Gothic rock

:This article is about notable bands within the goth scene. For the goth scene in general, see Goth.

First generation (c. 1979–c. 1985)

Associating the Goth subculture with the first generation of gothic bands can be a bit controversial. This is because "gothic" started out as a label and these groups labeled as such were part of the greater punk/post punk/new wave scene. The result is that not all of the punks and new wavers who liked these groups were necessarily a part of the Goth scene. It is almost guaranteed that associating any one of those early bands with Goth may spark angry protests from fans who are not goths and don't want their favorite band associated with them. Sometimes even the band itself does this (The Sisters of Mercy for example). This even happens with some of the bands that came around after Goth started turning into a distinct subculture and the band in question were very much involved in it (for example Alien Sex Fiend), despite being actively a part of the scene will get denied gothic rock status. However, regardless of this heated issue, these early groups are where gothic rock had its origins despite this controversy.

Related Topics:
Goth subculture - Gothic - Punk - Post punk - New wave - The Sisters of Mercy - Subculture - Alien Sex Fiend

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Each of the early bands had much in common with the punk movement, though any similarity with punk was owed to the fact that that was the scene from which they were emerging, and were attempting (whether consciously or unconsciously) to leave behind. What is most notable about the core early '80s post punk bands is that, typical to their punk roots, they had a general distaste for labels, presumably seeing such things as anathema to creative expression http://www.gothics.org/subculture/articles/undead.php. In recent years, the tendency has swung almost entirely the other way, with many bands being quick to label themselves as goth.

Related Topics:
'80s - Post punk

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With some exceptions, such as Christian Death from Los Angeles, the Virgin Prunes from Ireland, and Xmal Deutschland from Germany, most of these first gothic rock groups were British.

Related Topics:
Christian Death - Virgin Prunes - Xmal Deutschland

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The first post punk/new wave groups later to be labeled Gothic were Joy Division and Siouxsie & the Banshees in 1979. They seem to have been a part of a wave of bands developing a haunting sound between 1978 and 1979, two other examples of this trend were Public Image Ltd and Killing Joke. Though these groups may not have been part of the Goth scene that sprung up a few years later, they were very influential. Among influential albums by Siouxsie & the Banshees would be everything put out between their debut album The Scream (1978) and Nocturne (1983). Joy Division were short lived and did not leave much of a legacy because their vocalist Ian Curtis committed suicide, but the two albums they put out, Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980), were both gothic in sound and also influential. The remaining members of Joy Division became New Order and New Order's first album Movement (1981) continued Joy Division's influential gothic style. New Order afterwards turned into a New Wave/dance group but not before the British press began slamming Gothic rock groups, such as Danse Society, as New Order rip offs.

Related Topics:
Joy Division - Siouxsie & the Banshees - 1978 - 1979 - Public Image Ltd - Killing Joke - Goth - Ian Curtis - New Order - Dance - Danse Society

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As the gothic label began to stick to Joy Division and Siouxsie & the Banshees in 1979, then came Bauhaus, originally called Bauhaus 1919. They started out wearing plain jeans and t-shirts, but after appearing on the same bill as Gloria Mundi (who looked and sounded gothic yet remained unknown since nobody ever saw them), Bauhaus ended up having a make over, dressing in all black and wearing make up. Strongly influenced by English Glam rock, such as David Bowie and T. Rex, Bauhaus's debut single Bela Lugosi's Dead, referring to horror film star Bela Lugosi and released in late 1979, is considered to be the gothic anthem that sparked several people to follow in their gothic footsteps.

Related Topics:
Bauhaus - Gloria Mundi - Glam rock - David Bowie - T. Rex - Bela Lugosi's Dead - Horror film - Bela Lugosi - Anthem

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More bands came along in 1980-1981, among them were Danse Society, Theatre of Hate, Play Dead, and The Sisters of Mercy. In February 1981, Abbo from UK Decay jokingly labeled this emerging movement "gothic" and so it went from being a label for a few bands to a label for a movement. UK Decay started out as a punk band in the late 1970s and, though they sounded very gothic since their beginning, they became more important in the emerging scene of the early 1980s.

Related Topics:
Danse Society - Theatre of Hate - Play Dead - The Sisters of Mercy - Abbo - UK Decay

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The Cure also started developing their own goth sound. Their contribution to the goth genre is centered around Faith, Seventeen Seconds, Pornography and Disintegration (1989). This sound originated from the song "Three Imaginary Boys" on the first album (Three Imaginary Boys, 1979), which is generally considered closer to being a New Wave album.

