefs
As mentioned earlier, their seems to be a grossly misinformed belief that Goths are part of some big, satanic body of religion. This is, you may or may not be glad to here, is total and utter rubbish, a by-product of media gobshite.
There are as many different religions within the subculture as there are in the world in general, with Goths being Taoist, Buddhist, Pagan and Atheist, to name few. An interesting note is that most traditional belief systems are not as common within the sub-culture, but are far outwayed by free-thinking atheism, Neo-Paganism, Wicca and Shamanism. Goths are stereotypically more open-minded then the general public, showing a greater degree of interest in areas of faith and the occult such as scrying, dousing, chaos magick and healing. Many Goths believe in Karmic Law.
Goth Aesthetics & 'Fashion'
Undeniably, the most instantly striking thing about a Goth is there outward appearence. The style of dress is called, simply, Gothic Fashion, and though intertwined and allied with the Goth Scene and its music, not all people who embrace this style listen to Gothic Music.(In fact, there is a large 80s following in the Goth scene).
Typical themes that run through the fashion include:-
Lots & Lots of black.
Deep, rich colour schemes such as burgundies, crimson, blood red, royal blue, forest green and deep purples.
As a monochromal alternative to black: Lots & Lots of white.
Silver & pewter accessories.
Medievil, Edwardian, Victorian & Renaissance Dress.
BDSM Materials.
Fishnet & veils.
Elaborate Makeup for both males and females.
Buckles
Pointy or big boots.
However, these are just some common themes, and the true depth of the scenes fashion is endless, as due to the subcultures emphasis on individuality, the fashion is only restricted to what the wearer thinks they (and frequently do) pull off.
Elaborate clothing and a theatrical flair are veins that run deep in the fashion. Extravagant robes and gowns, corsets and capes can also be frequently seen adorning Goths. Black finger nails and eye-liner are also common place.
Hair is usually dyed black, white, silver, purple or primary to blood red. Two colours of dye are frequently used to great effect. The hair is cut in an array of unusal and artistic ways, with both sexes frequently having long or short hair.
Unlike the average 'bloke' in the street, or a Chav, a Goth's dress mentality goes as follows:
(Opens Wardrobe) GOTH: Which items in this selection do I want to wear, what here makes me feel good?
As opposed to:
(Opens Wardrobe) CHAV: Out of this stuff, what will make me look trendy and cool, and what will other people want to see me in, whats the most exceptable item to wear?
Goth fashion is also about personal transformation and counter-striking the norms of the mainstream, and all it mediocrity and falsity.
To finish this section, I'd like to sum up the 'Goth Look', as many newcomers get lost.
Goth Fashion can be recognized nigh on instantly, due to the stark use of black or white clothing (and/or hair and makeup), which is often powerfully contrasted with clothes and schemes of vivid and bold hues and tones.
Another signiture 'look' is fabric and styles that simultaneously evoke beauty & morbidity, as well as romanticism & the macabre by combining elements that flow & drape, with styles that restrict and emphasize (such as corsets).
Juxtapositioning is also a fulcrum upon which the fashion turns. That is, the use of light with dark, tight with baggy, or the relationships between elements such as hard wearing, rugged materials, like metal and leather, against delicate, fragile portions, such as lace, silk or high heels (for both male and female). This form of 'dark', occasionally morbid, charged form of dress, along with ver pale untanned skin, are contributing factors to being 'Goth'.
Goths & Music
Music is another vital ingrediant in the cocktail that is Goth. As it evolved out of Punk, it still has strong ties to music. Originally, 'Gothic' bands were limited in number, but the scene steadily grew, eventually including, but not limited to:- Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, 45 Grave, The Damned, The Trees, The Virgin Prunes, Joy Division, The Cure, TheCramps, Christen Death and Alien Sex Friend.
