Myth 9: “Goth is a phase”

This one’s a real pain and is the source of a fair few of the myths we’ll look at in this second part. We’ve already seen in the first part how people’s view of Goths is largely based on media portrayals and what they personally recognise as “Goth”. Well, unfortunately for us Goths, a lot of media portrayals show teenagers in “gothic” garb. You know the stereotype, the rebellious misfit teen in edgy black t-shirts and spiky chokers, that eventually mature into “normal” people.

Well, for some people it is a phase, but for increasingly large numbers it isn’t. In fact, those who treat Goth as a phase, something you flirt with in school but “grow out of”, rarely get into the core of the scene. For many, Goth is a way of life that you grow into.

People who think of it as a phase are, whether they mean it or not, implying that Goths are immature. Okay, some Goths probably are immature, but we’re certainly not kids. I know plenty of Goths in their thirties, forties, fifties and even sixties!

As an aside about those teenaged types, in the scene we call them “Baby Bats” and a lot of people treat them as a bit of a joke, partly because their aggressively spooky personas don’t really show the scene in a good light. Still, many mature into fully-fledged Goths so I tend to try to cut them some slack. Hell, even I used to listen to Marilyn Manson un-ironically once!

Myth 10: “Goth is just teen rebellion”

Again linking to the idea of Goth as a teenage phenomenon, people outside the scene tend to think of it as a rebellious “bad girl/boy” sort of thing, linking it with punk rock’s angry energy. Well, although there’s certainly a lot of punk energy in many Goth subgenres, Goth’s thoughtful introspection and flamboyant aesthetic doesn’t really lend itself to hell-raising. I mean, how often to you see someone in a corset and bustle skirt rampaging through town on a motorbike?

Remember how we saw in the first article that Goths are often quite, introspective, slightly geeky types? A lot of Goths, far from trying to rebel against their parents, get on fine with their families, those who don’t only wish they could be accepted for what they are.

The Goth look and the lifestyle that goes with it may be unorthodox but most Goths tend not to be drawn to it because we’re “rebelling” against the norm, we just prefer it to the norm.

Myth 11: “Goths are attention seekers”

Okay, we look weird, we know that, and I can see why people would assume that we where dressing and acting the way we do to get attention. But remember when I said a lot of Goths are quite shy? A shy person isn’t likely to be an exhibitionist, right?

The truth is, most of us dress the way we do because we like it, pure and simple. Our dress sense suits our aesthetic. Just as “normal” people pick out the current fashions that suit their tastes, so do Goths.

Yes, some Goths probably do dress outlandishly because they like the attention, but most of us would prefer people didn’t stare at us, thank you very much. We do accept that of course we do look different and that will garner strange looks but that’s not why we do it. In fact, because we’d rather not get these funny looks, a lot of us save our favourite outfits for Goth-only occasions, like clubs, festivals and gigs, when we can really be ourselves.

Myth 12: “Goth is too mainstream”

Oh boy, I’ve heard this one a lot, from both people outside the scene and people on the inside too. Eldergoths (that’s people who remember the scene’s early days for you non-Goths out there) moan that being a Goth is too easy these days; Deathrockers, Trad Goths and people from other subgroups complain that the “core” of the scene aren’t proper Goths; punks accuse us of being lazy because it’s too easy to find gothy accessories and outfits; “ordinary” people can mistake the Goth scene for a mainstream-friendly way to be “different”… Oh dear.

It’s true that the mainstream just loves plucking things out of the “dark side”, Goth and punk being unwitting accomplices in this. You’ve probably seen countless high-street boutiques, fashion shoots and film costumes that borrow heavily from the Goth subculture (which links back to what I was saying about media representations of Goths).

It’s also true that, although these things might not come from the scene, some Goths love them, Baby Bats and older Goths alike. It’s certainly a lot easier than it was in the early days to find Goth-friendly clothing, accessories and goodies like dolls, home decorations and even greetings cards.

Now, I have to say, this is a bit of a double-edged sword. It’s great that the mainstream is slowly becoming more accepting of Goths, because that means less violence, less hostility and less of those stupid news reports about Goth “cults”. On the downside, it means it’s harder and harder to work out what has come from within the subculture and to support it, and it also makes it more difficult to work out if you’re skull-sporting friend is a fellow Goth or just someone who shops at Claire’s Accessories. It also makes it harder to explain to people what Goth is, as they assume they know.

It’s worth bearing in mind that a lot of “off-the-shelf-Goth” labels started off as small scale productions made good: Alchemy Gothic, producers of beautiful pewter jewellery beloved of Goths the world over, started off in 1977 with a pair of friends making pin badges for friends in the punk scene. Other companies aiming at Goths might not have quite the same credentials, though, after all even Mattel produced a “Goth” Barbie a few years back.

Where possible, many Goths prefer to make or adapt their own clothes, or support independent designers, partly because the scene has to support itself somehow and partly because, well, having an outfit as unique as you are is always fun.

And for Eldergoths blustering over the large number of Goth-friendly shops around these days, remember that there were Goth-friendly shops back in the day too, especially in bigger cities with a larger scene. In the early eighties, even Dave and Laurie Vanian ran their own morbid-looking shop.

