My 2009 Whitby Gothic Experience

Perhaps I am not the best person to comment on the Whitby Gothic Weekends.  I have attended the October occasions (there are ones in April too) now for two years running, but in both cases I have been working on a stall so have spent my days busily selling people stuff and the evenings falling asleep very early, so missing out on the broader experience, in particular the bands and cabaret.  However, being in one of the prime trading venues of the weekends, I do get to see a large portion of the people attending.  I also pop out to get fish & chips and so do get the chance to see something you are unlikely to see anywhere else, which is a town which (even if for three days) appears to have a population which in the main is Goth.  Of course, that is just the Goth visitors (and there are others notably caravan enthusiasts but they are often indistinguishable from the resident population) laid on top of the people who live there the rest of the year.  This fantasy is made more realistic by the age range of Goths at Whitby, you can see every age from Goth babies to Goth elderly people.  I think for a Goth you never feel anywhere as at home as in Whitby over these few days.

I was told by locals that more people attended than ever before.  I have no way to judge the accuracy of that, but it was certainly well attended.  Sunny weather on the Friday and Saturday meant it was easier to promenade in your full glory.  Sunday morning had very heavy rain and winds remained strong in the afternoon even when the sun came out.  However, the reasonable weather (in contrast to the hail that lashed me as I unloaded last year) helped bring things alive, though I have to sympathise with the leatherwear trader who has a tent outside the leisure centre which blew away.

Looking around Whitby you would have the feeling that Gothic culture is alive and well.  Though there are always people you have seen before, it is very heartening that there always seem to be people for who are coming to the event for the first time.  In addition, it is good to see in this age when chav culture seems so dominant among young people that there are Goth teenagers, there is another generation following on behind us, we are not the last.

Goths tend to be well off and they save up for the Whitby Gothic Weekend and this may counteract any damage that the recession is doing to the sale of Goth items.  Sales seemed no less vigorous than last year (on the stall I worked on, in fact much better).  The range of items always seems to expand and this year I saw Gothic style collars for cats and dogs as a new area.  Clothing is obviously an important part of the business as is jewellery but it is good to see Gothic artwork around too in terms of pictures and sculptures.  The number of Goth bands releasing both CDs and DVDs seemed undiminished.  Though I did not get to it, I noted that there was a Goth wedding fair on.  I know that Goth styling is leaking into muggle wedding styling too, so it is nice to see that we can make a proper claim from where it came from, because, of course, Goths are romantic and Romantic and a lot of muggle couples could learn from the intimacy, the passion and the caring that you see in many Goth relationships.

One of the highlights of attending the Whitby Goth Weekend is to see the outfits that people are wearing and the range was certainly impressive once again.  Clearly black is the dominant colour, but this year dark green, especially on some Victorian dresses and some jewellery was making an appearance.   After a brief appearance in mainstream fashion a couple of years back, it was probably not surprising to see numerous fascinators on show, not least, as one woman told me, they stay in place in better in high winds than standard hats.  I also noted that there was more 18th century garb alongside the more usual 19th century outfits, many of which, especially on the women, were stunning.  Talking with wearers, it is clear that many make their own outfits and it is good to see that the Gothic culture is keeping alive such skills.  I doubt you will attend many events where people are working with sewing machines on their stalls, these days.  Of course, the spectrum is wide, and at one end you have the futuristic techno outfits and there did seem to be more gas masks apparent than before, giving a truly alien appearance to the wearers.  At the other end is the 18th century stylings.  Whilst tricorns are far from rivalling top hats, they did seem more numerous than last year with long coats, waistcoats and breecher to match; as a adjunct there were quite a few Jack Sparrow-styled men.  This may be an area for expansion for Gothic culture in the coming years.  Steampunk has been growing in significance among Gothic culture.  In the USA it is large enough to be having its own events, but in the UK it comes in alongside the 18th centuryers.  The distinction tends to be that the leather is brown rather than black and with ubiquitous brass goggles.  Paired couples in complementing steampunk outfits were quite numerous; stunning were various steampunk 'angels' wearing folding metal wings, some stretching a metre above their heads.  Not easy to manoeuvre in a busy trading area but impressive all the same; apparently they were made by people local to North Yorkshire.

There were some other notable outfits worn by men.  In particular, an excellent Blade, the only black person I saw attending the event.  The swirls cut into his hair combined with the shades and especially the armoured waistcoat really brought it to life.  Of course, these days in the UK even replica guns and swords are out.  I saw a larger than life Beetlejuice, for those of you too young, check out 'Beetlejuice' (1988) of course directed by Tim Burton and starrring Michael Keaton as the eponymous annoying, jester-like ghost, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and a young Winona Ryder.  Apparently for some reason the costume is back in fashion for mainstream dressing up but a Goth produced a great home produced version.  Rather leftfield, but impressive still was the Malchik or Droog from 'A Clockwork Orange' (novel 1962; movie 1971 which provides the costume details) in a kind of longjohns and bowler hat.  I have clearly been missing trends in costumes as again there seems to have been an explosion in such attire, even Drac-in-a-Box sells the bowlers now.  I guess people are raiding every corner of culture over the past 300 years for new outfits.  I suppose men find it harder than women to find something distinctive.  Anyway, I admired the man who had gone to so much effort at Whitby, down to the single false eyelash, included in the original movie due to a 'wardrobe malfunction' when the other one fell off.

Of course, traders come and go, but it was good to see the bulk of the long-standing ones there.  It was a shame that there was no charity stand as there was last year, but running a stall needs a lot of commitment and energy.  I would liked to have seen some literary input.  I know there was a poet trading in the Rifle Club last year, but it would be good if there was an event bringing together Gothic authors and poets.  There might have been one, but I was oblivious to it.  A session of readings and Gothic writers and poets talking about their work would be excellent, though I have heard that the bookshop in town gets rather pestered with such writers wanting book launches there, perhaps another venue could be found.  Crime and romance writers seem to be welcomed in every town, I feel an outlet for the numerous Gothic writers out there would be a real plus.

