Ye Olde Goth 101 Thread

Or rather....one I wrote a few years ago. I recently revised it since the jerk that originally helped me write it turned out to be a complete waste of skin and I was unable to look at it in years. Now please don't mistake this as a "this is what you have to do/like/think to be GAWTH!" manifesto. It was written by me when I was one fed-up Mod tired of the countless "what is Goth?", threads that used to crop up on the boards I was a part of long ago. I mod a different(quieter) board now, thank the Gods! Everyone who is or has been part of the Goth sub-culture has different takes on it(as a whole), but basically it started with certain bands and their fans. As far as *I'm* concerned it revolves around the music.

*NOTE~AS OF APRIL 20, 2010 SOME THINGS HAVE BEEN REVISED. THE REVISIONS WILL BE IN ITALIC*


Welcome fellow gothlings, to our Humble Abode.Our little Etheral Island

We are pleased to have you join our little community. If you've come here with questions about the sub-culture (Am I goth? What is Goth?) this thread is here to keep you from cluttering up our boards with myriad meaningless (to us) drivel.

For those of you already in the scene, you can add or suggest anything that seems relevent to you that I may be leaving out of this. The rest of you, keep it in your pants.

Now, I understand that your super-keen friends have probably told you that Korn and Slipknot are the gothest bands EVAR!!! And that shopping at Haute Topic is the thing only real goths do. Oh, how wrong they are.

But don't worry, my lovelies! Mistress Wolfie is here to set your pointed little feet on the right path!


A Bit Of History

To me, it is most important that anyone entering the scene have a proper education of the sub-culture before you start running around and calling yourself 'goth'. While it is hard to pin-point exactly when the scene first arrived, it is widely believed that it started sometime in the late 70's-early 80's. The general concensus of people who were there was that "Goth" first arrived as a softer, darker, calmer alternative to the raging underground punk scene that was sweeping the UK and the US. To quote Voltaire (the artist, not the philosopher):

While the punks were screaming "We are angry to live in this sad world!" the new wave of gothic bands were moaning "We are sad we live in this angry world."

It's very unclear as to who coined the use of the word "goth", but it's generally agreed that it came about in reference to the fans of Joy Division being described as a "...horde of goths..." by Joy Divisions producer in a magazine article circa 1978. Personally, I wasn't in the scene at the moment of conception, so I don't know if the scene came first or the music. That's a debate for the true Elders.

Gothic Music

Although it is important that you at least know the founding bands, please remember that you do not have to listen solely to gothic music in order to be gothic. Most gothic people like a plethora of music. Don't limit yourself, but certainly respect your roots.

~ Bauhaus ~ Probably wrote the very first gothic song adopted by us. 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' was written in 1979, the year I was born! If you don't know this song, you should grab a copy of it right now. Don't hesitate my darlings, I'll be here when you get back.

~ Ministry ~ More speed-metal than goth nowadays. Penned the anthem that we hold dear in our black little hearts: 'Every Day Is Hallowe'en'. Yes, we realize that the actual holiday is in October, ask us if we care...

(Wasn't Uncle Al cute when he was young, kiddies?)

~ The Sisters of Mercy ~ No, it's not a convent Cure-less Wonder, it's only one of the most awesome bands ever! Despite the fact that our love isn't returned by Mr. Eldritch, we love him all the more. Never has such a band had so great an impact on our community.

(Sure....you're not Goth, Andy...right... )



 ~ Siouxsie And The Banshees ~ There's no denying that Siouxsie Sioux is and was a goth! How many people have emulated her style over the years? You think our Egyptian-like eyes are an accident? From her over teased and crimped hair to her fabulous make-up to her olde school clothing and her haunting vocals, the woman is an Icon. She is also one of the very few female vocalists that I truly enjoy listening to.

(Note the cane. Canes are awesome accessories! ;) )

~ Joy Division ~ As of 2009, I am indeed, a true Joy Division fan. The lyrics are pretty spectacular and the music has loads of dark ambience. If you get the chance I'd suggest grabbing a copy of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and then get everything else.

~ Christian Death ~ If you don't love Rozz's tragically goth vocals, then you don't appreciate one of the very best Death Rock bands there ever was. You should, at the very least, own 'Only Theater of Pain'. One of the best albums in the genre. Worship Rozz or piss off! ;)

So there are a few to get you on the right track and whet your appetite for more. Now, throw out all of those Nu-Metal cd's you've acquired and start listening to some real music. Or you could stroll over to the music forum and have a peek over there.