Myth 13: “Goths are kinky/fetishists/up for anything”

If you’re a regular at Goth clubs you’ll probably have noticed that every now and then the clubs attract “tourists” who seem more interested in leaching on the girls than listening to the music. Yes, it’s the Goth-as-sex-maniac stereotype.

Now, I can sort of see where this came from, after all the Goth look borrows heavily from BDSM and fetish fashion (and, of course, fetish fashion borrows back), what with the heavy makeup, the leather, the pvc, the fishnet and the lace. Plus, Goth music isn’t exactly squeamish when it comes to all things sexual.

Unfortunately for the Goth scene, the porn industry grabbed hold of this idea, added a pinch of the typical “bad girl” stereotype and slapped a bit of heavy makeup and fishnets on a model and started churning out “goth” porn. The result, even more tourists turning up hoping to snag a girl (or guy) who’ll be “up for anything”.

I’m sure by now you’ll have figured out what I’m about to say: Goths are ordinary, often fairly shy, people. We’re no more likely to go off on a one night stand with a stranger than anyone else. Yes, some Goths flirt with the fetish scene too, but plenty are fairly “ordinary” and fairly vanilla in their tastes.

Myth 14: “Goths are pseudo-intellectuals”

I can only assume that this is again linked to that unfortunate assumption that all Goths are young, immature and a bit stupid, and that thus we can’t really be interested in classic literature and history and all that sort of thing. Well, yes some of us aren’t particularly interested in such things and some people probably claim to have read things they haven’t, but a lot of us really, honestly are intellectual types. Why else do you think the Goth scene is bigger in university cities? Why do you think Goths love period outfits? Or why Goth bands love playing with literary references? Or why every other Alchemy Gothic trinket is named after a historical figure or character from a book? Many Goths have degrees, are genuinely interested in the arts, in history and academic studies (I know a fair few who work in academia as researchers or teachers).

No, I wasn’t joking when I said a lot of Goths are slightly geeky. So don’t assume that we’re oblivious to other meanings of the word “gothic” or that we’re just talking about books to be pretentious or sound clever.

If you want to learn more about the Goth subculture, why not check out my other articles:

Baby Bats to Eldergoths a guide to 21st Century Goth Culture

Hate Crimes Would You Kill Someone Because Of The Way They Dressed

The Goth Dictionary

 For more myths, as well as links to resources on the Goth scene, make sure you read the first article

Introduction: What is Goth?

For those who are frowning at that first paragraph; here’s a potted history of Goth before we get into the meat of the article. Not to be confused with the ancient tribe, the style of architecture, the style of literature and the art movement (all of which give the subculture its name), Goth is a subculture that grew out of a particular style of music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Growing from the ashes of punk’s first wave, Goth was a mixture of punk, New Wave, glam and experimental music favoured by young people with big hair and big makeup. Since then, the Goth scene has grown and mutated into one of the largest and most recognisable subcultures in the Western world. Cross-overs with metal, industrial, dance music, second and third wave punk and even folk music are very common, each with their own accompanying style of dress. For more about Goth’s many sub-groups, check out my article on the subject.

Myth 1: “Goth is a cult”

Busted! Goth is not a cult, any more than rap or country music are cults. Yes, Goths wear unusual clothing, listen to strange music and wear jewellery that resembles arcane symbols, but that’s just because they like them. Goth, like many youth subcultures, has no religious links whatsoever, and you’ll find Goths who follow any number of religions, from paganism to Christianity, and many Goths who are atheist or agnostic.

A Goth couple at the Whitby Goth Weekend

Myth 2: “Goths are violent”

Busted! Very few Goths have violent tendencies. Although a few might fight back if you hit them, most will avoid confrontations whenever possible. Quite a few of us drift towards the scene because we’re a bit “different”, the sort of people who get bullied in school, and we tend to get a lot of abuse just walking down the street so because we know what it’s like to be on the receiving end, we don’t want to dish it out. I’ve known a fair few within the scene who have declared themselves pacifists.

Some people think Goths are violent because they’ve heard violent people described as “gothic”; think of the Columbine shooting and the Dawson College shootings. The perpetrators of these horrific attacks were initially described as “Goths” by the media who assumed that the trenchcoat-wearing, metal-favouring oddballs must be Goths (see below). Though some, like the Columbine killers, claimed to be Goths, it’s pretty clear from their musical and aesthetic tastes they weren’t part of the scene.

Myth 2: Goth is the same as metal/emo

Busted! Yes Goths, metal-heads and emos all wear black, but then, so do corporate businessmen. I can understand that, to outsiders, there are quite a few similarities between the three subcultures, and at certain ends of the spectrum there are cross-overs but that doesn’t mean that the three scenes are the same, no matter what the “funny” adverts with the loud rock bands tell you. If you’re playing “spot the subculture”, the key differences are in fashion, temperament and music.

Metal grew out of the hippie and prog-rock movements of the 1960s  and musically is made up of heavily distorted power chords, extended guitar solos and… is generally pretty loud. Fans tend to favour long leather trenchcoats, long and somewhat unkempt hair, baggy band T-shirts and jeans. Think of bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica and Megadeth: macho frontmen, heavy sounds, lyrics about ancient battles and men on horseback… all that kind of thing.