I heard criticisms that the cabaret had too much burlesque and not enough variety in performers.  Not having seen it myself (by then I was asleep) I cannot comment directly, but imagine it is difficult to find Gothic style performers.  It would be good if the Circus of Horrors or even some of their performers could come to Whitby during the weekend to perfom, but I guess they make enough money playing larger towns and mainstream venues.  Perhaps a Gothic talent show could be instituted.

There was discussion of a new Gothic event in York in July, DV8.  I suppose it depends on the weather, because whilst the winds will be lower, the heat is liable to be higher, rather sticky for Goth outfits.  Saying that, York is a lot easier to reach than Whitby.  You can get from London to York in under 2 hours on the train but the remaining sixty-four kilometres to Whitby can take another hour or more; even driving up from Scarborough, the next nearest town to Whitby, twenty-five kilometres away, can be rather tortuous.  The centre of York has suitably historic streets and the town has numerous hotels, just like Whitby.  The key problem is, in July York has numerous mainstream tourists and the Gothic hordes will be competing with them for hotel rooms and street space.  However, there are insufficient Gothic events in Britain and any addition is all for the good.

I know there has been tension among the different organisers of the Whitby event, but I guess that is inevitable when something has been running since 1994.  I was glad to find that the rumours that a Christian group equating Gothic culture with unChristian viewpoints had tried to book out the venues usually used by the event, such as the Metropole Hotel, were actually unfounded and the non-use of some venues simply came from disagreements with individuals.  However, after what was a very successful year, it seems that the weekend will continue to prosper.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and recommend it to all Goths, book now for 2010.  Hopefully one time I will be able to indulge in more of the events and not simply see all the excitement from behind a stall.

My Whitby Gothic Experience

I am sure on blogs all across the UK this week you will see people recounting their experiences of the October 2008 Whitby Gothic Weekend (WGW) and I was a little hesitant at including mine. This was partly that my experiences were quite limited and I lack the photographic evidence that I am sure other bloggers can use to illustrate their blog postings. However, I reminded myself that this is my blog, for me to cast thoughts, ideas, frustrations, even the occasional happiness into the ether, so felt I should capture my angle on the experience.

As you will know the WGW has been running since 1995 and is a twice per year event held in April and October with Goths gathering at Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast. Despite being on the East coast of England, due to the way the coastline runs, the town actually faces northwards into the North Sea. The next landmass if you head straight out from Whitby is the Arctic. For this reason Whitby's main industry was whaling and some fishing. People also made artefacts from jet, a glossy black stone. Whitby is very isolated. It is at the mouth of the River Esk, but inland from it are the North Yorkshire Moors (a National Park which means its natural habitat is preserved) which are very like moors anywhere being bleak and exposed to the elements and not highly populated. The nearest towns to Whitby are on the coast with Middlesbrough to the North and Scarborough to the South, about 16 miles away. Surprisingly Whitby and Scarborough do have a tourist trade for hardy tourists. They have unspoilt beaches and wonderful inland scenery plus a historic setting. Whitby does have modern shops and in the suburbs houses from the past twenty years but its core is Victorian and even older. Around this are 1930s-50s suburbs. Overlooking the town are the ruins of a medieval abbey and there are numerous alleyways. The town is very steep, rising up from a harbour in the estuary to the clifftops very quickly. You need to be fit to walk around Whitby. Despite my efforts to attend the WGW in previous recent years, I have not actually got to the town since 1979 when I visited as a child and a great deal is the same as it was back then. You can get excellent fish and chips and you can buy fudge. There are more boat rides available, you can sea fish and walk around the 'Grand Turk', a moored 19th century sailing ship.

I had always intended to go to WGW for many years, but it is about 270 miles from London. You can reach it by train, but of course train fares are incredibly expensive. The other issue is accommodation. It is not a large town though it does have numerous bed and breakfast places and hotels, but for the WGW weekends these are often constantly booked and you need to secure a place at least 12 months in advance if not longer. Some brave souls come in caravans, there was actually a rally of the Caravanning Club there at the same time, but you need to be tough for that. There was heavy hail on the first day we arrived this year and very strong winds, well, not that unexpected for a town in the situation it is. In 2007 the woman in my house tried to book accommodation but found that those with rooms still available were unwilling to have Goths staying. The bulk of the town realises how much money Goths bring to the town and are very welcoming, though there are odd pockets of unease. The fascinating thing, which if you are a Goth who has not been, is that if you walk the streets, especially down Skinner Street and Flowergate with the main Goth pubs and shops, or down around the harbour is that you feel part of the norm, it is the others, the 'muggles', the 'mundanes', i.e. the non-Goths who seem to stick out in their pale blue jeans or grey anoraks. It is an incredibly liberating experience if you are used to being scowled at as you make your way around your local shopping centre.

Anyway, this year we were fortunate that a new Goth-friendly guesthouse had been established and so we were able to book the last spaces there before they were locked in for the next decade. The key caveat that I will put in now is that I went to Whitby as a Goth, but not for entertainment; I went as the driver and shop assistant to a trader. Consequently, driving over 300 miles (480 Km), partly staffing a stall for eight-and-a-half hours per day for three days, bringing food, loading and unloading, left me exhausted and just in the mood for an early night rather than indulging in the Gothic nightlife of Whitby. The woman from my house did attend the Sophie Lancaster memorial event, but otherwise we missed out on all the goings on. However, to a great extent, just walking around seeing Goths everywhere, chatting with them, that in itself is fun.

I did hear that the events were very good. There was comedy and bands and burlesque performances, and health and safety issues of a man balancing a lawnmower on his chin and having lettuce thrown at it, let alone the bullet catcher. The pubs like 'The Resolution', 'Little Angel' and 'Elsinore' which are the key Goth haunts were so busy people were queuing to get in. Despite the weather which was hail on Friday, dry and dull Saturday, windy and rainy Sunday, the numbers attending apparently reached record levels. The number of stalls also increased over previous years with the Rifle Club and Royal Hotel as well as the Leisure Centre, the Spa Centre (which is a music and event complex below the clifftop) and Metropole Hotel.