The afore mentioned band, Bauhaus, is often recognized as one of, if not the first, 'Goth Band'. Pushing on into the 80's, other bands had bocome popular including Sisters of Mercy, The Mission U.K., The Bolshoi and Fields of the Nephilim. Most 80s music (such as Bryan Adams and Eurythmics, or other 'synth' bands) has a following in the Goth Scene today.
Gothic Rock was originally quite easily differentiated Industrial and Heavy Metal, especially by older Goths & other participants in the various alternative scenes.
Then due to, again, media misconceptions, and to misinformed people and 'posers', bands that wern't seen as Goth became labelled as being so, such as Marylin Manson, Dimmu Borgir, Jack Off Jill, Type O negative, Lacuna Coil, Cradle of Filth, Slipknot and Mortis. The naming of this bands as being 'Goth' was fiercily resisted by long-time Goths, and to a degree by Heavy Metals own followers.
If the above wasn't confusing enough, parts of the Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Goth & Gothic Rock scenes fused into yet another Sub-culture : Gothic Metal. Gothic Metal bands conciously used Gothic imagery from the scene, and its historical sources such as the Victorians, and wove it into both their music & appearance. Debates as what is and isn't Gothic music raged for sometime, and, to a degree still do.
In the 90's, yet another direction of music became popular. Electonic dance bands such as VNV Nation and Convenant found there way into the Goth Scene. This led to the offshoot of Goth and Synthpop/Techno known as Cybergoth, which traditionally didn't get on to well with the of Goth sectores, who mostly preferred the analog/guitar based sound of Gothic Rock.
Now, unbelivably, there are further sub-divisions in these fractions, such as Darkwave, combine both the electronic and Gothic Rock sound. Examples of such bands include Soft Cell and The Cruxshadows.
There has been a cluster of bands who produce music in a style to the original Goth music including Black Ice, Cinema Strange, Antiworld and Bloody Dead & Sexy. This bands are gaining in popularity.
Gothic Pro's and Con's
Despite having many benefits which i will shed light on here, there is a downside to the Gothic coin.
Pros
Black is slimming.
You can wear what you like.
Getting dressed is now fun.
You will meet many amazing, interesting people.
The music's better than what the chavs can drum up.
Generally, Goths will only insult people who have earnt as much.
A Goth will earn someones friendship, not be parasitical like a chav.
Goths tend to be a bit mad, and 'think outside the box'.
They have no insatiable drive to popular.
They don't use people as 'stepping stones'.
They tend to posess deeper insight then most.
Cons
Chavs will attempt to create misery for you.
Most people go by the traditional anti-goth media rubbish, and will be 'off' with you
You will scare little children (is that a pro?).
You will become dissilusioned with society and give up with it.
'Normals' will really get you down
I think to draw this text to its grande finale, we should here what REAL goths have to say, so, for you reading pleasure:
"I know I look strikingly different from everybody else, but you chavwits think I am attention seeking, when in fact, I Look different because of my total lack of interest in you lot, you lot and that vile sort of mentality & dress code that is the 'norm'. Its not that I want you to notice me, its just I haven't bothered to notice you".
OR
"As a Goth, I have to say that all you Chavvy forms of life make me sick. Gothis what the individuals do. As for the debate over 'wannabe' Goths, they either revert to conformity or evolve".
Finale
Well there it is. My (hopefully) definitive guide to Goths and a load of of other things related to them. This work is not yet complete, as it will be added to many times as I continue researching. So in conclusion, it is my opinion that Goths are fun to be around and don't mind laughing at themselves every so often. They have a tendency to be highly articulate and creative, with many being accomplished in the arts and literature. Goths shun the pretences of society, prefering to be what they are, even at the cost of being labeled retroactivly. They usually suceed in life while the popular ones don't become much of anything.