Compare that with Goth’s Romantic, slightly effete image; velvets, lace, fishnet, brooding young men with long hair and sultry femme fatales hanging around in dungeons drinking fine wines… can you see the difference? Of course I’m generalising a bit here, but I’m trying to bring out the differences. Goth music in general has a very different sound to metal, it’s lighter but more melancholic, the Edgar Allen Poe to metal’s Beowulf.

Romantic and metal influences together at Castle Party in 2007. The chap on the left sports a typically metally look.

Emo, by contrast, is a much newer invention, morphing from second wave punk and “emotional” music. Thematically emo music tends to focus on, you guessed it, emotions and relationships. It’s more about day-to-day struggle with life, your parents and your girlfriend than struggle with monsters (metal) or with depression (Goth). In terms of fashion, the stereotypical emo wears skinny black jeans, tight black t-shirts and lots of brightly coloured accessories, complete with that infamous emo flick-fringe.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule; plenty of metal fans hang out at Goth clubs, and there are areas where the whole thing gets a bit muddled. The punkier end of Goth (towards deathrock and psychobilly) can end up looking a bit emo, with it’s day glo accessories and retro hairdos, and the more industrial end of Goth can end up looking a bit metal, complete with leather trenchcoats. Then of course there’s “gothic metal”. Now, without wanting to get into an argument, “gothic metal” seems to be more popular with metal fans and people on the verges of the Goth scene than with your common-or-garden Goth, and although gothic metal bands look the part, they haven’t got an awful lot in common with the rest of the scene and few out-and-out Goth clubs play them (may local is more likely to play Iron Maiden than, say, Nightwish, Lacuna Coil or Cradle of Filth!).

Myth 3: “Goths are suicidal”

Busted! Believe it or not, wearing black is not a sign that someone is about to try and top themselves. Goths are no more likely to commit suicide, suffer from depression or generally have a mope than anyone else, it’s just some of us have a habit of letting our emotions show. Goth music, as we’ve already mentioned, is often very emotive (and, okay, often pretty melodramatic) and Goth fashion is equally so; there’s a tendency towards theatrics in many Goths that can let their emotions get a bit…overwrought.

A German “grufti” shows just how impressive you can look if you don’t smile

Myth 4 “Goths are racist”

Busted! Because the stereotypical Goth look includes deathly pale skin, some people assume that Goths must be racist. Well…they’re not. A few unsavoury individuals might be, but there’s nothing inherent in the Goth scene that excludes people from ethnic backgrounds. In fact there are plenty of Goths of colour in the scene, the clubs I tend to attend are made of between ten and thirty per-cent people of colour. There’s also sizable Goth communities in Japan, South America and mainland Asia. Goth as a whole is a fairly tolerant scene.

Goth model Lady Amaranth combines fetish and period garb for a classic pale-skinned loo

Myth 5 “Goths think they’re vampires”

Busted! Yes it sounds silly, but many still see the Goth scene as a gaggle of vampire wannabes. Okay, a lot of Goths like vampire fiction, it’s true. I know I certainly do. The decadence, the period costumes, the violence and the sensuality of the vampire genre is a bit of a Goth archetype. Many of us love anything with fangs in it. We do not, however, particularly want to be vampires and we certainly don’t think we are vampires.

It’s true that there is a “Vampyre” subculture which does occasionally cross paths with Goth (they often wear period costumes, like spooky music and have a taste for theatrics too) and, yes, vampyre culture can and often does involve drinking each other’s blood for psychological or sexual reasons. But these people don’t think they’re vampires in the horror movie sense either: they don’t honestly believe that they’re immortal members of the living dead and they are not going to run out into the street and attack someone for blood. No matter what they tell you!

Photographer Viona Ielegems combines period dress with quirky humour… and teaspoons

Myth 6: “Goths have no sense of humour”

Busted! To this I say: hang out with Goths for a day, I think you’ll find they do. Okay, I can see the reasons why people on the outside might think this: we pose for photos with gloomy pouts, we like “dark” and “depressing” music, we wear black… we don’t exactly look jolly. Beyond that, we might not react to jokes about our dress-sense in the way someone might expect. “Jokes” yelled at us in the street tend not to get a reaction, not because Goths are humourless but because we’re worried that the people shouting them don’t intend them as jokes. Yes, it might sound daft, but those spooky looking people are just as nervous of you as you are of them. Why? Well sadly the Goth scene faces a lot of intolerance, abuse and even violence (see my article on hate crimes towards alternative people for more).

But what about jokes in a more friendly environment, like work or school? Have you ever cracked a joke to your gothic colleague about their not wearing black today? Or suggested they attend the Halloween party dressed as a “normal person”? Well, so has everyone. It may seem funny and original to you, but Goths hear this sort of thing all the time so if a Goth doesn’t seem amused, that might be why.