I obviously saw a lot of the trading and went on a bit of business intelligence to check out rivals to the stall run by the woman from my house. Even Camden Market does not come close to the range of items on sale. You can buy things from a pound to hundreds of pounds and kit yourself out in a full suit of leather armour, a huge range of jewellery and masks, any kind of boot you might want, a full Victorian ladies' outfit with full bustle and fascinator hat or alternatively the perfect medieval maiden or a lady of Jane Austen time or earlier, with the fine tricorn hat or in a steampunk leather coat with brass goggles and a full steampunk cyber arm or a techno-Goth outfit all flourescent and furry. You could also equip your child or your baby in similar equipment and outfits, the diversity was incredible. The quantity made it feel like it was the 'norm' which again added to that sense of feeling free.

Just sitting and watching the incredible range of outfits that people were wearing was wonderful. I felt as if I had gone to one of those cities that feature in Michael Moorcock novels, that connect between different times and was looking at people drawn from over a period of close to two millenia, something like 800-2500 CE, with particular emphasis on 1780-1860 and 2100-2200. There was also a lot of black clothing and women in long skirts and men in long leather coats, the usual Goth uniform. In fact there were quite a few people in uniform with late 19th/early 20th century British and mid-20th century German uniforms being favoured. When you are in a dark street on the East side of the bridge and an SS officer steps out from a restaurant you can feel you have slipped into a counter-factual.

The range of ages of people attending was very wide. I had read about coach parties of elderly people coming over from Leeds and the number of people over the age of 60 was large. Many had dressed in full Victorian garb of suits and top hats and waistcoats (and loads of canes) or full bustled dresses, fascinators and veils, and I am sure many of the men and women resembled their ancestors from Leeds of 150 years ago. To a great extent it shows that people love dressing up and that Gothic culture is a broad grouping in which a lot of different people can have fun. There were also a higher than average percentage of people with disabilities, and I imagine this stems from the fact that as a Goth you often get stared at, something people with a disability often face anyway. The organisers need to bear in mind the need for wheelchair access, this also goes for pushchair access too as there were numerous toddlers there too. I could see it was fine in the Leisure Centre but far more challenging in the Spa and the Rifle Club.

Coming back home, you really feel a buzz. I can see why people go back year after year. You feel recharged in your Gothness, you feel that you are part of an exciting culture that is vibrant, tolerant and fascinating. You also feel that even if you live on an estate full of chavs that there are people out there who are like you. The atmosphere is great, it is so easy to find people to chat to. You get ideas for things to do and how to dress and are exposed to items that you would not otherwise see. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and encourage anyone who is hesitant about going, to go and try it out, even if just once. It may be challenging to get there and stay there, but you will not regret it. I am already thinking about what I will wear next year, looking forward to meeting up with the people I met this year and again get a thorough three days of Gothness.

Goths and Discrimination - Leading to Death 2

This posting is really simply to record that five boys were sentenced today for the murder of Goth woman Sophie Lancaster in Bacup, Lancashire on 11th August 2007. Brendan Harris aged 15 and Ryan Herbert, 16 both received life sentences and Harris must serve a minimum of 18 years and Herbert 16 years, the judge said. Three others were sentenced for greivous bodily harm: Joseph Hulme aged 17 received five years and ten months, Danny Hulme aged 16 received five years and ten months and Daniel Mallett aged 17 received four years and four months.

Robert Maltby, Sophie's boyfriend, the intial focus of the attack, and put into a coma for it is now terrified to leave the house. Adam Lancaster, Sophie's brother thanked people for their support. Sylvia Lancaster, Sophie's mother said justice could not be done because any sentence could not bring her daughter back.

The judge noted how the attack had been mindless and had stemmed from almost a kind of entertainment for the five boys. The only ray of hope is that these boys were caught and will serve long sentences and hopefully the message of the consequences of such violence will penetrate the thick skulls of other boys tempted to behave in the same way. However much these boys might have thought they were tough men, they never understood that forever they will remain boys, because a man keeps control of his emotions and does not use his strength to cause harm, especially in the name of entertainment.

You can find pictures of the five boys online and it is clear that they are chavs. Much has been made of the Chav-Goth conflict, but in general it has always been more talked about and imagined than carried out. It is about definitions of young people, the thuggish, brainless youth despising those with a little more brains and a lot more culture. It is about choosing between going with the crowd, increasingly into drugs, underage sex, binge drinking and violence from both sexes or choosing a more distinctive path in order to make your statement about who you are. The bulk of UK society no matter what age they are pick the Chav option and as a consequence British society is sick. It helps foster the evil in boys like Brendan Harris and Ryan Herbert and let us say their names but only associated with what they are: utter scum.

The killing of Sophie Lancaster has to be seen in the context of numerous violent deaths of young people in the UK, some of the most notable being the murders of Stephen Lawrence, Damilola Taylor, Rhys Jones but these are just a few of the most prominent. The internet and local newspapers are filled weekly with stabbings and kickings to death predominantly of young people. In one town I was staying in recently two young men were kicked to death in the same street on the same evening in separate incidents and this was a southern English resort town, not inner-city Manchester or London. In the UK you can now be killed for being keen on football, going to a library, being the 'wrong' colour, being gay, in the wrong place at the wrong time, glancing at someone, or dressing in black clothing and dark make-up and walking home with your boyfriend. These 'offences' are sufficient in the UK to warrant your death at the hands of multiple killers.

Yet these killers will lose, they will not stamp out the spirit of youth and the courage of people to live the life they want. Think of Sophie Lancaster and what she could have been and what she could have enjoyed. Use that sense to dismiss the moronic thugs who are trying to crush who so many people in the UK are. When you emerge from your homes visibly a Goth, feel her spirit with you and walk proud.

Flames in Gothdom's Mecca

Probably like Goths all over the UK this morning I have been looking apprehensively at the awkward BBC shots of the fire at Camden Market, trying to work out the extent of the damage and what remains. In recent reports on prejudice against Goths it is often stated that the kind of proof that they were a Goth was that they had visited the Whitby Goth Weekend. However, in almost all cases you will find that Goths had made an earlier pilgrimage to Camden. In the Muslim religion one of the five pillars of Islam is that you should make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your life, and I feel that a similar rite of passage exists in the Gothic world. To some extent, like the Islamic world, the Gothic one is less about geographical boundaries and more about shared attitudes. It does connect with the physical world in locations and Camden is one of them.

