Speaking and interpreting words: Gothic
It is a good habit for writers to look up the dictionary frequently. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the following two explanations: 1. A rock and roll style, which is intensely mixed with guitar and bass drums and has apocalyptic or mystical lyrics; 2. Performers or followers of this kind of music often wear black clothes and black makeup. However, just as a master won't go to a department store to buy an electric guitar, we can't completely trust a rock outsider like Oxford Dictionary.
about the origin of the word "gothic", it originated from an early European tribe called Sigott, which enjoyed destruction and plunder and was famous for its ignorance and lack of artistic taste. In the Middle Ages, an architectural style characterized by the spire cathedral became popular, and the so-called "Gothic" architecture. In Victorian England, horror novels written by a group of writers, such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelly and Bram Stoker, were also described as Gothic.
But it was used to describe music and culture in the late 197s and early 198s, when the punk movement ended and post-punk appeared. First of all, Ian Astbury used the word "gothic pixie" when describing the band Sex Gang Children. Later, Siouxsie Sioux (the core figure of Siouxsie and the Banshees) used "Gothic" when describing the new direction of her band; Later, the agent of Joy Division used the word "gothic" when comparing the band with mainstream pop bands on the BBC TV program in 1978.
Bauhaus's Bela Lugosi's Dead, published in 1979, was the first work to be labeled as "Goth", at least universally acknowledged.
Gothic music, as a successor of punk (death rock), has since developed into an underground culture from a set of aesthetics and ideas composed of visual art, literature, music and clothing, and countless underground communities have been derived from it. Although these communities have undergone great changes in all aspects, there are two things that all Gothic people have: the color and music of clothing.
Of course, the Gothic band list needs music first!
early gothic bands:
Bauhaus, Christian Death, Southern Death Cult, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Quasi-prototype Gothic Band:
The Fields of The Nephilim (slightly younger than the band above, but too old than the new band), The Mission(UK) (their early works are considered gothic by the media), Sex Gang Children；;
Soft Gothic Band:
Dead Dance, Xmal Deutschland, Danielle Dax；;
Metal/Industrial Gothic Band:
Creating Jesus (a band with metal tendency) and James Rays Gangwar (a band relying on samplers) (many Gothic people like listening to the Ministry, but the Ministry is not a real Gothic band);
Experimental/Folk/Occult Gothic Band:
Current 93, Death In June, Sol Invictus；;
New Gothic Band:
Nosferatu, Rosetta Stone, Shadow Project (a branch of Christian Death), Clan of Xymox (a band that relies on synthesizers and is very dance-like).
The rise and fall of Gothic culture
In the 198s, Gothic bands achieved a series of commercial successes. The band The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, All About Eve, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Fields of the Nephilim and Christian Death have all had songs on the list. They defined the "classic Gothic" sound as follows: crisp mandolin-style semi-acoustic guitar, steady single-note bass lines, simple but fast rhythm, strong synthesizer effect and dark singing. Although some "classic" Gothic bands have persisted to this day, and they can still be loved by the Gothic people today, they are no longer the protagonists of Gothic culture today.
In the 198s, Gothic clothing fashion developed from this musical style, with long black hair, pale skin, tight black clothes, pointed leather boots and a lot of silver ornaments (mostly religious designs in early Europe and Egypt). Black motorcycle leather jacket, black skinny jeans, black mesh stockings and black flying sunglasses have become registered trademarks of Gothic people.
In the 199s, Gothic music gradually fell out of favor in the media, but Gothic culture became stronger and stronger. The rapidly expanding nightclub industry made Gothic organizations form a huge network. The new simple and cheap desktop publishing system and home recording technology have helped to produce a large number of Gothic magazines and samples of different quality, which makes Gothic culture look full of vitality. The revival of Victorian horror movies in Hollywood is just at this time, and a series of blockbuster horror movies such as The Crow (Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, died mysteriously while filming this film), Edward Scissorhands, and Night Visit with Vampires have injected new excitement into Gothic culture. Gothic fashion has changed subtly. Curly hair, high ponytail and combat pants are a fashion, long straight hair, Victorian velvet and lace are also a fashion, and leather and plastic clothes have also become a fashion, but the difference is that this style has nothing in common with anything popular in North America. Only black skinny jeans are always popular in Gothic fashion.
In the 199s, some Gothic bands made charts or independent charts, including Garbage, Rosetta Stone, Sheep On Drugs, Nick Cave, Nosferatu and Curve. Their musical styles are not exactly the same as those of the previous generation Gothic bands, but they all have Gothic singing styles, dark musical themes and dark effects of synthesizers. Although most of them don't admit that they are Gothic, they seem to be uncompromising.
Although their influence is obviously inferior to that of gothic Band in the 198s, the meaning of Goth culture has been greatly deepened in the 199s. At this time, it no longer only means a musical style, but also a fashion, an attitude towards life and a social landscape-fashion is all black, attitude is all dark, and scenery is all vague.
At the same time, there are many Gothic people who haven't heard much Gothic music, but wear and think in Gothic way. They like to listen to industrial music, heavy metal, high-tech music and non-mainstream music. These Gothic favorite pop bands include The Prodigy, Front 242, Cubanate, Menswear, White Zombie, Pop Will Eat Itself, Front Line Assembly and Nine Inch Nails, etc.