Goths do have a sense of humour, it’s just a lot of us have a slightly off-kilter one. If you don’t believe me, well, why do think Goths love the Addams Family, the Munsters and Beetlejuice? There are actually a fair few comedy themed comic books, books and songs aimed at Goths, from the comics of Jhonen Vasquez and Roman Dirge (great name, incidentally) to the cheeky songs of Voltaire. Goths love irony and love making fun of themselves too, so don’t assume that that song you know that “makes fun of Goths” isn’t a Goth favourite.

Voltaire’s song “The Vampire Club” pokes knowing fun at the rivalry between Cybergoths and Trad Goths, or “ravers” and “vampires” as he puts it.

Myth 7: “Goths are arrogant and exclusive”

Busted! A lot of Goths are quite shy and prefer to keep themselves to themselves, which can lead to people thinking them arrogant or aloof.

Unfortunately there is a minority of very vocal people within the scene who like to kick up a fuss about certain others within the scene. If you’ve read many Goth-related blogs, tumblrs or Twitter feeds you’ve probably come across long whining rants about how such-and-such a sub-group isn’t really Goth and how the writer is the only real Goth in their area, moaning about the decline of the scene and so on and so on. I’ve got to say we all do it a little bit: the problem is that these days the Goth scene is so large and varied that it can be difficult finding others within your local scene who share the same interests as you, which is a shame because that’s what a subculture is supposed to be about, right? For the vast majority of us, this is a passing moan; many of us love the variety of the scene, it makes things interesting and keeps things fresh, and is part of the reason Goth has survived where others haven’t.

If, however, you’re testing the waters in your local scene and are finding your local Goths not to be particularly friendly sorts, do try out other clubs and hangouts in your area, as some clubs are less welcoming than others. You might find you have to travel a while (many Goths will travel to the scene rather than wait for something to happen in their city), but it will be worth it. Once you’ve befriended a few people in the scene you’ll find you make more friends pretty quickly. If all else fails, track down a club that plays your favourite tracks and befriend the DJ; DJs tend to know the scene very well and will be able to introduce you to new people and suggest good clubs.

Myth 8: “Goths all wear the same things. It’s like a uniform”

Busted! Remember when we looked at the differences between the Goth scene, the emo scene and the metal scene? Remember when I mentioned the large number of cross-overs and splinter-groups? There’s a huge amount of variation, individuality and innovation in the different sections of the Goth subculture. If you’ve looked at my article on the different subgroups you’ll have some idea of the different basic styles that are possible, and remember, new combinations and sub-subgroups are appearing all the time. Personally, I don’t see that much visual common-ground between a leather-and-fishnet-clad rivethead, a corseted Romantigoth with flowing hair and ruffled petticoats, and a neon-garbed, synthetic-dreaded Cybergoth.

This gaggle of Cybergoths show off influences from science-fiction, period costume, BDSM fashion and beyond. Note the difference between these guys and the people in the other pictures

I think this particular myth has arisen from three things: one, unless you’re really familiar with the scene, you’re unlikely to be able to pick out Goths in the street because in their day-to-day lives many don’t dress in a particularly recognisable way; they might even be wearing colours! Secondly, unless you go to a Goth club, you’ll only really see Goths in their everyday garb, which is, of course, a lot less flamboyant and extravagant than what they might wear to clubs or gigs. And third, people tend to focus on the things that Goths have in common, the dark colours, the heavy makeup and so on, rather than the things that set them apart. But by that logic, people who follow mainstream fashion all look the same, and, hell, everyone on earth looks the same.

What is true is that Goth fashions do have common roots and common aesthetics. We draw heavily from period fashions (particularly Victorian mourning costumes and medieval outfits), from punk fashion and from BDSM culture. We favour dark and jewel toned colours, elaborate or striking makeup, boots, and extravagant hairstyles, often dyed exotic colours, backcombed to oblivion or accentuated with extensions. If you have a good look at some of the photos I’ve included in this article, you should be able to see just how much we can do with black!

Just to prove my credentials: this shifty-looking individual with smudged lipstick and terrible hair is me, sporting a 2010 M’era Luna t-shirt and slightly too much jewellery.

If you’d like to look into the dark and wonderful world of Goth a bit more, let me point you towards the following marvellous resources:

Gothic Charm School: It’s a website, it’s a book, it’s a youtube series… It’s very handy! Jilian Venters, “The Lady of the Manners”, provides etiquette tips for Goths along with vital information about the scene itself. Her youtube series is particularly handy for the basics.

Goth Chic by Gavin Baddeley is an essential guide to the history of the Goth scene, it’s music, it’s sexuality and the film, literature and television that inspire it. Unlike many writers who have dealt with the Goth scene, Baddeley is fairly tolerant and unbiased in his treatment.

Goth: Vamps and Dandies by Gavin Baddeley is a beautiful book for anyone interested in the development of Goth fashion, illustrating the inspiration and the ways modern Goths use it.

Mick Mercer’s website is full of interesting archives and the latest reviews of Goth music. If you’re looking for a place to start building your Goth collection, this is it.

The History of Goth on DJ Pete Scathe’s website is an excellent resource for pictures and information on the very beginnings of the Goth scene, in the days of Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sex Gang Children and the Birthday Party. For anyone who doubts the links between punk and Goth, this is the place to look. He also includes an excellent selection of early promo videos and interviews that capture the essence of the Batcave sound

For more on the earlier days of the scene this article from Stylus magazine is useful, especially the list of “essential” Goth records.