Well, where to begin? Firstly, I would like to shed some light on as to why I have taken the time write this text. After hearing a great deal of negative opinions about Goths, and because of my natural insatiable curiosity, I decided to take to the internet and to books to find out what this intriguing niche' of society is about. At first, I was presented with the standard goths are evil/satanistic/throughly miserable point of view. However upon widening my thought horizon and digging a little deeper, I came across a very simple, easy to understand truth: Goths are nothing like the media paints them to be, the same amount of them worship the devil as the general population, if not less (due to a high degree of neopaganism) and the vast majority of them are more content with thereselves than the average Joe is in the street.
In The Beginning
So who are these mysterious, oh-so-evil-people whom the media rant about? and where did they come from? And why exactly are they called Goths?
Well all the answers you did & didn't want to know are here in their amazing entirity.
Originally, the term dated back to the era in Germany prior to and at the same time as the Holy Roman Empire (Look up 'really big empires').
Germany, has in its past always had problems with internal squabbling between what were then many fractions vying for land, power and supremecy. Out of all these splinter powers three are notable, the Visigoths, the Vandals and the Goths.
Now out of all the tribe names listed above, you will notice that two of them are words used today; a vandal, and a goth.
So how, i here you ask, did these words become associated with bad and/or negative things?
Simple. The three tribes above are notable in history for a very good reason: the were the ones who battled, conquered and seized one of the largest empires to have ever existed, even going as far as to occupy Italy's capital city, Rome.
And so it was that due to this massive conquest, the Goths became seen as war-mongering, uncultured barbarians, despite becoming more civilized than the people they had conquered. (Also that is why today someone who mindlessly destroys is still called a Vandal).
During the next few centuries, the Goths faded out of history, but the term still remained.
>>>The style of architecture now known as gothic was only so named *after* it fell out of fashion. It was not viewed as being barbaric at the time, only afterwards when classical architecture became the accepted norm. Classical architecture is based on the Roman style, and since the Goths were partly responsible for the downfall of the Roman empire, the non-classical, and therefore un-civilised style was named *restrospectively* as "gothic."- Thanks to belladonna_eyes.
Many more years later in the Victorian era (about 1700s onwards), after the hype about Gothic architecture had dyed down centuries before and been all but completly forgotten, people again started to hunger for the Gothic architecture that had been so hated when it first surfaced, and a great revival of this style took place. The Victorian populace became deeply interested in Medievil Gothic ruins, Romances that had happened during the Medievil period and a proportion of the populace became interested in various religious denominations, icludinding Roman Catholicism. These people who recieved a heavy dose of nostalgia for gothic Architecture and the Medievil Period became coined (jokingly) as Goths. ( A few decades on, it was this type of Religious, occult interest that led Jerald Gardner to stumple upon the still active, if underground, network of Wicca and Paganism in Britain.)
Though the above defines where the word Goth came from, it still doesn't actually define 'Goth' itself. That is because one of the corner stones of how this definition would form was only published in 1764, in the form of a book titled 'The Castle Of Ontranto', written by a Mr. Horace Walpole, whom was the leader of the entusiasts whos revival and interest of all things Gothic would lead them to be nicknamed 'Goths'.
'The Castle Of Ontranto', as well as being the founding work of Gothic Novels & Literature, also established much of the modern day ideas and imagery surrounding Goths, including a mood of horror, the supernatural, the dark, spooky trees, graveyards, vampires, and melodramatic plots. This book also set the stage for the Gothic villains, like Bram Stoker's Count Dracula. Later on, the Gothic Villain evolved into the 'flawed' or 'Byronic' hero ('Edward Scissor Hands' is a good example of this). This imagery carried on right through to the 1960s, where sitcoms like 'The Addams Family' and 'The Munsters' used this theatrical, if dark, flair for camp comedy.
Modern Usage
The last sentence above brings me neatly to the next part of this century-spanning tale: The 1960s. Now this is where things can get a bit tangled. The 60s (and to some degree the 70s) saw the huge rise of a discontent, mainly adolescent chunk of society, in both Europe and the U.S., against the older, conservative section of society. This split in thinking led to many 'subcultures' being formed. One of the most prominent of all these was the Punk subculture, a subculture with its roots in music, who rebelled because of, among other things: War, Conservatism, Vietnam, Politics, Homosexuality, Social diversity and individuality in general. Music played an important part in the movement, with such bands as The Ramones, The Dictators and The New York City Dolls becoming popular.