Camden Market of course has never been the preserve of just Goths. Many ravers, fetishists, interior designers could all legitimately claim it as its own. Millions of tourists to London have been there and usually heavily outnumber the people from the sub-cultures who visit. Camden, like any London district, is also trendy with its restaurants and wine bars as much as almost any borough in London. Even the Open University has its London headquarters there. However, it is the coming together of retail outlets which provide Gothic clothing and the venues that host performers that Goths like (amongst many others of course) that has made it a focus. Camden is often where someone actually becomes a Goth, they kind of 'come out' to steal a gay phrase, or possibly better termed for Goths, a word a friend of mine uses they are 'turned'. With the age of the internet of course you can pick up Gothic clothing anywhere, but there is nothing like going from shop to shop; stall to stall and getting a coat, boots, trousers, dresses, jewellery, etc. Once you have done that you feel that no-one can now challenge your Goth credentials. I remember going from shop to shop to buy my girlfriend of the time her first pair of New Rocks and feeling a real tingle as if she was on the verge of something exciting and I just loved being part of that. Despite his hectic nature, weirdly, Camden can be a location of many very personal journeys.

I remember the first time I went into the market. It was late afternoon in the Autumn so it was turning dark but not late enough to close. With its food stalls with frying Chinese food and the small lights picking out stalls of memorabilia, large halls of glossy black clothes and seemingly as we wandered among piles of 70s clothes and furniture it seemed to me like a mix between a scene from 'Blade Runner' and something I would expect in the Marrakesh souk. It is labyrinthine and you can see why it would burn so quickly with all its narrow alleys. The assortment of items is just bewildering and you come to learn where you need to pick among the stalls, ushering passed stalls with furniture if you are just seeking out vintage clothing. Many of the stalls would not be out of place in a Home Counties craft market or car boot sale, with huge candles and wooden games, second-hand books and cutlery and postcards and Far Easten puppets and boxes. Then you come across a dark one with rave gear or impossibly long boots. The diversity tempts you into straying into new areas and even a Goth can come away with an old paperback and a sandalwood box. The rambling area has more than one location for stalls, the very grid-like pattern area closest to the underground station, the squeezed in stalls along the edge of the lock and then the main zone mixing buildings, free-standing structures and stalls among the stables. Sewn between all these are the leatherwear shops and the boot shops and the pubs and the venues, even just newsagents and grocery stores. Nowhere I have been has such diversity of products in such a small space. There is the mundane, but crucially there is also the very exotic.

What happens now? Is Camden dead? Well it has always been a commercial place with a spiritual aspect simply laid on top and capitalism and its commerce is robust. Many of the traders are small and you hope they are well insured and can revive. There has already been the encroachment of corporates into the area and the smaller, more individual stallholders, I have long feared, would be muscled out. This fire may accelerate this process. Hopefully the authorities will not simply put a big fence around it and let it mould away as sometimes happens in fire-damaged locations. No doubt though, the density of stalls will be decreased and some traders will never get back in. Hopefully it is not transformed into a kind of Camden theme park simply a shadow of what it once was.

Camden has been ever-changing and will change again, but hopefully it rises from the ashes quickly and without losing its vibrancy and its independence. There are few places in the world that I know where not only can you walk down the street, fully 'Gothed up', not only with pride but feeling you really belong and the back-pack wearing muggles can just look on in awe. That maybe a selfish wish, but it is important for any community to have a place where you feel at home. Okay so we can buy our boots online, but nothing will beat striding out with your bags of new clothes that you have got in Camden. For a new Goth it is almost a test of faith to go and shop alongside members of the community you wish to join. It is the second time you visit that makes the difference, when you step from the underground station in all the newest things you have and now feel you have come home.

Goths and Discrimination - Leading to Death

I am grateful to Alterphobia for his/her comment regarding the case of Sophie Lancaster which I am ashamed to say I entirely missed being reported last August. I suppose it is because I am an electronic Goth who sits at his PC late into the night rather than out and about talking to people. Sometimes I feel very connected with what is happening as a result, but in this case feel really embarrassed about this gap in my knowledge, especially as it was so much more serious, not to spout a truism: being refused access to a bus is bad, but death is far worse. You can read about the murder of Sophie Lancaster in many places over the internet. To summarise, she was 20 years old when she and her boyfriend Robert Maltby (21) were attacked in Rossendale in Lancashire (which borders on Yorkshire where last week's less grave incident occurred) while walking home across a park early on the morning of 11th August 2007. She died later from head injuries; Maltby went into a coma from which he has subsequently recovered.

The police and the victim's family feel the couple were attacked for being Goths. Yet, Sophie's mother notes that there are violent attacks in the area anyway, as there are in the bulk of British towns these days. Five boys between 15 and 17 have been arrested for the murder and face trial this March. So far we have not heard if they targeted the couple because they were Goths or simply because they happened to be passing by at a time when the boys decided to attack people. We should know more following the case. It may also be that small-town police are often a bit clueless and light on the fact that this couple were a bit 'different' as an explanation when in fact they may have equally been killed if they were chavs. In my town people of all kinds have been stabbed or kicked to death even; a lot of violence in the UK is mindless. However, we do know that crime against people from particular cultures is common across the UK. Gays and people from ethnic minorities have been attacked just for who they are; this has even gone to the extent of bombings as at the Admiral Duncan pub bombing and the Brick Lane pub bombing in 1999. Goths like people from ethnic minorities stick out especially in small towns and anyone who looks different is likely to be discriminated against and now easy targets suffer violence as well as verbal abuse. Being in a sub-group, as the law now recognises for racially-motivated crimes, increases your chances of being attacked, that appears certain.