If you’d like to read more of my articles on the subject, please have a look at:

Baby Bats to Eldergoths a guide to 21st Century Goth Culture

Hate Crimes Would You Kill Someone Because Of The Way They Dressed

The Goth Dictionary

Aggrotech – An aggressive, electronic subgenre of Industrial music

Babybat – A younger Goth (usually in their teens). Sometimes used derogatively to refer to younger Goths less familiar with the scene and more influenced by media portrayals of Goths.

Batcave – An infamous early Goth club in London, and more widely a term used for the sort of music played by the bands that used to perform there, such as Specimen, Alien Sex Fiend and Sex Gang Children.

Batcaver – Someone who has attended the Batcave, especially in its early days. An older Goth.

Bleep/Bleepy – Affectionate (or at least sarcastic) term for electronic music, particularly EBM (see below), possibly derived from the “Bleep” floor at Slimelight (see even further below)

Candygoth – A cheerful Goth who favours bright or “candy” colours.

Cactus – A spiky accessory
Corbeau – French term meaning “raven” used to refer to Batcavers, Eldergoths and/or fans of Trad Goth

Corp Goth – A Goth who works in the business sector, but also the types of clothing they adopt (eg pinstripe suits, pencil skirts) which some Goths now wear at clubs.

Crowface – Makeup inspired by the comic book and movie franchise “the Crow”. Not usually considered a good look.

Cybergoth – A particular subgenre of Goth characterised by glowsticks, synthetic dreadlocks, UV lights and a love of EBM (see below)

Cyberfalls  - Synthetic dreadlocks worn by Cybergoths, usually made of brightly coloured yarn and varying types of plastic and attached to the hair around a ponytail or bunchies.

Dark Cabaret – Genre of music inspired by cabaret, vaudeville and the Weimar Republic.

Darkwave – Genre of music that developed in the late 70s, best described as a combination of New Wave and Post Punk.

Deathhawk – A gothic variant of the Mohawk hairstyle; generally quite long, backcombed and dyed black.

Deathrock – A genre of music that combines punk and Goth, originally from the West Coast of America and using horror elements (and lyrics about zombies).

Deathrocker – A fan of deathrock, particularly one who wears layers of fishnet tights and has a deathhawk.

Doom Cookie – A derogative term used for a Goth (usually a man) who takes the angsty and depressive stereotype a little too far.

EBM – A genre of electronic music heavily influenced by dance music beloved of cybergoths.

Eldergoth – An older Goth, especially one who remembers the early days of the scene, and especially one who moans about the state of the scene today.

Fat Bob  - Nickname of Robert Smith, lead singer of the Cure, originally given to him by Siouxsie Sioux after he gained weight and started wearing unflattering oversized shirts.

Gloom Cookie – Synonymous with “Doom Cookie”; a (usually female) Goth who overdoes it on the depression. Also the name of a long-running Goth-friendly comic series.

Goth card – Fictitious membership card, usually part of a joke, e.g. “Uh-oh, a white t-shirt, hand over your Goth card!”

Goth points – Fictitious reward points for doing something suitably gothic, again usually part of a friendly joke, e.g. “Reading Dracula by candlelight and listening to Bauhaus at the same time? Wow, how many Goth points is that?”

Gothabilly – Gothic rockabilly music.

Gothanista – A gothic fashionista

Gothdom – Goth society as a whole

Gother than Thou – A rather unpopular attitude held by some Goths who like to think they’re more gothic than everyone else. Also the name of a very silly and very ironic card game.

Gothing up – Dressing up in gothic garb ready to go out clubbing or to a concert.

Gothling – A young Goth

Gothwalk (or Goth Two Step)  - A style of dance popular in clubs in the 90s

Gothy – Light-hearted way of saying “gothic”, sometimes used to differentiate between “gothic” as in related to the subculture and “gothic” referring to the wide gothic tradition (e.g. art, literature, architecture etc)

Graver – A Goth who goes to raves

Gruftie – A German Goth (the word literally means “Crypt-dweller”)

Insta-goth – A Goth whose wardrobe came as off-the-shelf from a shop like Hot Topic.

J-goth – Western term for gothic-influenced subcultures from Japan, such as Gothic Lolita and EGA (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat). Although Japan’s brand of Goth derives from the glam-pop showmanship of Visual Kei and thus doesn’t have an awful lot in common with Western Goth, it’s not unusual to see someone in Visual Kei or Gothloli garb at a club.

Kindergoth – A younger Goth (sometimes used derogatively)

LARPGoth – A Live Action Role Player who is mistaken for a Goth while role playing

Loligoth – (Or Gothloli) Gothic Lolita, a fashion from Japan characterised by frills, ringlets and petticoats.

Mall goth – Derogative term for a younger Goth who hangs out in and buys their clothes from the mall. Obviously this term is used more commonly in America than in the UK.

Mansonite – A fan of Marilyn Manson. (Goths have derogative terms for fans of bands that the mainstream media considers gothic but Goths do not, Manson being a prime example of this.