The Goth Subculture could be termed as being a 'Sub-Subculture' as it was a direct offshoot of the Punk movement, however the two eventually split into seperate fractions. The Punks' focus remained on political interests and the rebellion against the 'status quo' by means fair and foul, whereas the Goths, most likely realising - in my & and many others - opinion that society was a lost cause and beyond saving. This rift got bigger when concepts the two groups used to have in common altered. Whereas most (but by no means all) Punks were motivated in their rebellion efforts by political and social reform, and to send shock waves through the general populace, the Goths were motivated by self improvement, personal freedom, sexual liberation and spiritual open-mindedness.
So by the late 60's to the mid 80's, the majority of Punks were dressing, thinking and acting in a certain way to effect other people and their views, whereas the Goths were thinking, acting and dressing the way they did for them, because it made them happy and warranted them a degree of social freedom. Hence, one of the core philosophies in 'Goth' is individuality.
The Present Day Goth, its comeback,
and the other teen cultures that are opposed or
affiliated with it.
Though it has never technically 'died', the Goth subculture goes through 'quiet patches'. The scene was 'quiet' from the early 90's to the early 2000's and recently it has started to peak again.
Why is this?
Well, it is not irrational to hypothesise that is this may be because as society is again falling apart, (albeit far more drastically than in the 1960's), several new subcultures have sprung up, and as these divisions, 'the rat race', and consumerism grows, the more people feel like a 'number' and start to feel alienated and question the norm.
From this split, the more common and/or brainless end of society (the consumerist, blow random things up, 'I-hate-you-because-your-different'end) formed into varying groups, dependent on there geological location in the U.K. These groups or 'sub-(un)-cultures', despite having different names due to local'e, are all identical in attitude, mentality and ideology. I am refering of course to the social plague that has swept Britain like the Black Death: The Chavs!!!.
Uncultured as they are dim, and as aggresive as they are alcolholic, the Chav populace has spread across the length and breadth of the country. The go by many names, ( most of which are one syllable, so as not to confuse the chav) including: Neds, Kevs, Trevs, Scallies, Hood-rats, Yobs, Yobbos, Can Gangs and Trendies. They are the the complete mirror-culture to Goths & Greebos (or anyone with two brain cells to rub together).
They are characterised ideologically as follows :
They exterminate what they dont understand
Are petrifyed of individuality (hence why they all wear the same named clothes like sheep)
Are eye-contact aggresive.
Have at least one ASBO.
Wears a cap.
Are easily killed if thrown off their ego onto their I.Q.
Are unbelievably narrow minded
Hate the following- Goths, opposing ideas, diplomacy, Homosexuality, any sexual orientation besides Heterosexuality, Thinking, culture, any music with meaning or a message, geeks, Things they can't understand, and anything that doesn't conform to what is the 'norm' or expresses any individuality, as this would automatically be classed as strange/wierd and would have to be obliterated.
The Anti-Chav Response
So as the ranks of the Chavs swelled with 'sheep', the more intelligent/ emotional/ sane/ sexually liberated/ gifted end of society started to form into groups of its own.
For the younger, approximatly 12-16 end of the teenage age range, these groups are as Follows:
The Greebos- A chav name for those who like rock, dress purposly different from them, and grow their hair long. Very similar to the American surfer look, just with a splash of heavy metal and the colour black. They like bands such as Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Bullet for my Valentine and Panic at the Disco. Greebos tend to wear very wide, loose fitting, baggy jeans, a T-shirt with one their prefered bands name on, and a black hoodie. The name was originally a derogitary term for Bikers.