Before you even ask, here is a list of bands that are not goth/ic. It is not a crime to listen to or even like these bands, but don't even think they're remotely goth.

~ Marilyn Manson ~ I don't care if his weiner is ten times the size of yours, he's still not goth. He's a hack that can't think of an original idea. He might have a couple of catchy tunes, but so do Fall Out Boy, and I hate them too.

~ AFI ~ If I have to explain this to you, I'm gonna need a really big rock.

~ My Chemical Romance ~ Yeah, it's so cool to pretend we're drug addicts! Let's make a band name that reflects that, not only are we sad and over-processed, our music is too.

~ Good Charlotte ~ Don't make me hurt you!

~ Korn ~ I don't have anything against these guys, but they're not goth. Listening to them will not up your goth-points in any way.

~ Slipknot ~ OMFG!!1! Teh rulez!!!1! NOT! Go find a real band to listen to. Something that won't leech your intelligence....what there is of it.

~ Evanescence ~ She's a posuer, get over it.


The are myriad good bands that you will encounter as you sink into the scene. Some you will like, some you won't. It's not a requirement that you like any or all bands. What is important is you know where the bands you do like are evolved from. You like Industrial? Then why not explore Throbbing Gristle and Skinny Puppy? Prefer Neo-Classical? Try L'ame Immortelle or Inkubus Sukkubus.



And Then There's the Fashion.

Ah, the fashion! Yes, most of us do have a tendency to cloak ourselves in mostly black. While this is certainly not a requirement, I'd shudder to think of someone in a pastel polo and khakis proclaiming themselves 'goth'.There are loads of different sects in fashion that you can choose from, so why limit yourself to just one, eh? Dressing up has never been more fun!

The gothic look ranges through several catagories, each with a unique style of dress. These catagories include, but are certainly not limited to, Romantic, Cyber, Vampire, Rivet-Heads, Corporate Goth(something I have to wear when I work in the pharmacy), Perky, Deathrock, and Trad Goth. Here's a quick rundown on the general look of each catagory.



-Romantic: For men, they usually wear tight pants, billowy shirts and waist coats. Top hats, gloves, and canes are all normal accesories. For the women, they wear long skirts, sometimes done up with a bustle, and often times corsets on top. The usual accessories are jewelry, a parasol, and/or a lace fan. I have decided not to make a distinction between the various romantic styles:medieval, victorian and anything in between. If it has a long flowing skirt it's 'romantic'. Bite me. :P

-Cyber: Also known as Gravers (gothic ravers), they are usually a pretty colorful bunch. Hair is usually synthetic hair extensions in a multitude of colors. A lot of the time, they wont wear a lot of black. Mostly futuristic day glo and neon clothing with matching accesories.

-Vampire:Very similar to the Victorian goth, but with a more sinister flair. These are the people that paint their faces white, sometimes play at cutting themselves, and will usually wear sunglasses all the time or own a pair of fangs that they actually use on a regular basis. They can say "I'm 500 years old." with dead seriousness. Now be careful here. Most people in this genre KNOW they are not immortal. Don't be so naive as to ask them "Do you really think you're a vampire?!" It will only get you flamed.

-Rivet-Heads(Industrial): Huge fans of Industrial music, their fashion sense is an homage to the working masses. Big steel toed boots for kicking the crap out of The Man, flight jackets covered with military insignia to portray the militaristic nature of the world, mohawks for aerodynamics, metal things clanking and clanging in time to the music and clothes you can kick someones ass in. These guys are tough. Watch out if you anger one. They wear enough metal to do some serious damage. Pictured below are industrial bands KMFDM and Rammstein. *I had a hard time finding decent pix of Rivetheads online, but be assured that they are some scary lookin' people stomping around a dance floor!*

-Corporate Goth: These people have learned that life is not all fishnets and dyed hair in the real world. They are gothic people forced to work a normal job. Usual style is conservative with a gothic flair. Black is the main color worn, but they also lean towards dark jewel tones (emerald, sapphire, etc). Makeup is dark, but still very professional. If hair is dyed, it's usually black or some shade of dark red. These people are usually really hardcore goths. They wont even give up goth for growing up.