M’era Luna – Goth festival held in Hildesheim in Germany

Mundies – Derogative term, usually used by younger Goths, to refer to non-Goths. Short for “mundane”

The Murph – Nickname of Peter Murphy, lead singer of Bauhaus

Neofolk – Genre of music that combines industrial music with folk, using folk instruments such as bagpipes, hurdy-gurdies and accordions.

Neue Deutsche Harte – Subgenre of industrial music from Germany characterised by stompy, militaristic overtones and harsh Teutonic accents. Bands like Oomp!, Rammstein, Unheilig and Laibach are good examples.

NINny – A fan of Nine Inch Nails (used derogatively in a similar sense to “Mansonite”)

Nine Inch Heels – A tarty Goth

Normals – Derogative term for non-Goths (usually used by younger Goths)

Not-a-goth – Someone who is, to all intents and purposes, incredibly gothic but vehemently denies that they are a Goth, usually because they don’t want to be associated with the scene for whatever reason (often because of negative media portrayals). Siouxsie Sioux, Peter Murphy, Andrew Eldritch and even Tim Burton are prime examples of Not-a-goths

Oh My Goth! – Sarcastic exclamation

Perkygoth – A happy Goth (though to be honest most Goths are happy, have a sense of humour and enjoy dancing to a good piece of cheesy music)

Poseur – The ultimate insult: someone who is pretending to be more gothic than they really are, wearing clothes they’re not comfortable in or professing knowledge of a band they’ve never heard

Post punk – An experimental genre of music that came after punk but before Goth, often quite atonal or stark.

Psychobilly – A particularly unhinged subgenre of rockabilly popular with some Goths and deathrockers, and characterised by lurid lyrics that make frequent reference to lowbrow culture and B-movies.

Rivet Head – A fan of industrial music, particularly someone who wears trenchcoats, stompy boots and assorted hardware.

Romantigoth – A Goth who favours the more literary and historical side of the scene, typically with an interest in art, Victoriana and all things Medieval.

Slimes – Shortened nickname for Slimelight, London’s notorious long-running Goth club.

SOPHIE – Charity started up by the family of Sophie Lancaster, a Goth girl who was beaten to death by thugs because of the way she dressed. The charity aims to educate children and young people in tolerance of people from all races, backgrounds and cultures, and has had considerable support from within the scene. For more information visit http://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/

Spooky Kid – See Mansonite

Spot the Goth – A “game” of trying to find other Goths, especially if it’s in a place where they aren’t usually found

Steampunk – Subculture derived from a literary genre that combines science fiction with Victoriana. Steampunks can often be found at Goth clubs since, although the subcultures are separate, there’s quite a cross-over. Some people jokingly refer to Steampunk as “brown Goth”

Swampy – Musical scene from Australia that predates Goth but influenced it (the Birthday Party, Nick Cave’s post punk band were part of this scene)

Tourist – Someone who isn’t a Goth but goes to Goth clubs either to see what they’re like or to gawk at the Goths (the latter aren’t nearly as popular)

Trad  - “Traditional” or “Old-School” Goth. Someone who favours the fishnet, velvet and lace look with a side helping of Siouxsie, the Sisters and Bauhaus.

Ubergoth – Someone who is the epitome of Goth. Either used positively to describe someone who has a natural flair for all things macabre or sarcastically to describe someone who is trying a bit too hard.

Von – “Von Eldritch”, nickname of Andrew Eldritch, lead singer of the Sisters of Mercy

Waver – A fan of Darkwave, particularly one with an 80s-inspired big hairdo

Weekender – Someone who is only gothic in at the weekends

WGT – Wave Gottik Treffen, a Gothic festival in Leipzig (also referred to simply as “Leipzig”)

Whitby – The Whitby Goth Weekends held in April and October

Wobble – Dance badly, e.g. “Right, time to go for a wobble” (this caught on a bit at Vagabonds in London as a self-deprecating joke, and I’m determined to make it spread!)

For more on Goth subgroups, see my article.

I notice this article has been getting a fair few views and that’s nice, but please bear in mind this is designed for people who don’t know the subculture well and is just a little tongue-in-cheek. I’m not trying to put people in boxes, just to show outsides quite how versatile the scene is. I have hung out with Bauhaus though.

Trad Goths

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Sometimes also referred to as “80s Goths”, these people prefer the original, early Goth look which grew out of the punk rock scene. Big, back-combed hair and heavy makeup are preferred along with mostly black clothing, leather jackets or trench-coats, big boots and plenty of fishnet, this is a look heavily influenced by punk and by mainstream 80s fashion. Some go for large amounts of jewellery and piercings, others go for more minimal accessories, but studded collars and armlets are pretty common. Music is very important to Trad Goths, preferring early Goth music with bands like Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Sisters of Mercy and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will often be found on a Trad Goth’s favourites, but you’ll often find them hanging around the corners of clubs complaining about EBM (electronic body music, see below) and glow sticks, while they sip their snakebite. They will often talk about the 80s, even if they’re too young to remember the decade! Trad Goths who were around in the beginning, especially those who ever went to the famous Batcave Club, are often referred to as Elder Goths, and generally respected by other Goths.