The Emos- An offshoot of Greebo, Skater, Indie, and various other influences, the term Emo is in fact short hand for 'Emotional', often characterised by highly alienated, troubled individuals, many of which self-harm, but this by no means encompass all "Emo's". Emos have a similar fashion code to Greebos, but with less black, more wristbands and bangles, at least one item with a 'Heartagram' on it and hair in a vast array of colours and styles. Due to their higher emotions/ intelligence, both Emos and Greebos are tolerant of most sexual orientations.They prefer bands such as Hawthorn Heights.
The Skaters- Are exactly that. Usually Greebos or Emos with a heavy tendency to skatebaord, they can be found by most half-pipes. Many Skaters are frequently good/Fantastic on a BMX and are usually very acrobatic, performing leaps and backflips with relative ease. Their dress/mindset doesnt really differ from the above groups.
The Moshers- In effect, hardcore Greebos. Often described by Goths/Elder Goths as being 'Mini-Goths' or 'Baby Bats', These teens age, they tend to either become Goths, or calm down their appearance and go back to being Greebos or ''Normal''. Many older goths put people in this group down as 'wanna-bes', particulary
The Townies- A lot of teens fall mainly in this category while slightly overlapping into others. Not as extroverted as Chavs or Moshers, they tend to lean towards and have sympathies for at least one of the other groups, but due to their position in small towns or suburbia, they dont really have access to the nessercary stores and establishments to define their 'classification'. Many fall into this category simply because they are not socially confident enough to express themselves in appearence.
The Students- Not really a group as such, but most students tend to differ from those still at school by the varying groups mixing far more. They also tend to be more mature.
The Geeks & Nerds- No matter what their age, this group in society suffers constant, relentless abuse by most of the 'norms' and chavs. Heavily underestimated, these people are amazing repositries of knowledge, have some cool yet wacky personality quirks, keep your computer running and when forced into a crisis situation, make excellant technical fighters. There are Geeks & Nerds all the way through society, except in the Chav population, which, as we all know, contains 100% pure, unadulterated idiocy.
-Naturally, anyone of any age group can be classed as any one of the above or below fractions if they fit the criteria. However, I provide a rough age guide for reference, and it should not be treated as a parametre which has to be strictly adheared to.
As 'normal' teens, or any of the above get older, their viewpoint and ideas may change, especially if targeted by a chav. The 15-21 yearolds stereotypical group alternatives to chavs are as follows:
The Punks - Though no longer in its heyday, the 60's movement that caused the the existence of countless other subcultures such as Goth still has followers. Though still having quite a large degree of black, Punks like neon and shocking colours, various radical patterns and some animal prints. They are Huge fans of really spikey, dyed, big hair, leather and piercings. Many of the teens from the 60s and 70s who went into the Punk scene in yester year can still be seen in its ranks today. They like music by bands such as The Motor City Five, The Cramps, The Ramones and The Stooges. Still going 40 odd years on, and has out lasted other sub-cultures, such as the New Romantics. Punks range from roughly 18 - 35 in age.
The Goths - Heavily criticised Punk offshoot. Has grown into its own culture, with Goths being fans of Death Metal, Gothic Rock, and bands such as The Ramones, The Cramps, Black Sabbath, Fields of Nephilim and Bauhaus. Suffers bad media coverage, such as the false claims that the Gothic subculture is in fact some type of satanic sect. Research by Sussex University shows that Goths tend to get on better in life, are more productive and are highly intelligent. Contrary to general believe, Goths don't envy popular people, and aren't a bunch of necrophilical depressives.
The Cybers or Cybergoths - A very removed subculture that has it roots in both the Goth and Rivethead groups, as well as some beginnings in the Rave/ Hardcore Clubbing scenes. The subculture, though small, is growing rapidly. The music of 'Cybers' includes Hardcore Rave and Electronic Dance. Most 'cybers' have an interest in future technology, and enjoy things like The Matrix, Bladerunner and Ghost in the Shell. They attend clubs such as Slimelight and Gatecrasher.