-Perky(Candy Goths):Pink and black everything. Perky goths are into cute faries, glitter, Sanrio, basically anything that a normal goth may find a bit offsetting. Clothing is elaborate and fluffy most times, bordering on club goth. Rather than melencholy, they are usually bouncing off the walls with energy and happiness.(Adora Batbrat, the girl in the first two photos, is really the epitome of what we normally invision when we think of perky Goth girls. Don't believe me? Look her up on youtube!)

-Deathrock:Torn fishnets and stockings, bone jewelry, mussy hair, a raging attitude and normally looking like they crawled out of the grave. These are the closest to punks the goth genre gets to. Totally teased up Deathhawks in colors other than black aren't rare to see, here. They take the fashion cues from bands like Christian Death, 45 Gave, Kommuntiy FK and Voodoo Church.

-Trad Goth: Traditional Goth, these are the fashions of the Batcave Era. Taking cues from such acts as Alien Sex Fiend, Bauhaus, Specimen, Sex Gang Children and Siouxsie and the Banshees people dressed in torn black fishnet with crimped and teased tresses, pointy boots, white faces and copious amounts of eyeliner!


(Oh yes, I sooooo went there! Even though my hair deflated to half its size...)

-Uber-Goth(Grufti in German): I only thought I was teh Ubers before I saw pictures of these people! Apparently, most of the Goths in Germany are truly hardcore and not the pathetic little mallrat, psuedo-goths that we encounter in America. White face and black eyeliner? Fuck yes! This is whiteface done right, people! The German Goths take their fashion cues from such bands as Sopor Aeternus, Das Ich, Lacrimosa and a lot of the other bands that we listen to in the states. HARDCORE!!! These are the people I want to be when I grow up! ^_^

Lastly, we have mall-core 'goths'. These normally look like their whole wardrobe is bought at Haute Topic with not a stitch of true individuality among them. Observe:

Normal people in costumes.


We all treasure our individuality. It should come naturally that many of us DIY(that's do-it-yourself for those of you that don't already know...) our own outfits and accessories. It's hard to find anything that is good quality, true gothic attire. Most outfits are crafted together from what can be found at department and thrift stores, torn up and then thrown back together in our own way.

One of the reasons I detest places like Haute Topic is because it sells 'individulity'. Right, like you can purchase your personality from a clothes rack. Personally, I enjoy the trials and tribulations of making my own things. I encourage people everywhere I go to do the same. DIY seems to have been swept by the wayside. It's time to dust the ole girl off and breathe some new life into her! It is an important aspect of our sub-culture, an aspect I enjoy very much. If you can make your own stuff you won't have to worry about looking like the rest of the crowd at the club, at least. I'd rather give people the tools to make their own things than sell them an article of mine.

What you wear when you're at home doesn't really matter. You can even belt out the Sisters in your pink p.j.s (like me). Just don't do it where others can see you and hold you accountable. ;)

Black Eyeliner and White Face Paint

When you stay in, you are still required to wear your eyeliner! Well, not really. But it is important that you have a handle on the most basic gothic makeup techniques and fashions before you go drawing all over your face with eyeliner.



You do not have to paint your face white to be Goth. The reason that most people laugh if someone does this is because it is normally done by Baby Bats who make the mistake of using greasy Hallowe'en paint. It does take practice to get right, but the extra effort is very much worthwhile if you have patience! Most people who do whiteface swear by Manic Panic's products. If you are going for it *blendblendblend*, my little Gothlings! If you ARE going to resemble a ghost you might as well be flawless.

I normally buy foundation in the palest shade I can find and top it with pale powder. As you can see from my avatar it looks almost ghostly.

~DO REMEMBER to wash and moisturize your face before applying your foundation! Dirty, oily skin will make your makeup come out blotchy and make you look like an amature! And do not over-moisturize, my dahlinks, as that is just as bad.


Any good Goth knows how to properly wield liquid eyeliner. Typically, I line my upper and lower lids in a thick ring with a tapering tail and line the inside of my lower lid with pencil(liquid if my eyes aren't terribly irritated). Properly applying eyeliner is something that comes with time and practice. If you want to try swirls you will need a potted eyeliner(I use MAC Fluidline) and a teensy little brush, go mad, practice, just don't go out in public with half your face covered or I will laugh so loud at you that you will hear it no matter where in the world you are! >:) Few people can actually pull off the 'swirly all over my face' look and look great.