RomantiGoths

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A shortening of “Romantic Goths” some people also call these guys Trad Goths since their style has more in common with the usual stereotype of a Goth. Their focus is more on the literature and poetry of the Victorian gothic movement, more interested in Byron than Bauhaus, they are often very creative. The Romantic look is all about recalling a lost ideal, their clothing often features a lot of lace and velvet drawing inspiration from Victoriana and Medieval gowns. Music-wise, Romantic gothic music tends to be more along the lines of ethereal Darkwave than straight Goth Rock, bands like All About Eve and Black Tape For a Blue Girl will probably get a RomantiGoth dancing, although more down-tempo Sisters or the Cure tracks are popular too. Sometimes they’re referred to as “Mopey Goths” because of their brooding image, but this is unfair, and frankly, it’s a label that gets attached to anyone who habitually wears black!

Death Rockers

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Death Rock first appeared in America as the first wave of British Goth was waning, and is a mixture of traditional Goth sounds and punk rock. Death Rockers themselves are one of the most recognisable groups in the subculture with their enormous “death-hawks”, a gothic variant of a Mohawk, layers of ripped fishnets and other tights and hundreds of piercings. As well as listening to 80s Goth bands, especially those who used to play at the Batcave, such as Alien Sex Fiend, Specimen and Christian Death, and of course Death Rock bands themselves, 45 Grave are a good example, Death Rockers will often seek out the nuttiest music on the scene, from psychobilly to electro, as long as it mentions zombies or bats somewhere, Death Rockers will probably like it. They’re one of the most underground groups in the scene, but are generally very friendly and have a wicked sense of humour.

Cybergoths

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Cybers are another very recognisable group in the scene, although most Goths seem to have a love ‘em or hate ‘em attitude. Cybers particularly like the EBM genre of music, a combination of Industrial and electronic rave music, which to be fair isn’t particularly gothic. You can identify a Cyber by their futuristic clothing, huge platform shoes, multicoloured hair-falls (synthetic dreadlocks), goggles and furry legwarmers, known as “fluffies” in the UK, you can usually spot them shaking their glow-sticks on the dance-floor, their outfits are usually a lot brighter than most Goths. As the name suggests, a lot of Cybers are very into anything futuristic and technological, from videogames to Japanese anime to sci-fi. Although Cybergoth might not seem to have much in common with the rest of the scene, Cybers, like most Goths, are trying to look a certain way and to appear as something more than human: where your average Goth might want to look like a vampire, Cybers are going for something closer to a cyborg! As their musical tastes run towards dance music, cybers are often confused with “gravers” that is, Goths who go to raves.

Rivetheads

Rivetheads aren’t technically Goths, but you’ll often see them stomping across the dance-floor at your local Goth haunt. Rivets are followers of the Industrial genre, an experimental electronic hybrid of Goth and metal, and while some purists will only listen to “pure” Industrial like SPK or Throbbing Gristle (after whose record label the genre is named), others will allow more dance-influenced bands like Skinny Puppy or metal-influenced acts like Nine Inch Nails or Rammstein, which often get played at Goth venues too. Rivet style is also commonly mistaken for Goth, with their preference for trench coats, big stompy boots and plenty of hardware. With their stark hairstyles, rivet guys often have the back and sides of their head shaved, and heavy, stamping dance style, they can be a little imposing, but start a conversation about dystopian sci-fi and you’ll usually make a friend.

Baby Bats

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Also known as Spooky Kids or Kindergoths, these are Goths who are new to the culture, usually still at school. Baby Bats often prefer more mainstream dark music, such as Marilyn Manson and HIM, and are thus also known as Mansonites, the term “Spooky Kids” originally coming from one of Manson’s albums, or with the emo scene. Their taste in mainstream music often leads to ridicule from other groups, especially as the media generally perceives these guys as what Goth is today. The “Mallgoth” mentality, buying “dark” clothing and accessories from high street chains and claiming to be subversive, also annoys a lot of Goths and members of other subcultures too, but Baby Bat style is usually an experimentation period as many Baby Bats develop more varied tastes. Many Goths view Baby Bat-friendly music as a gateway into more underground styles.

Perky Goths

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Perky Goths appear in almost every group, from Death Rock to Cyber, but they’re often treated as a separate one. Perky style is a deliberate departure from the dark and brooding mood associated with most Goths; Perkies love irony, cheese and silliness. Never taking themselves too seriously, Perkies often find the daftest way to dance to a song, will gravitate towards anything cute or cartoony, and seek out a wide variety of music, from 80s synthpop like Aha and the Eurythmics, over-the-top traditional Goth like Alien Sex Fiend and Specimen, or comedy acts like Voltaire and Mindless Self Indulgence. Most Goths have a little perkiness in them somewhere, but Perky Goths are the epitome of fun and always popular in the scene.

Hippie Goths

These are, as you might guess, Goths with a streak of hippie in them. They often wear hand made clothing in a variety of colours, occasionally even tie-dyed, and can be found poking around the New Age section of the bookstore. Many Goths identify as pagan, but Hippie Goths take their beliefs very seriously, and will usually own a Tarot deck or two and spend their money on incense and crystals. Hippie Goths are dedicated to the environment, often vegetarians. Musically, their tastes usually include ethereal and dark folk music, as well as pagan rock bands like Inkubus Sukkubus. There is often a fair amount of a cross-over between Hippie Goths, “Medieval” Goths and geekier Goths, with tendencies towards role playing and historical re-enactment.

