Goths deserve a gloom of their own

Goths deserve a gloom of their own
Andrew Collins's examination of the moody teenage movement proved endearing despite the preoccupation with deathChris Campling
If there was one lesson we took away from Andrew Collins's The G Word last Saturday (Radio 2), it was that goth, as a movement, is defined more by dress than music. With the exception of the ever-inventive and entertaining Cure, much of the soundtrack to Collins's excellent documentary/homage consisted of blizzards of sound over which tuneless baritones (such as Siouxsie Sioux) intoned rather than sang lyrics concerned mainly with darkness and death. “There are very few happy goth bands,” said one contributor, wildly exaggerating the number.

Even so, while the goth sound might be largely tedious - besides the Cure, Collins had to call on Johnny Cash and Joy Division to establish some form of musical credibility - the lyrics are another thing. Steep a doomy teenager in the Romantic poets and a lot of it is going to come out in his or her writing. Thus a lot of goth lyrics read, even if only by squinting slightly, as poetry.

And, yes, there is humour there, even if much of it is inadvertent. There was a fine Spinal Tap moment concerning the minor goth act the Specimen. Two of them were rooting through a skip and came across that valuable kitchen accessory the Autochop, in quite good condition. Just then a window opened across the street and a man shouted: “Oi, show some respect, that's a dead man's Autochop.” Which gave the Specimen the title of their genre classic, Dead Man's Autochop.

Even so, why, more than 20 years after these strange creatures in black crawled from the primeval ooze, their otherwise deathly faces slashed with red lipstick, their spindly frames weighed down by chains, their feet weighed down by thick-soled boots that can do their posture no good at all, are there still so many of them around?

Collins didn't really consider that, possibly accepting that, like cockroaches, they deserve to survive because they have survived. But there's a dedication to the trappings of their existence that demands recognition and, yes, respect. Being a goth is hard work. Besides, I never met one who wasn't a decent soul, never happier (or less gloomy) than when helping old ladies across streets. That's British goths - in America they machinegun their classmates, having missed the point of the whole thing.
Which, coincidentally, is what much of the British pop press did in 1975, when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played their first European gig at the Hammersmith Odeon. It was a show brilliantly captured by Badly Drawn Boy in the series Wish You Were There (Radio 2, Mondays), in which modern pop stars who were either too young or unborn at the time talk to those who were there about what went on.

Having decided beforehand that the Boss was all hype and no substance, the critics sneered at the band's musicianship - this was, after all, the height of prog rock, when virtuosity was all. Ironically, within a year the same writers would be worshipping at the feet of that real triumph of hype over substance, punk.

Not totally thrilled with this article.I have to say that even though you hear about teenagers in black killing their classmates,it's not the norm,they aren't goths.Out of everything in this article that's what struck me as being the most offensive.

"much of the soundtrack to Collins's excellent documentary/homage consisted of blizzards of sound over which tuneless baritones (such as Siouxsie Sioux) intoned rather than sang lyrics"

OMMMM!!! Isn't there even something in the bible against saying something like that!!! "Tuneless!"

OMG!

Ravengrim: you're right. What a short-sighted article.

Putting aside clothes choices, music, and the assumption that Goth is a sort of "teen phase", it seems to me that the essence of Goth is to see both the light and dark aspects of life, and not fear or judge either one. But if it was put in those terms, then reporters would have to write about other "scary" topics to sell their articles.

It's so irritating to see this habit of human nature: finding a false sense of unity by ostracizing the group you don't understand (or choose not to understand).

^

I had to leave and didn't get to finish. Perhaps that comment in regards to Siouxie being tuneless wasn't ment to be taken as a put down. I however have found her to be very tuneful even since before the days she was considered goth. I don't consider Specimen to be a "mini" goth "act" either.

I feel offened for goths as a whole regardless what country they are in. Actually anyone that is different and treated as an outcast because they don't fit within what is the "norm". Some people are bullied and tortured to the point of killing, some are bullied and tortured to death. Every country bears it's own shame.

Specimen a minor act????? What a crock of shite.

As for Siouxsie being a baritone, well Mr D possesses a rather fine baritone and I've not once mistaken his warblings for Siouxsie.

Lets face it, they want to try to "understand" us but they never will so they make up their ideas of what we SHOULD be like
I hate the way they lump us together too, we're goths but we're all different too

I guess this guy failed to do his research. According to this article I read way back, there's nothing wrong with Goth teens. In fact, they're actually more likely than any other subculture to grow up to be very successful, especially in fields such as law, music, art, fashion and the medical field. I say Collins needs a new job, one that doesn't involve any kind of research because he sure didn't do any

especially in fields such as law

Yes, yes, yes!

Its the same story again and again. They have done this with the punks 80's ,hippies 70's ,Mods 60's Hoods 50's ect..ect.. they try to understand what they cannot perceive with their eyes. Nothing was wrong with those people they had a way of life that they enjoyed. All subcultures have different myths and truths that surround them. I would really love to see an article written by someone who actually spent some time walking in another person's shoes and his/her opinions of their life.

DO IT