Gothic as counterculture
1969: Hippies discovered the ugliness of the world, so they vowed to change it with love.
1979: Punks found that the world was still ugly, so they raised their middle fingers to show their contempt.
1981: The Goths saw through the world of mortals.
Identify a Gothic band
1. The music atmosphere of this band is grotesque and surreal.
2. The lyrics of this band contain Gothic themes (strange and mysterious, miserable and desolate).
3. The appearance of the band members is very gothic.
4. The band called itself Gothic Band, performed with other Gothic bands and appeared in Gothic Collection.
Four Gothic record labels
Cleopatra, Projekt, Tess and Anubis.
identify a goth
shy and unsociable.
artistic tendency.
always black or dark clothes.
conspicuous religious ornaments, but they change their beliefs almost every day.
never wear gold jewelry.
pale, even in summer.
reject all interesting social activities.
gothic taste?
anything with a strange and dark atmosphere is a bit gothic.
about music, there are hundreds of nouns like darkwave, goth techno, dark alternative, and ambient ethereal, all of which have gothic flavor.
Let's describe it in detail: dark lust, sadness of death, forbidden love, aesthetic feeling brought by complete pain, in short, the dark side of human spiritual world.
demonism of vampire culture? Cult?
Gothic is not religion, politics, and has nothing to do with race or gender. Most Gothic bands are non-religious or even actively anti-religious bands. The visual signals of vampires, Catholicism, ancient Egypt and paganism are only conveying "the power of darkness" to connect with the feeling of Gothic music.
Goths have the same social tendency as other social groups of the same age. You will find young conservative Goths, * * * productive Goths, fascist Goths and anarchic Goths, but this is really a small group of people. The biggest tendency among Goths in the 199s is actually their extreme indifference to politics, because almost all parties' views sound the same and are useless. This is Rosetta Stone's favorite theme.
The reason why Goth exists
Many people are dominated by a life without happiness and sense of accomplishment, which is unfortunate. But Goth makes this depressed feeling a way of life, in other words: pain is my life choice-this is an art.
Gothic may also be a kind of psychotherapy. If you talk to a white-collar worker who belongs to the mainstream society about your last attempted suicide, he may avoid you with a strange eye, and you may get cheap sympathy on sunny days. But in sharp contrast, your Gothic companions will never feel sorry for you, and the scar on your wrist will be seriously respected. "You are cool"! All people who feel out of place in society will find their place among the Goths, because everyone here is unique.
gothic fashion
anything black, or other dark colors, such as navy blue and crimson.
it can penetrate (thin nylon or fishnet fabric), but it is not exposed.
silver ornaments.
pale skin. This may be because they need the appearance of a living dead person, or because they want to embody the Victorian aesthetic that "pale skin is the symbol of nobility", or because they oppose the health theory that "the bronzed sun is beautiful" in beach culture.
black hair, bleached blonde hair, red hair or purple hair.
black and white makeup. White foundation, black lipstick, black eye shadow and fine eyebrows.
Self-restraint decoration and fetish clothing. Leather, PVC, rubber and latex are all essential fabrics. Girdling in the Middle Ages was also very common.
a wide tie or a collar with nails or a velvet rope tied tightly around the neck.
T-shaped cross (symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt).
the eye of the sun god. Sisters of Mercy's record "Vision Thing" made this sign widely circulated, and some people would tattoo it on their bodies.
five-pointed star. This is a pagan symbol about fire, land, air, water and soul.
the cross (the symbol of Christ).
Opera-style shawls, cloaks and long gloves.
chains and nails.
the body is perforated. Goths are generally not as extreme as punks, they will talk about some tastes. In Utah, USA, the tongue is the first choice, followed by the nose, and then the nipple.
Gothic hobby
Art, especially music, photography and painting.
humanities, especially literature, history and philosophy.
H. R. Giger's fantasy biological art "Alien" and Dali's surreal visual works.
clove cigarette, which is more durable, thicker and more harmful to human body.
Cats are favored by Gothic people because of their unique gloomy temperament.
candles and Christmas trees are Gothic lighting with full atmosphere.
goblins, freaks, spiders, cobwebs, graves, coffins and other things related to ghosts.
are you a goth?
do you often feel like a devil? Do you often wish that the daytime would never appear again? You always like black T-shirts?
maybe you are a goth, but you don't know it yourself.
you often indulge in the feeling of depression, and you get a strange pleasure in painful meditation? Then you really have gothic tendencies. However, if you like to get this feeling in a violent way, then you are not a Goth at all, it is just a mental illness.
your closet is full of black clothes? Then you may be a Goth.
do you think so?
First of all, start with the basics: hair, face, skin and clothes. Please refer to the six Gothic models and deal with them according to your own situation. Be careful not to wear Marilyn Manson's black T-shirt. It's shock rock, not Gothic rock.
after that, look and color. It is extremely necessary to look extremely desperate and miserable-how can you be indifferent to the world and society? Remember: you must restrain your joy! Never, never, never smile! There is nothing to be happy about! In Gothic people, smiling is equivalent to letting a cool guy like Robert De Niro play a Donald Duck.
Furthermore, you can consider piercing a hole in a certain part of your body and adding some metal ornaments.
of course, you know, Gothic is not only a fashion, but also a way of life. Whether it is food, clothing, housing and transportation, you must be in all aspects of life.