Lippie is something that I definitely suggest that everyone at least attempt to wear whether or not your eyes are fully made up! I've recently really begun hating the 'done eyes with nude lips' look that is influenced heavily by mainstream 'fashionistas'. Fuck the Norm, we do what the hell we want!


I've recently begun wearing black lippie on a regular basis, so here's a tip: Line your entire lipline and fill it in with a black eyeliner that you won't ever be using on your eyes again. Fill everything in with the eyeliner pencil. Apply your lippie. *optional* Take an eyeshadow sponge and dab black eyeshadow over your black lippie(don't do this unless you want completely matte lips!). Do be careful, loves, as the eyeshadow can, and will, get on your perfect foundation if you're not vigilant! I line all of my dark lippie(black, purple & dark reds/burgandys) with black eyeliner these days.

For red lipstick, it's best to get darker, more blue based colors. A blue based lipstick is something that is a true red. It may take a while to learn the difference between blue and orange based lipsticks. If you're not sure, ask yourself "Does it make my teeth look whiter?" Blue toned lipstick has this effect on teeth. That's why all those toothpaste models have it on.

For men, makeup is perfectly fine. I would suggest some eyeliner and mascara for a simple look. You can add lipstick as well, but be warned. If you have facial hair, it's going to look like crap. You've got to pick one or the other. The beastly facial hair, or the beautiful makeup. We do encourage men to wear just as much makeup as women here! If you have a small amount of facial hair (like Myke Hideous or Patrick Mata) it is acceptable to wear make up so long as it's not a full beard. Unless you're going for the full Black Metal look.
Your face is your canvas. It's up to you whether you want to have a Monet, a Picasso, or a Da Vinci on your mug. Speaking of artists.....


On Literature and Art

Yes, we love our literature and art! Some of us are even writers. Fancy that! And not the kind that write poetry by candle light about how much our parents suck for not buying us cigarettes. Many of us are parents ourselves, and no we won't buy your cigarettes. You'll have to pay the homeless guy outside the quickie mart to do it for you like we did when we were kids. I mean....uh...

Let's talk about literature kids! Some of us enjoy our books and devour anything new that comes our way. Just a few of the authors you will catch us reading:

1.Thomas Stone
2.Shakespeare(Yes, he's number 2)
3.Edgar Allen Poe (duh)
4.H.P. Lovecraft (If you like monotony...)
5.Lord Byron
6.Shelley
7.Emily Dickinson (Not me, I swear)
8.Oscar Wilde
9. Emily Bronte
10. Chaucer
11. William Blake
12. W.B. Yeats
13. John Keats
14. Wordsworth
15. Baudelaire
16. Rimbaud ( I took out Hemingway because I didn't add him to begin with and I greatly dislike misogynists, to say the least. It's my thread, now, bitches! I mean...I love you all! :D )

Not a complete list by any means, but you get the idea. We like our writers drunk and depressed. Or just crazy.

We also love to surround ourselves with dark imagery from talented artists. A few of my personal faves are:

1. Leonardo Da Vinci (He's Da man)
2. Waterhouse (If you've never seen his dark and romantic paintings, you should look him up right now!)
3. Brom (Bondage at some of it's most beautiful)
4. Luis Royo (Just look him up, trust me)
5. Monet
6.H.R. Giger
7.Zdzislaw Beksinki

(I have recently lost all of my links or I would add a few more artists here)

We don't shy away from images of death. It's just another part of life that we will all experience one day. It is also a representation of change. And who's scared of a little change, right? After all, death is spooky and cool.

Ad Infinitum

Before you are finished, my darklings, I want you to know that goth is most of all about who you are, not what you wear or what you buy (athough we reserve the right to laugh at you for shopping at Haute Topic). Anyone can put on a costume, but if it doesn't reflect who you are you will look like a fool. The only person you should dress to please is yourself. If that new skirt or pair of boots truly makes you happy, then go for it! If you're trying to be something that you're not so that your friends will like you more, get some new friends.

Be yourself and be comfortable in your skins. People will always respect that.

Another Note: I do not mention 'GothLoli', Visual Kai, Jpop/JRock because none of that wank is in the least bit 'Goth'. Not one smidge.