The Lancaster case differs a bit from the Graves/Maltby case of last week. In terms of being banned from the bus, the motive was as much of them being sexual fetishists in domination and submission who happen to be Goths as being Goths per se. However, to discriminate against fetishists is along the same path, i.e. to discriminate against someone because of how they dress and the sub-culture that they identify themselves. Interestingly this has provoked me to think again about how I view women who veil their faces. I have worked with quite a few in my career and there are practical difficulties in terms of identification especially in this age when every business and I guess universities and colleges do too, uses identity cards. In addition, there is also a sense that Muslim women face family pressure to dress in a particular way, that they themselves may choose not to do. In addition, I do think education and religion should be kept separately. However, I am increasingly feeling that we should be tolerant of how people dress. There are some health and safety grounds and in some circumstances you would ask a Goth to remove their long coats or body piercings in the same way as you might ask a religious person to change their dress or remove insignia. However, these cases are few.

The murder of any person, especially a young one, is terrible. Goths though are literate, caring and intelligent and the reaction to this particular case has been widespread across the World, featuring a number of concerts in the UK, USA and Australia, some even covered on television. Her family are gathering funds to provide a memorial against hate crime. Importantly it has led to discussion of crimes against sub-cultures and a Number 10 petition to widen the definition of 'hate crime', to include crimes committed against a person or persons, on the basis of their appearance or subcultural interests'. This will not eliminate such attacks over night. However, it should strengthen the position of people from the Gothic community and others like bikers and ravers when people attack them or discriminate against them in any way. I do not think it will eliminate violence against Goths and I certainly think there are chavs who exploit the passive nature of Goths to taunt and assault them. However, I think that by developing protection for sub-cultures many other forms of discriminatory behaviour (to eliminate discriminatory attitudes is a lot longer and tougher process) will be choked off.

The online petition is at: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/goth-hatecrimes/ You have to be a British citizen (or resident) in order to sign up. The deadline is 28th March 2008. I urge you to sign up and get your friends and relatives to do so too. There are currently 2,521 signatures, we all need to see more there. Whilst I wish that Sophie Lancaster was still alive, the least we can do is take steps will make sure her death was not in vain.

The Goths and the Bus Discrimination

It is interesting given what I have been saying recently about Gothic culture and how on the fringes there is some overlap with aspects of sexual fetishes as both aspects came together in a news story today. Dani Graves, a 25-year old male Goth and his fiancee Tasha Maltby, a 19-year old Goth and a student tried to board a bus in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. They were wearing Goth clothing (not that incredibly unusual, though Goths are rarer than they once were, token ones even appear on popular soap operas so few people can be ignorant of them) and crucially Dani was holding a leash connected to Tasha's collar.

Now, this is not an overly common thing among Goths, though it is not unknown. As I have noted before, Goths, though often quite shy people, like to surprise and even shock mundane society. They are also more open about their feelings, especially their passions, whether they are dark or light in tone. They often wear clothing that has sexual overtones, for example leather and corsets. Collars were an element of punk culture of the late 1970s too. The collar and leash use comes from a sexual fetish, dominance & submission, in that one partner has ownership or control of the other and treats them unequally like a possession or a pet. Typically this is done with full consent between two partners. In some relationships one is always the dominant and the other the submissive, sometimes people switch. It may be combined with bondage or sado-masochism. As I have noted before such fetishes, once the realm of secret clubs and the bedroom have been straying more opening into public, being used by the media, especially in advertising and by movie makers. You can go to fetish clubs and see this and just typing such phrases into any search engine will provide you with a range of images and stories to keep you occupied for the next day and night. However, it remains still very edgy in mundane society, especially a small town in Yorkshire, it is hardly central London or Manchester.

The reason why this has got into the newspapers and the radio (and it is interesting to see the response of the 'Daily Mail' seem as the epitome of Conservative, Middle England attitudes, they seem not to know who to censure on this, though it did say 'they live on benefits in a council house' as if they were being subsidised by the state and should have this stopped), is that Dani and Tasha were barred from getting on a bus by the driver who said, 'we don't let freaks and dogs like you on.' Now it is an interesting question to ask whether they were barred for being Goths or fetishists, I guess it was mix of the two, it was outside the driver's understanding and he could not accept it in his sight. Goths are renowned for their non-violence, so it is not that he could have felt threatened. The bus company have come out with some feeble excuse that it was unsafe for Tasha to be leashed, but they never raise that when toddlers wearing reins come on the bus or even real dogs.

Tasha described herself as 'I am a pet, I generally act animal like and I lead a really easy life'. She sees the collar and leash as part of her culture and a free choice that was not harming anyone. I agree with her whole heartedly on those grounds. It is a choice and clearly was consensual. Dani was shoved back by the driver who was actually off duty at the time and natually he has made a complaint against the driver. As Tasha noted it was certainly discrimination, though I would not go as far as her to say it 'almost like a hate crime' but it does signal a slippery slope which does lead to hate crime very easily. I remember Mark Thomas, the comedian-cum-political activist talking about a campaigner for Goth Rights who came on a demonstration he organised. Maybe such a campaign will have to swing into action to protect the right to be a Goth and not be discriminated against for how we dress and what we believe (if I substituted Christian/Muslim/woman for Goth, I think few would argue with me). Wave the black-on-black flag and stand up and say 'I am Goth and proud; Goth Rights Now!'

Was 'Uninvited' the Covert Crossover Goth Hit of 2007?

Despite the fact, that somewhere in the bags of CDs and even cassettes (remember them?) that lurk in corners of my house because I have moved so often there is a copy of 'Jagged Little Pill' by Alanis Morisette (1995) and the builders working opposite the last house I lived in played it repeatedly (I will say nothing bad about builders, but their musical tastes were a little suprising), somehow I had not managed to encounter the track, 'Uninvited' which was released by Morisette in 1998. It was on her fourth album, 'Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie' (1998) which seems to have been far less successful than its predecessor. Maybe it was too long coming and Alanis's window had closed. Maybe I did encounter single and perhaps it just made no lasting impression. She gets a lot of radio coverage still, but this one does not seem to crop up wherever I drive. Thus, when I heard the cover by The Freemasons released in 2007, it was as if I was coming to the track for the first time. It was sung by Bailey Tzuke, probably haunted by the fact that everyone says she is daughter of 1970s ballard singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke (who had a wonderful voice and amazing big hair and may still have, but I have not heard or seen her since a greatest hits collection in the late 1980s). Her voice is similarly suited for wistful tracks as her mother's was, though maybe with maturity (she is only 20) it will gain Judie's strength.