NOTE: It should be noted that the Chavs also have groups as they get older that they can be sorted into, however they still retain Chav status aswell. Such groups include Boyracers, Drunks, cowboy builder, drug dealer, and Mc.Donalds employee for the male Chav, and stripper, prostitute, Kappa Slappa, awful pub singer and barbie doll for the female 'Chavette'.
Goths- Religion & Beliefs
As mentioned earlier, their seems to be a grossly misinformed belief that Goths are part of some big, satanic body of religion. This is, you may or may not be glad to here, is total and utter rubbish, a by-product of media gobshite.
There are as many different religions within the subculture as there are in the world in general, with Goths being Taoist, Buddhist, Pagan and Atheist, to name few. An interesting note is that most traditional belief systems are not as common within the sub-culture, but are far outwayed by free-thinking atheism, Neo-Paganism, Wicca and Shamanism. Goths are stereotypically more open-minded then the general public, showing a greater degree of interest in areas of faith and the occult such as scrying, dousing, chaos magick and healing. Many Goths believe in Karmic Law.
Goth Aesthetics & 'Fashion'
Undeniably, the most instantly striking thing about a Goth is there outward appearence. The style of dress is called, simply, Gothic Fashion, and though intertwined and allied with the Goth Scene and its music, not all people who embrace this style listen to Gothic Music.(In fact, there is a large 80s following in the Goth scene).
Typical themes that run through the fashion include:-
Lots & Lots of black.
Deep, rich colour schemes such as burgundies, crimson, blood red, royal blue, forest green and deep purples.
As a monochromal alternative to black: Lots & Lots of white.
Silver & pewter accessories.
Medievil, Edwardian, Victorian & Renaissance Dress.
BDSM Materials.
Fishnet & veils.
Elaborate Makeup for both males and females.
Buckles
Pointy or big boots.
However, these are just some common themes, and the true depth of the scenes fashion is endless, as due to the subcultures emphasis on individuality, the fashion is only restricted to what the wearer thinks they (and frequently do) pull off.
Elaborate clothing and a theatrical flair are veins that run deep in the fashion. Extravagant robes and gowns, corsets and capes can also be frequently seen adorning Goths. Black finger nails and eye-liner are also common place.
Hair is usually dyed black, white, silver, purple or primary to blood red. Two colours of dye are frequently used to great effect. The hair is cut in an array of unusal and artistic ways, with both sexes frequently having long or short hair.
Unlike the average 'bloke' in the street, or a Chav, a Goth's dress mentality goes as follows:
(Opens Wardrobe) GOTH: Which items in this selection do I want to wear, what here makes me feel good?
As opposed to:
(Opens Wardrobe) CHAV: Out of this stuff, what will make me look trendy and cool, and what will other people want to see me in, whats the most exceptable item to wear?
Goth fashion is also about personal transformation and counter-striking the norms of the mainstream, and all it mediocrity and falsity.
To finish this section, I'd like to sum up the 'Goth Look', as many newcomers get lost.
Goth Fashion can be recognized nigh on instantly, due to the stark use of black or white clothing (and/or hair and makeup), which is often powerfully contrasted with clothes and schemes of vivid and bold hues and tones.
Another signiture 'look' is fabric and styles that simultaneously evoke beauty & morbidity, as well as romanticism & the macabre by combining elements that flow & drape, with styles that restrict and emphasize (such as corsets).
Juxtapositioning is also a fulcrum upon which the fashion turns. That is, the use of light with dark, tight with baggy, or the relationships between elements such as hard wearing, rugged materials, like metal and leather, against delicate, fragile portions, such as lace, silk or high heels (for both male and female). This form of 'dark', occasionally morbid, charged form of dress, along with ver pale untanned skin, are contributing factors to being 'Goth'.
Goths & Music
Music is another vital ingrediant in the cocktail that is Goth. As it evolved out of Punk, it still has strong ties to music. Originally, 'Gothic' bands were limited in number, but the scene steadily grew, eventually including, but not limited to:- Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, 45 Grave, The Damned, The Trees, The Virgin Prunes, Joy Division, The Cure, TheCramps, Christen Death and Alien Sex Friend.
