What is the appeal of Goth??

[WoodlandParkPunk]

Just curious. It just seems so depressing and lonely.

[2Nu]

and pretty political (believe it or not).
Mike P had to delete a Goth related thread awhile back because it just got outta hand
(Read- BIZARRE)

[gothica]

Did someone say Goth? I love it because I'm so depressed and lonely! I also like the style. Black goes with everything.

oh, why don't you just go here?: http://www.goth.net/goth.html

[EchoBeachBunnyBoy]

I like the somber & ethereal side of goth. I also relate to the fashions & style aspect.
We all like something different. This fact can be applied to practically anything & everything.[}:)]

[SwampThing]

I actually love somber/melancholy music. Two of my favorite bands that fall into this category are "Low" and "Black Heart Procession". Although they are not Goth.

I think "Death" is just common subject matter, as well as "Life". tackled by artists, whether it film, literature, poetry, visual art or music.

I don't like the Goth "style". I find it ironic that people try so hard to by different and individual only to end up with hundred upon thousands of clones of themselves. The only two Goth people I knew hated who they "were" and re-invented themselves with this new persona. They did however have great taste in music and let me borrow several albums that influenced me.
[quote]Black goes with everything.[/quote]"I wear Black on the outside
'Cause Black is how I feel on the inside" - "Unloveable" lyrics by Morrissey [:)]

[KYYX4ever]

I love the sound of a lot of goth bands...ethereal, otherworldly, moody, intense, unique soundscapes. I favor older goth, although there are several newer goth bands that I am a fan of: Switchblade Sympathy, Cruxshadows, Bella Morte, Diary of Dreams, Fields of the Nephilim, Hungry Lucy, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, etc. Also, I heavily favor the more synthy, swirly goth over edgy, industrial goth. A lot of that stuff just plain hurts the ears.

But really, goth creates a certain mood, and I enjoy listening/dancing to it ( when applicable) when I'm in a thoughtful, pensive mood myself. I like the gloomy aural soundscape---but all in good measure. I can't listen to too much in one sitting. Because let's face it: it IS depressing and gloomy.[|)][|)]

[Ollie Stench]

I really like the original goth bands ie Bauhaus, Sisters Of Mercy, Specimen, Siouxsie, X-Mal Deutschland, Alien Sex Fiend, etc. Trying to explain why it appeals to me is impossible. Ask a redneck why they like Travis Tritt.

I agree with the fashion being a uniform, just like punk.

And I never understood why people would call The Cure a goth band. "Love Cats" invalidates any goth leanings they may have had!

[edisonoside]

Sometimes moody and depressing music is warrented. I like goth,I add it to my palette of music taste. To say that you hate goth? Do you hate the Cure,Siouxsi,Dead can dance? Speaking of dance,Goth is danceable Go to a goth club and seeIt looks like they're having fun to me! Better sad than angry.If the cure isn't goth Then why do so many goths go to their shows?

[design_femme]

I like the same goth bands as Ollie Stench. To me, it wasn't depressing but rather a refreshing change from the perky-perky bubblegumness of Top 40. I think because it's somewhat an off-shoot of punk, it appealed to me. I'm trying to think of a classic example of what so attractive about older "goth" music. You know how Siouxise sings "Christine" ? There was something about that key or melody or something that just *hit* me right. Or Bauhaus' "She's In Parties." Or the entire Faith album by The Cure.

Oh, yeah, I wore a lot of black and crap and hung out with others who did the same… only back then, there wasn't a clear definition of what goth was (goth, skate punks, skins, old school punks, even ravers all hung out with each other where I went to college… even the clothes weren't quite as defined as today). So when I say, "goth" I use the term loosely, and probably only applies to circa 89-92 maybe?

I LOVED goth clubs for a number of reasons… mainly, I could dance and not get some drunk jock rubbing himself against me and going "WOOOOOOO!" It was the ONLY club scene that would allow me dance alone, unharrassed. I saw so many interesting goth dancers too. Okay, some bad, but many were good.

[human clone]

I agree there are a lot of fantastic Goth bands - Bauhaus, Peter Murphy, The Cruxshadows, Alien Sex Fiend, Siouxsie, the Cure, Switchblade Sympathy etc. etc.

I know a number of Goth people and the depressed, moody, lonely label is just a stereotype. I find Goths to be highly artistic, stylish, smart, friendly people. I would hang out with them anytime. If you go to a Goth club you will see people in their 40's hanging out with people in their 20's, there is no ageism in the Goth scene.

Goth women are beautiful in my opinion.

[phillyidol]

I always liked goth. I hung out with the goths back around 88-90. Very close knit group and they let me in who is totally non goth looking. I foung the people to be real cool! Love the music too.Especially the ones ollie talked about.

[Ollie Stench]

One thing I never understood was the whole "Goth Poetry" scene:

To my dearest oppressor

The smell of blood
Rips open my eyes
I see the carnage
Of your lies

But I wish you
No pain
And wish you
No bane

For is that not
What you want
For me to
Increase your vanity
And for me to
Dilute my sanity

Yesterday we bowed down to kings,
today those kings bow down to us
---------------
My one, my fatal flaw
My own, my one and all
My heart, my scattered dust
My pupils stiffen and turn to rust
I must, try to live again
Find a resistance to your acid rain
I must find a solution
To your acidic pollution
Confusion burns
As you are born unto a place of sin
The world turns only to wait
For a new one to begin.

Don't ask why, I just am.
------------

Courtesy of, what else, Gothpoetry.com

[Bitter Almonds]

It goes hand in hand with some of the pomp and pretense of New Romanticism (and I mean this in a good way [:)] ). Come on, you can't honestly say that a Goth would be caught dead wearing some of the stuff Steve Strange wore when performing and pictured. Some of it looks right down... gothy!

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Nuwavghost/a_p003.jpg">

[C86ERIC]

Feel's so lonely & funereal,sometimes catchy then ethereal & dark,it seems it has something that it wants to tell us...sounds scary though...but with pleasure...

"Darkness Fell All Over Europe..."
excerpts from "Black Planet" by The Sisters Of Mercy

cheers!

[eight6]

I was into the "goth" thing for a time (2-3 yrs. approx.) clubs, dress etc. Obviously the music was fantastic: Sisters of Mercy, Soiuxsie, Skinny Puppy and a band out of England called Stiff Kittens, (no lp's just a couple of singles, have a listen to "Happy Now", my favorite Goth song).

I'm guessing that people who got into Goth were attracted to the strong statement it made as compared to the other more "acceptable" types of music of the period. It allowed you to be brooding, quiet, aloof and, well, just different.

However, as a group I found they can be just as pigheaded and exclusionary as any other.


eight6