Happy World Goth Day!

As you may or may not know, today is World Goth Day, and to celebrate this joyous occasion, I'm going to fill this blog post with enough goth to keep Slimelight busy for a year.

First up, though, on a semi-serious note, do go and download the Hope charity album. It includes tracks by Alien Sex Fiend, The Last Dance, Sex Gang Children, Eden House, Collide, the Mission, UK Decay, Faith and the Muse, and New Model Army, as well as specially recorded tracks by Autumn Cannibals and Uninvited Guest. It's only £8 and all money goes straight to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. Every track was donated to the cause for free, which just goes to show what a wonderful community we alternative folks have. You have to create an account to download it but it's worth the few minutes faff.

Right, got it? Good. Now, while that downloads, let's get onto the goth.

Where better to start than with my favourite band and the one that really kicked it all off, Bauhaus. (can you really beleive that this was 4 years ago?)

Ah Peter, who art in Istanbul
Hallowed be thy cheekbones...

And now a perfect performance from Siouxsie and the Banshees: Voodoo Dolly at Cologne in 1981. Probably my favourite of their tracks.


She's incredible, isn't she?

Next... the Sisters with Marian. Perfect goth track: girl's name, melancholic lyrics, Eldritch's voice trembling on the point of tears (when you can actually hear him).... beautiful.





Now something a little more modern, Cinema Strange with a glorious live version of Greensward Grey. Lucas' vocals are astonishing


I think we need some Batcave now. Here's Alien Sex Fiend with Ignore the Machine. To me, this sums up the Goth's relationship with the mainstream; it's not about rebelling against the "norm", it's a case of not giving it any importance. Besides that, the Fiends have a great sense of humour.

Talking of the Batcave...

I want to go to a vile dress-up tea party with the Specimen boys! (Incidentally, Johnny Slut babbling in the background is hilarious. "Yay! I like tea parties")

And a bit more vintage Batcave-y goodness

More silliness... and because every goth loves irony, Thoushaltnot with If I only were a Goth


Right... maybe we're getting a bit too camp here, let's have something serious and arty

That's more like it. I just love the guitar on this track, it practically glitters.

Anyway, onward! Here's Flowers by Emilie Simon, who isn't really very goth but it's such a Tim Burton-y video, and with her lovely delicate voice over that spooky tango, it's certainly gothic.


But of course, there's more to the goth subculture than the music... even though the music will always be at the core, so...

...here's one from the Culture Show about the Whitby Weekend. (Look out for Captain Sensible in a cyber wig!)


And lastly, for anyone who's skimmed through all this with a bemused expression, here's the lovely Lady of the Manners of Gothic Charm School explaining what goth is and what it isn't.

I'll stop before I get too carried away. Have a lovely day everyone!