The Freemasons' original cover version was cut down to 3.08 minutes, perfect for radio and yet so edited that it seems to be a natural length. Despite the electro/house backbeat, it is a ballard with the woman concerned analysing the romantic interest of the 'uninvited' person and gradually her feelings towards them, (I assume it is a him), altering from suspicion to consideration. It is nice that it does not move to consummation, but in the space of three minutes with quite a lot of lyrics for a house track, has shown a development in a relationship. The reason that I view it as a crossover Goth hit, is that aside from one track from Evanesence, in the UK nothing from the Goth scene has managed to peak into the mainstream charts even now they have mutated with the impact of downloads allowing album tracks and oldies to come back into the ratings. It managed to reach Number 8 in the UK charts.

Why do I view it as a Goth track? Well, a number of reasons. Goth music tends to be put in the rock category but there is a clear electro/house/dance sub-category of it anyway. Soaring, passionate, female-voiced lyrics with a tendency for introspection but also strength is a basis of a lot of Goth music. This song has that. In addition, the supernatural is a bread-and-butter theme in Goth songs and the 'uninvited' reminds you of a haunting or even vampires who supposedly cannot enter a house uninvited. The lyrics (see below) give a sense of someone from a different culture speaking about love and the 'love like mine before' suggests a timeless or enduring nature of whoever she is addressing, again fitting the ghost/vampire explanation. The words 'stoic' and 'unworthy' hint at the literate language used by Goths with Victorian overtones. Goth songs also are about love and passion in both a physical and a mental/emotional way and this tune emphasises the latter. The story is unresolved by the end of the song, allowing the listener to write their own, probably positive ending, but not doing all the work for you. So, on these bases whether Morisette or the Freemasons envisaged it, they have created a good Goth song that I am pleased to hear and we could do more with.

Like anyone would be
I am flattered by your fascination with me
And like any hot-blooded woman
I have simply wanted an object to crave

But you, you're not allowed
You're uninvited

An unfortunate slight
Must be strangely exciting
To watch the stoic squirm
Must be somewhat heartening
To watch shepherd meet shepherd

But you you're not allowed
You're uninvited

An unfortunate slight
Like any uncharted territory
I must seem greatly intriguing
You speak of my love like
You have experienced love like mine before

But this is not allowed
You're uninvited

An unfortunate slight
I don't think you unworthy
I need a moment to deliberate

The Contemporary Vampire Aesthetic

One area which I promised to focus on in this blog which has been pretty much neglected is contemporary Gothic culture, something I am part of, but seems to be hard to sustain surrounded by so many chavs and all the pressures of life. Vampire aesthetics informed the Gothic (Revival) movement of the 19th century as well as its 20th century manifestation.

I am a keen computer-game player (Is that a prerequisite for being a blogger? Possibly) and tiring of wargames I dug through my collection of PC games looking for something immediate. Computer games are my retail therapy. A few years ago I acknowledged that I actually enjoyed buying the games and reading the little booklets as much as I enjoyed playing them. I never pay full price but enjoy scouring charity shops for obscure titles. Consequently I have a few boxes of games I have never played that I turn to in moments of ennui (such as an extended Christmas holiday with bad weather) and came upon 'Bloodrayne' (2002; a very poor movie came out in 2006 surprisingly with Ben Kingsley and Michael Madsen). It features a half-vampire woman battling against various demons and mutants in Louisiana in 1933 and Argentina and Germany 1938. The story owes a lot to sources such as 'The Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981) movie with the Nazis digging for powerful esoteric relics; the Anne Rice vampire novels set in New Orleans; the Blade comics graphic novels (1973 so to some degree in itself an element of the so-called 'blaxploitation' trend of the early 1970s as Blade is black; 1999-2000) and movies (1998; 2002; 2004) in that Rayne is a 'dhampir' half-human, half-vampire like Blade; it also has shared elements with 'Hellboy' (graphic novels since 1993; movie 2004) notably the Oberst 'Kommando' character resembles Oberst Karl Rupprecht Kroenen from the Hellboy stories and the Thule Society appears in both.

The game is surprisingly unbuggy for a first-person shooter game; the story is interesting (an organisation called The Brimstone Society but it is incredibly hard not because the controls are poor, they are good, more that so many opponents are thrown at you and water and poison gas are additional hazards that it is incredibly difficult to stay alive even on 'Easy' mode; fortunately the game designers provide simple facilities for cheats to replenish energy and so on, otherwise you would miss out on so much of the game. One notable characteristic of the game I have not seen in many others (but then again I am not a big first-person game player) is the ability to execute balletic assaults on opponents even with a function to slow down to 'bullet time' to allow the kind of violent acrobatics of the kind seen in 'The Matrix' (1999).

The game also taps into the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (movie 1992; series 1997-2003) with a female protagonist fighting vampires and demons and clearly aimed at the teenaged boy market. It also draws on the modern, almost fetish, styling of contemporary vampires and that started me thinking about when did vampires in books and movies change from having silk capes to leather trenchcoats and in fact has one approach replaced the other or are they running in parallel?

To some degree the styling for vampires has fed off the Gothic style in itself just as Goths have often modelled themselves on how vampires are shown. This stems from the fact that the explosion of popular vampire fiction in the 19th century portrays them in clothing of that time including capes and formal suits; long dresses and corsets. Movies reflected how the vampires were shown in 19th century fiction and we see such clothing replicated in Gothic clothing from the 1980s onwards. The traditional portrayal was strong in the Hammer horror movies of the 1970s and is sustained in many versions of vampire stories more recently, notably 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' (1992) and 'Van Helsing' (2004) though in Van Helsing's clothing with styles similar to something Blade would wear.

