Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Goth Challenge #5, #6, & #7 - Music Matters

(Continuing the Goth Challenge questions -- follow the tag below to see all.)  I'm combining these because I don't think I have enough content in either one...

#5: Is there a local Goth band or group in your area?

Hah! There isn't even a goth club anymore. Downtown San Jose used to have a fun little goth night on Thursdays called Backlash in the mid-1990s, but it's long gone.

Not that I care much. I'm not really interested in going to clubs or seeing live music anymore. Not my thing -- I'm an old lady and far happier hanging out with friends at my house or theirs, where we can drink not-overpriced cocktails and actually hear each other talk.

#6: Handwrite your favourite lyric and take a picture.

Uh... sorry, I can't think of a fave lyric!

#7: Ten of your favourite goth bands.
  1. The Cure
  2. Sisters of Mercy
  3. Love and Rockets
  4. The Smiths
  5. Siouxie and the Banshees
  6. Bauhaus
  7. The Mission
  8. Dead Can Dance
That's as far as I get! In goth music, I don't like much made past 1990. And I didn't think it would be fare to start listing out special projects like The Sisterhood, Tones on Tail, or The Creatures, just to pad the list, not when I already have the main parts of the bands there (note: listing both Love and Rockets *and* Bauhaus is ok, imo, because their music is significantly different).

And no quibbles, please, about The Smiths -- the music is so freaking dark, at least lyrically, that it's goth in my book! Also, see Goth Challenge Day 1 to see how it was a influence on my BabyBat days.

3 comments:

  1. I can go along with you on that list. Seems to me the definition of what is true goth music is too restrictive, and then I think all of those bands have denied being goth at some point, that I've decided to scrap the whole thing and say there's no such thing as goth as a genre. LOL It's an aesthetic in music, just like in fashion, that depends heavily upon an individual's idea of darkness. I'd personally have Depeche Mode in my list, although I never see them called goth.

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  2. airstepper - Heh, I was just about to add Depeche Mode! It's true, very hard to decide what fits in the genre.

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  3. While some groups do fit a rather strict definition of "gothic" (and they tend to be the second and third generation bands), I prefer to think that there is music that "goths" happen to enjoy - a far broader range.

    Most of the groups listed never identified themselves as gothic, and thought of themselves as "punk", or "post-punk", or preferred no label at all.

    I think every goth has Duran Duran's "Rio" hidden in their closet.

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