The afore mentioned band, Bauhaus, is often recognized as one of, if not the first, 'Goth Band'. Pushing on into the 80's, other bands had bocome popular including Sisters of Mercy, The Mission U.K., The Bolshoi and Fields of the Nephilim. Most 80s music (such as Bryan Adams and Eurythmics, or other 'synth' bands) has a following in the Goth Scene today.
Gothic Rock was originally quite easily differentiated Industrial and Heavy Metal, especially by older Goths & other participants in the various alternative scenes.
Then due to, again, media misconceptions, and to misinformed people and 'posers', bands that wern't seen as Goth became labelled as being so, such as Marylin Manson, Dimmu Borgir, Jack Off Jill, Type O negative, Lacuna Coil, Cradle of Filth, Slipknot and Mortis. The naming of this bands as being 'Goth' was fiercily resisted by long-time Goths, and to a degree by Heavy Metals own followers.
If the above wasn't confusing enough, parts of the Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Goth & Gothic Rock scenes fused into yet another Sub-culture : Gothic Metal. Gothic Metal bands conciously used Gothic imagery from the scene, and its historical sources such as the Victorians, and wove it into both their music & appearance. Debates as what is and isn't Gothic music raged for sometime, and, to a degree still do.
In the 90's, yet another direction of music became popular. Electonic dance bands such as VNV Nation and Convenant found there way into the Goth Scene. This led to the offshoot of Goth and Synthpop/Techno known as Cybergoth, which traditionally didn't get on to well with the of Goth sectores, who mostly preferred the analog/guitar based sound of Gothic Rock.
Now, unbelivably, there are further sub-divisions in these fractions, such as Darkwave, combine both the electronic and Gothic Rock sound. Examples of such bands include Soft Cell and The Cruxshadows.
There has been a cluster of bands who produce music in a style to the original Goth music including Black Ice, Cinema Strange, Antiworld and Bloody Dead & Sexy. This bands are gaining in popularity.
Gothic Pro's and Con's
Despite having many benefits which i will shed light on here, there is a downside to the Gothic coin.
Pros
Black is slimming.
You can wear what you like.
Getting dressed is now fun.
You will meet many amazing, interesting people.
The music's better than what the chavs can drum up.
Generally, Goths will only insult people who have earnt as much.
A Goth will earn someones friendship, not be parasitical like a chav.
Goths tend to be a bit mad, and 'think outside the box'.
They have no insatiable drive to popular.
They don't use people as 'stepping stones'.
They tend to posess deeper insight then most.
Cons
Chavs will attempt to create misery for you.
Most people go by the traditional anti-goth media rubbish, and will be 'off' with you
You will scare little children (is that a pro?).
You will become dissilusioned with society and give up with it.
'Normals' will really get you down
I think to draw this text to its grande finale, we should here what REAL goths have to say, so, for you reading pleasure:
"I know I look strikingly different from everybody else, but you chavwits think I am attention seeking, when in fact, I Look different because of my total lack of interest in you lot, you lot and that vile sort of mentality & dress code that is the 'norm'. Its not that I want you to notice me, its just I haven't bothered to notice you".
OR
"As a Goth, I have to say that all you Chavvy forms of life make me sick. Gothis what the individuals do. As for the debate over 'wannabe' Goths, they either revert to conformity or evolve".
Finale
Well there it is. My (hopefully) definitive guide to Goths and a load of of other things related to them. This work is not yet complete, as it will be added to many times as I continue researching. So in conclusion, it is my opinion that Goths are fun to be around and don't mind laughing at themselves every so often. They have a tendency to be highly articulate and creative, with many being accomplished in the arts and literature. Goths shun the pretences of society, prefering to be what they are, even at the cost of being labeled retroactivly. They usually suceed in life while the popular ones don't become much of anything.