The shift from vampires being nobility in Eastern Europe to being more of an ordinary background can be seen as stemming from 'The Lost Boys' (1987) which portrayed vampires in a small coastal US town as a youth gang and referenced comic books as a source of information for fighting vampires. The vampires for the first time dressed in contemporary clothing of teenagers rather than the garb of nobility. Other movies showing similar vampires of ordinary status were 'Near Dark' (1987) with working class vampires in Oklahoma (in the small category of rural American vampire movies you can also include 'From Dusk to Dawn' (1996) set just over the border in Mexico) and to a lesser extent 'Fright Night' (1985) with suburban vampirism typical of the Buffy series, though with Peter Vincent played by Roddy McDowell referencing the 1970s Hammer horror movies with Peter Cushing and Vincent Price. The Buffy series early on shows that shift in series 2 with the arrival of Spike a British, kind of punk Vampire to displace the more old fashioned approach of 'The Annointed' and 'The Master' vampires who had preceded him in Sunnydale. It is unsurprising that vampire movies took this step. It was in line with the shift in other genres of horror movie too and the fact that mundane evil, the kind you could encounter in your own home is far more frightening than more fantastical horror. If you live in downtown Baltimore or Luton you are very unlikely to encounter a windswept Transylvanian castle. Even the more traditional style vampire movies had been moving in this direction with things such as 'Dracula A.D. 1972' (1972). However, making the vampire genre seem relevant to the teenagers queuing to see slasher movies was important commercially and would revive what by the mid-1980s seemed a very tired genre (e.g. 'Nosferatu' (1922) can be seen as the first vampire movie giving the films a 50-year lifespan even by the mid-1970s).

Another aspect is that vampire movies have rediscovered the analogies to disease. In the era of prevalent syphillis of the Victorian era you find a number of analogies to the illness. The 19th century saw an interest in the workings of the mind particularly of obsessions which formed the foundation of the science of psychology and psycho-analysis in the 20th century. There was also the issue of eugenics and of 'blood' often on a racialist (and in turn provoking racist views) and the characteristics they implied. It is unsurprising that with the era of AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s that people have that as a background and vampirism is portrayed as a disease. Maybe the first contemporary movie to engage with this was 'The Hunger' (1983) maybe influenced by the venereal herpes outbreaks of the 1980s as the lead vampire is eventually destroyed by all those he has 'infected' through draining their blood. In 'Near Dark' the hero's vampirism is cured through a blood transfusion. The disease perspective is notable in 'Blade' (1998) as Blade takes an antidote to his illness and works with a doctor specialising in blood conditions to develop antibodies to vampires. In 'Blade II' things go further with vampires seeking to genetically engineer and even more ferocious type of vampire creature. Similarly in 'Underworld' (2003) werewolf scientists are working at selective breeding in order to create a werewolf-vampire hybrid. In this movie vampirism is not simply a disease but one being addressed through genetic engineering. Thus, it plays on concerns and fears of the present day in the way that some 19th century vampire stories did.

So the vampire was made more of the mainstream and tackling contemporary concerns. This meant that really anyone could become a vampire, opening up a wider range of character types than the simple count in the castle on the hill side. Vampires even became the heros. Blade is a half-vampire and wipes out vampires, though in 'Blade II' (2002) he allies with a kind of vampire special forces unit. In 'Underworld' the heroine, Selene is a vampire herself very much wrapped up in the traditions of the species; though interesting the lead vampire, when revived is connected to a very high-tech drip system to revive him. With vampires as heros you need something far more evil still for them to fight. In 'Underworld' the heroine battles werewolves and conspirators among the vampire community. In Blade II, it is against the mutant vampire creatures and similarly in the computer games 'BloodRayne' and 'Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines' (2004) against mutated creatures coming out of vampire backgrounds ('Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines', a first person/third person shooter/slasher had a fascinating storyline featuring different clans of vampire operating in Los Angeles each with different characteristics and a culture with different vampire organisations. The morality of it is deliberately ambivalent. However, it must have been the most bug-infested game released commercially and took years of patches even after the production company Troika had collapsed to make it playable. The fact that so much effort was put into it showed how engaging the storyline and settings were. It is the only game I have played which has had truly frightening locations and settings).

It is probably unsurprsing that vampire movies touch on disease because as there has long been an association between vampires and sexual activity. As someone noted Dracula is all about fore-play, nibbling at the women without actually going for the intercourse an approach to sex that some women would appreciate. Dracula was generally portrayed as suave and enchanting and also promises love that lasts an eternity; elements often missing in contemporary men's approaches to 'wooing' a woman. He wears dark, sleek clothing and lives well. The vampire women are always beautiful, voluptuous and dressed provocatively. This aspect has further influenced the aesthetic of vampire movies and certainly with the 'Underworld' movie and its sequel 'Underworld: Evolution' (2006) has crossed over into fetish clothing with Kate Beckinsale's character eschewing velvet dresses in favour of a rubber catsuit and long boots. In the same way Goth styling with corsets and long leather coats has found fetishists butting up against it in style; sometimes to the great unease of Goths, though many are open-minded they tend to seek more complex relationship with sustained equality between the partners whereas the fetishists often seek power exchange (though typically within what is beneath the surface an equal relationship). In addition, whilst the Goth clothing is similar there is a great deal more intellectually to being Goth than simply dressing up sexily. Thus, the lines are muddied and with the Goth clearly leaking into mainstream fashion especially in winter styles for women with purples and blacks and corsets, one can see how what is established as the vampire aesthetic in movies, books and games actually begins straying into our lives, most particularly of people like Goths most easily influenced by it. In the age of the 'kidult' and women dressed in pink and fluffy, this provides a far more mature, serious, even dangerous look for people seeking something different.

So where does the vampire genre stand in 2008? Well in terms of novels I could not hope to even scrape the surface of the number being written. Authors such as Anne Rice and Poppy Z. Brite have been joined by many others in writing both historic and contemporary vampire novels. A third Underworld movie is predicted if Kate Beckinsale gives her costume back to the studio after using it for her Halloween outfit this past year. Vampire stories are likely to stay popular in these nervous times as they touch on physical, medical and mental concerns we have; provide action; are sexy and give us a look that appears grown-up.

