Analyzing the Gothic Subculture

This appears to be precisely what began happening after band leader Siouxsie Sioux loosely used the word "Gothic" to describe The Banshees' sound during an interview with the press way back in the 1970s. Subsequently the word was increasingly used by the U.K. music press to describe a growing number of bands originating from the Punk era but possessing a deeper and more experimental sound than their predecessors. The offshoot of these "Gothic" bands was a subculture which escalated in popularity at a phenomenal rate, especially amongst the youth.

It is doubtful that Siouxsie planned the use of the word or recognized just how much influence its use would end up having. In history, "Gothic" had been used as a description when referring to architecture, literature and a barbarous Germanic culture, but never a style of music or a subculture. The description worked though, with its mystical connotations fitting in well with the musical style of many artists, and the dress sense and attitudes of their followers.

The Early Gothic Bands

The advent of the Punk era in the early 70s had created a mood of rebellion and anarchy amongst the youth, which the early Gothic bands, whilst not totally eliminating, refined and toned down, bringing about a musical style and subculture saturated in the macabre; with eerie beats and rhythms incorporating then-obscure instrumentation, lyrical references to mystical creatures like vampires and dark music videos including scenes depicting the artists outside castles and alongside graves.

When the British band Bauhaus released Bela Legosi's Dead in 1979, the term and subculture gained momentum, with bands like The Damned and the afore-mentioned Siouxsie & The Banshees, along with Bauhaus themselves, becoming synonymous with a new musical genre increasing rapidly in popularity. In their wake came a number of other bands including the Sisters Of Mercy, the Southern Death Cult, the Fields Of The Nephilim and Joy Division.

Interestingly, many of these bands had unique sounds and, from a purely musical perspective, differed greatly both in style and lyrical content. Therein lies the apparent beauty of the Gothic subculture - far from being stereotyped and one-dimensional, it encompasses and encourages an experimentation in both image and belief; a sense of exploring and ultimately finding one's identity through a common language ... the language of music.

The Subculture Itself

Throughout the years, members of the Gothic subculture have been described as Satanists and drug addicts, but seldom have those describing them investigated deeper than the face-value image portrayed. If they had, they might have been surprised. Certainly there are the abusers within the culture, as there are in any other, but a deeper analysis would generally find a depth, a sense of self-discovery and a distinct 'live-and-let-live" attitude among many young Goths. A large number of young people embrace the "attitude" that is Gothic as they have increasingly felt alienated from society and find that within the subculture they have gained a sense of commonality and belonging among their peers.

In summary, the word used in context by Siouxsie Sioux all those years ago has made a difference to many. Inclusion in the subculture subsequently created has been of benefit to young people all over the world; a support base where they believed that none had previously existed and something to believe in where nothing before had mattered.

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