Related Topics:
The Cure - Faith - Seventeen Seconds - Pornography - Disintegration - 1989 - Three Imaginary Boys - 1979

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The origins of Gothic fashion can be traced to Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bauhaus, and The Cure, though some mention should be given to The Damned, a 1977 punk band whos lead singer Dave Vanian dressed up as a vampire for kicks. Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Cure have retained their goth imagery throughout their careers, but their music has strayed from the Gothic style. After the Nocturne album, Siouxsie's output shifted to softer focus on Gothic themes. Bauhaus remained a consistently Gothic band up until their break up in 1983. Some members of Bauhaus had a side project called Tones on Tail and continued with it during the mid 1980's, releasing Gothic music influenced strongly by Pet Sounds-era The Beach Boys and psychedelia.

Related Topics:
Gothic fashion - Siouxsie & the Banshees - Bauhaus - The Cure - The Damned - Dave Vanian - Vampire - Goth imagery - Tones on Tail - Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys - Psychedelia

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Early Gary Numan material from Tubeway Army to The Pleasure Principle can be considered goth. The use of analog synths and subject matter were a definite influence on later goth bands. His imagery & fashion have influenced contemporary goth Cyberpunk fashion.

Related Topics:
Gary Numan - Tubeway Army - The Pleasure Principle - Goth - Analog synths - Cyberpunk

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1982 saw Gothic rock turn into a full on sub-culture, not just because of the emergence of bands like Gene Loves Jezebel, Sex Gang Children, Southern Death Cult, March Violets, Specimen, and Alien Sex Fiend, but because it saw the opening of the Batcave in London, a venue with the purpose of reinventing David Bowie style glam rock with a darker, horror-type twist. Some members of gothic rock bands began hanging out there and it ended up becoming the prototype goth club. By 1984, music played by the DJs there ranged from Siouxsie, the Cramps, Sweet, Specimen, Eddie Cochran, and Death Cult. 1982-83 also saw the gothic rock scene gaining a lot of media attention from the British press and venues similar to the Batcave started popping up all over England.

Related Topics:
Sub-culture - Gene Loves Jezebel - Sex Gang Children - Southern Death Cult - March Violets - Specimen - Alien Sex Fiend - Batcave - David Bowie - Glam rock - Goth club - DJ - The Cramps - Sweet - Eddie Cochran - Death Cult

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From the late seventies onward, the Death Rock movement in Los Angeles, California was on the rise, with such bands as Christian Death (formed 1979), Gun Club (1981), 45 Grave, and Kommunity FK (c. 1983). At the time that Christian Death were recording their debut album Only Theatre of Pain in 1982, frontman Rozz Williams knew of the goth scene in England but had not yet heard any of those bands. Christian Death soon became popular in France and started touring Europe and England in 1984. Their second two albums Catastrophe Ballet and Ashes showed more direct influence from goth as Rozz Williams became interested in surrealism and the dada movement. The Gun Club also started playing in Europe and England a lot, often opening up for the Sisters of Mercy. cEvin Key's and Nivek Ogre's Skinny Puppy (formed c. 1982), were also doing their "thing", quite apart from the Death Rock scene. Whilst all of these groups began as quite distinct from goth, they soon began to be equated with it, and are now recognised as strong early influences. Many fans of early gothic rock are embracing a Death rock revival, as a return to the original music and fashions of the first generation of goth.

Related Topics:
Seventies - Death Rock - Los Angeles, California - Christian Death - 1979 - Gun Club - 45 Grave - Kommunity FK - Rozz Williams - Catastrophe Ballet - Surrealism - Dada movement - Sisters of Mercy - CEvin Key - Nivek Ogre - Skinny Puppy - 1982 - Goth

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Goth was as much a continental European phenomenon as it was British or American. At the same time that Bauhaus and Christian Death were forming in those countries, in Germany (home to the largest modern gothic festival, the yearly Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig which started in 1992) were such dark bands as Xmal Deutschland formed 1980, Die Krupps formed 1981, and Pink Turns Blue. Belgium gave rise to electronic body music (EBM) with influence from bands such as Kraftwerk and the early EBM band Front 242 formed in 1981. Meanwhile, Amsterdam had Clan of Xymox formed in 1983.

Related Topics:
Goth - Bauhaus - Christian Death - Wave Gotik Treffen - Leipzig - Xmal Deutschland - 1980 - Die Krupps - Pink Turns Blue - Electronic body music - EBM - Kraftwerk - Front 242 - Clan of Xymox

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Australia also deserves a mention, the emerging movement there characterised by Nick Cave's second band, The Birthday Party formed c. 1979 and later moving to London.

Related Topics:
Nick Cave - The Birthday Party

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