Gothic culture - it's for you

I promised something on Gothic culture in the UK today. My name at the top may have betrayed my interest in this side of things. Most people know that Gothic culture as manifested by your local Goth (now quite a rarity in the UK, but strong in Germany and in various parts of the USA) was a distortion of early medieval German culture, primarily reflected through the Gothic Revival of the early 19th century. It exploded into popular culture in the 1980s running alongside other ostentatious strands like New Romantics, but proving to be much more enduring. I think that is, that aside from the music anyone getting into Goth could explore a load of poetry and literature stretching back almost 200 years. Even Hollywood has got on board, going back to 'The Crow' you only have to see all the 'Blade' movies, 'Underworld' movies, 'The Matrix' triology, and now even 'Batman' and 'Spiderman' are getting Gothic flavourings. Old songs by The Cure get used in advertisements. So you have recent and vintage culture to draw from. There are now many sub-genres ranging through Corporate Goth, Fairy Goth and Skater Goth and even on the fringes fetish-lovers had taken on many of the Gothic elements, black and shiny appealing to both camps.

So, though Goths may not be as numerous as they once were their culture is bleeding into the mainstream. Why this resilience and popularity when other fads of the 1980s have been consigned to humorous documentaries? Well, everyone looks good in black, not matter what your build or size you can find good Gothic clothes. You can be manic as a Goth and flail around on the dance floor or sit quietly in the corner. You can simply put on black trousers/skirt and a black shirt or you can invest something a bit more interesting. Long leather coats, knee-length boots, long metal rings and for the women everything from spectacular dresses to miniskirts to zipped trousers from pointed shoes to clompy boots, all appear on the Goth clothing menu; velvet, leather, silk, brocade, vinyl, lace, all the richest, most exciting fabrics are there. It is not all black either, purple, rich reds, emerald green. So you might stick out when you wander down to the shopping centre on a Saturday, but who wants to blend in, be yet another in pale jeans and a fleece? In addition, though you will astound and sometimes scare others you will never go anywhere uncommented upon and the best bit, you feel strong. My partner describes it as her 'armour' when in her Goth clothes she feels she can face the world. In age when different cultures have disappeared and everyone looks like a chav or a raver, seeing another Goth is a great sensation, you feel the instant affinity, part of a disparate tribe (though these days heavily inter-connected by the internet) and you can feel both outside of society but part of a richer society all at once.

Gothic culture goes well beyond the clothing. People say it is all about depression and suicide and hanging around in graveyards. However, such people have not talked with Goths. The bulk of the population hide their unhappiness beneath consumerism and false happiness usually sustained by buying things. Goths look more to the way we feel. We accept that there is dark and light in everyone's life and you can only see how bright the light is if you can also tell how dark the shadows are. It gives depth to your perceptions and you have not seen people so deeply happy as Goths in their community having a good night. Goths explore all the senses in how they engage with life, we live our lives more richly than non-Goths do. Neglecting one side of the human psyche and human experiences gives you a flat, distorted view of the world. If you want to know what it is truly to be a human, a mortal, then become a Goth.

People say Goths are ungodly, though in fact there are Goths who are Christian and in Japan where the culture is strong, Buddhist and Shintoist too. The Gothic Revival was embedded in a Christian Britain. There are dark elements, references to vampires and demons, but do not confuse Goths with those who delve in black magic, remember vampires are dismissed by a crucifix and the Goth gentleman rides to rescue the lady in distress, not to sacrifice her. Gothic culture is a culture it is not a religion. It is about exploring all that is in the human world but for the benefit of people not for any detriment.

A fascinating programme was shown (suitably) late on ITV1 (mainstream British commercial television channel) a few years ago; 'Why do Goths make such good lovers?'. It asked the question, why do you always see Goths in pairs and sought the explanation. A couple of years later I read there was a website advising non-Goth women how to find a Goth man to be their boyfriend; I have never tracked it down, but there are reasons why people might seek such advice. Basically Goths make good lovers because they are sensitive to feelings, they really like to explore their senses and they enjoy the extravagant. The parallels between what Goths like and what is seen as a 'romantic' setting are very close, think about it: lots of candles, dark roses, large iron beds, a roaring fire, silk sheets, dark wine, sumptious foods, a windswept night, the closeness of people, sitting reading poetry, talking about the future and so on. As the programme argued women often yearn for a man who is sensitive to their emotions and to their needs; they often like to dress extravagantly and to be made a fuss of; to have a man who takes care over his grooming and appearance; who can address them intellectually as well as physically and yet when the time comes can be sensual in his sexuality. As people speaking on the programme stated, often what Goths wear day-to-day is what others keep for the bedroom such as corsets, boots, lace, leather, etc. and in some cases reveal tattoos and piercings which are the kinds of things others keep discrete, so in one go they are both reserved but also up front about sexual appeal, a tantalising mix. Goth men are loyal and tend not to sleep around; they are generally seeking the one who can be their soul mate for eternity and will tell you so in poetry. So if you are a man or a woman who welcomes these aspects (and many people do) consider embracing the Goth and becoming part of this rich community, you can be sure there will be a like-minded partner out there.

Why is Goth still around, quarter of a century after it burst forth? Well, you tend not to grow out of it and Goths of the early 1980s are still Goths. In contrast to other 'youth' cultures (though in fact it now covers many age brackets), Goths tend to be the quiet intellectuals sitting at the back. As an article in 'The Guardian' newspaper ('I've Seen the Future - and it's Goth, 21st March 2006) showed Goths usually end up in very good jobs as doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. and a lot end up in computing. They can compose sensible, moving words, they are computer literate (as so much of Goth society is knitted together by the internet and so much Goth clothing and products are bought online), they read widely and have an interest in art, literature and architecture. So, it is not for the chav population and it is a culture which you can stick with for life. At almost 40 I have no embarrassment about remaining Goth and there is always a new generation coming on, though unfortunately in fewer numbers than before.

So, if you feel at a loss in this modern world, I suggest you join the Gothic culture. Do a quick search online and you will find a whole virtual community. Get in touch with the richness of the whole scope of your feelings, revel in the extravagance of Gothic clothing and even decor; find yourself a partner for life who will explore all that it means to be alive.