Corp Goths

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This style started off as a way for Goths to tone down their look enough to be acceptable in the workplace but not lose their style. Some consider this a genre in its own right with Goths from the Cyber and fetish scene adopting the style in clubs, but others will adopt a Corp Goth style during the week and “Goth up” at weekends. Corp Goth style usually includes well-tailored or vintage suits, brocades, pin-stripe details and the odd bat, coffin or skull sneaked in for good measure. Though there isn’t really a music genre attached to the style, some gothic musicians have toyed with the look, from post-punk revival band Interpol with their smart shirts, to darkwave stars the Crüxshadows appearing onstage in bespoke suits, even Marylin Manson has made the Goth-in-a-suit look popular. The look is very popular and can be found almost everywhere, a colleague of my father’s even used to come to work in a PVC pinstripe suit!

Vampire Goths

You’ll come across one or two of these in every Goth club, Goths who will tell you over and over again that they really are vampires, no honestly they are, really! Though the connection between vampires and Goths has been there since the beginning, Bauhaus’ first single was called “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” after all, these guys take it to the extreme. Styling their appearance as closely as possible to something from Anne Rice’s novels or Hammer Horror movies, Vampire Goths will even wear fake fangs when out on the town. Since most Goth bands have released at least one vampire-related song, Vampire Goths have the pick of the pops, as it were. They can be great fun to be around, just so long as they don’t take it too seriously and make for your throat!

Historical Goths

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Some Goths choose to style themselves on specific periods rather than bands or movies, most commonly either Medieval or Victorian costumes. Some will go for historical accuracy and re-enactment, while others choose rather to evoke the mood of a period. Medieval Goths’ style can mix Tudor and Renaissance costuming, but most have a fixation with swords and mead! Victorian Goths prefer tea and parasols, many going for the most accurate look they can manage. Of course there’s a lot of cross-over with other Goth styles, but the main difference is that where others will pick and choose antique styles and combine them with other ideas, the Historical Goth tends to stick to one period only.

J-Goths

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J-Goth styles come from the Harajuku street fashions of Japan, where although gothic fashion abounds the music associated with it has more in common with glam, punk and pop, known as Visual Kei. One of the most popular J-Goth looks is the Gothic Lolita style, a look designed to make the wearer look as much as possible like a china doll, with elements of Lolita, Alice in Wonderland and French maids. Lolita fashion has struck a chord with westerners and many western Goths have started to combine the style with more traditional looks. Other J-Goth fashions, like the Elegant Gothic Aristocrat style, has more in common with the Victorian styles popular in the West.  

Steampunks

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Steampunk started off as a literary genre, an equivalent to cyberpunk but set during the golden age of steam-powered contraptions, usually combining science-fiction and fantasy elements. However the strong visuals of the genre soon grew into a subculture and although not all steampunks are Goths, there are many overlapping features, and steampunk-inspired outfits are becoming an increasingly common sight in clubs. Steampunk takes its cues from Victorian and Edwardian fashion, but unlike the dark colour-scheme favoured by most Goths, steampunks usually prefer brown and sepia tones, picked out with brass accessories. Cogs, bits of clocks, goggles and leather are common steam materials, with an emphasis on home made and DIY works. Steampunks are always impressive and tend to carry around accessories with endless possibilities for fun, someone arrived at the local Goth club last month carrying a home-made ray gun prop! Although there isn’t really any steampunk music as such, some bands flirt with steampunk styles, particularly Industrial group Abney Park, singer and violinist Emilie Autumn, and string Industrial group Rasputina.

Gothabilly

A fusion of psychobilly with gothic imagery, the Gothabilly’s tastes usually include psychobilly favourites like the Cramps and the Horrorpops as well as genre-specific bands like the Cult of the Psychic Fetus, Psychonauts and Nekromantix. In terms of fashion, Gothabillies choose 50s inspired outfits and tattoo art, weather-beaten hats and leather jackets, with women’s hairstyles with a heavy fringe (bangs, for the Americans out there) resembling Betty Paige. The style is very popular in the Californian Goth scene, but hasn’t really broken into British Goth as yet, so I confess it’s a little of a mystery to me.

Dark Cabaret

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Dark Cabaret has long been clawing at the edges of Goth, with inspirational artists like David Bowie and Klaus Nomi adding cabaret-influences to their work. When Goth took hold in the 80s, some gothic artists also toyed with the genre, most notably Andi Sexgang on his solo album Arco Valley and Siouxsie and the Banshees on their single “Peek-a-boo”. Recently it has become a genre in its own right, with artists like the Dresden Dolls, Voltaire and the Deadfly Ensemble combining gothic imagery, social commentary and a retro feel. In terms of fashion, dark cabaret enthusiasts can be seen sporting burlesque-style corsets, stockings and bustles along with bowler hats and heavy makeup, the key here to appear classy but sexy, a femme fatale look for the girls and a mime-like figure for guys.