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Important Black Artists for Goths part 2

Rock N’ Roll

  • Chuck Berry- THIS DUDE IS PUNK ROCK YA PHONIES!! He and James Brown didn’t just perform THEY EXERCISED DEMONS! You wonder how they come out alive. So many punks, protopunks, and rock musicians have cited him as an influence I don’t know where to start. 
  • Screamin’ Jay Hawkins- If you check out just one artist I’ve listed if has got to be this man. HE IS GOTHIC. More Gothic than most “Goth” bands. Just listen to “I hear voices” or watch his famous “I put a spell on you”  MOTHERFUCKER COMES OUT OF A CASKET DEATH OPENS! Oh and he wrote that song in 1956, Alice Cooper, when you were 8 years old. JUST SKIM OVER HIS TRACKLISTING OR LOOK AT HIS PHOTOS!! I’m sorry, but this is it. Check and mate, racist exclusionary Goths (who probably won’t read this) THE DAY IS MINE!
  • Little Richard I cannot explain these three people’s importance
  • Aretha Franklin to Rock n Roll. Anyone who doesn’t get that 
  • James Brown needs to start music all over.
  • Jimi Hendrix -It’s hard to know what to say after Screamin Jay. But how can anyone listen to Hendrix’s rendition of The Starbangled Banner- made to ‘sound like’ the Vietnam War and not be struck by what an avante garde genius he was? To me the precedent for later Death Rock is abundantly clear. Also, if you honestly dig a genre who’s cornerstone is distorted guitars, be thankful for this man. 

Punk

  • Don Letts -  Don Letts is most famous for being Punk’s official documentarian. He directed The Punk Rock Movie in 1977, the only documentary to show The Sex Pistols, Clash, and other UK Punk bands. He directed over 300 music videos, he produced the Slits and worked with the Clash. He was also in Big Audio Dynamite. Goths might be most interested to know he was the DJ at London’s first Punk club, The Roxy, where people like Dave Vanian, Siouxsie Sioux, Robert Smith, and Gary Numan would meet and collaborate.
  • Bad Brains- AfroPunk Hardcore band
  • Jean Beauviour- Played bass/synth for the Plasmatics and collaborated with the Ramones
  • Poly Styrene - singer/frontwoman for X Ray Specs
  • DH Peligro- Drummer for the Dead Kennedys
  • Rick Royale- Drummer for Reagan Youth
  • Aaron Smith- drummed for Romeo Void
  • Pat Smear - The Germs
  • The Specials - Prominent “two tone” (mixed race) punk band
  • The English Beat- Prominent Two-Tone band

Goth

  • Andy Anderson - drummer for The Cure 1983-1984
  • Pat Smear - bassist for 45 Grave, Nina Hagen (he’s been in a lot of bands)
  • Mikey Craig - Bassist for Southern Death Cult (and later Culture Club)
  • And yet again, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

If you missed it, here is Part 1.

Can you be Black and Goth?

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I think it’s absolute bullshit.

There are just three things I want to say about it now.

However, I plan to do a follow up post because some people (mostly one blog) have been popularizing bigotry in the community, largely through lazy low brow racist jokes. Before I start, I have to say; “lazy low-brow racist joke” is as fucking far from Goth as you can get. I will call Richard Simmons Gothic before someone who mongers that shit any fucking day.

First, there truly is a community here for you! It may not seem that way because the stupidest people are always the loudest (and, honestly, you’re often impacted more by something hurtful than something kind or innocuous.) If you haven’t already, please check out blacksheepgoths right now. My post will wait here for you, which is nice about blogging. [LIST OF MORE LINKS AT BOTTOM]

Secondly, the Goth counterculture has nothing to do with race. Or ethnicity, or where you were born, who you date, who you sleep with, if you sleep with anyone, how well you see, how often you floss, if you use plastic bags at the grocery store or bring your own, and a whole lot of other shit. It’s not the Klan, the Nation of Islam, the Boyscouts, etc. meaning it is not an organized institution founded with the explicit purpose of uniting people of the same race, religion, gender, etc. to murder those people’s perceived enemies, defend that people’s rights, or make many heterosexual knots with those people.

It’s not an institution, it’s not even organized. It’s more religiously diverse than any other counter culture I can think of, it stretches around the globe, and here’s the central thing IT WAS FOUNDED WITH THE INTENT TO CREATE AND ENJOY MUSIC. Sure, the fashion, literature, poetry, philosophy and humor are all essential parts of the scene, which all contribute to it’s essence, but the foundation is the music. This leads me to my last point for this post.

There wouldn’t be Gothic Rock without Black people. I wish I could just say, DON LETTS and the proverbial light would turn on for everyone* but there is much more work to be done, I SERIOUSLY CAN’T JUST SAY “PUNK” you guys; what were the biggest influences on Punk music?! Rock and Roll, Delta Blues, and Reggae!! (Glam of the Velvet underground variety, and Celtic folk I happily grant you!)

You know, I don’t actually look down on most people who can’t automatically list some important Black musicians for the Goth culture because it’s so often overlooked it would be unreasonable of me to do so. I don’t think it’s even out of hate or bias for 95% of people, we don’t know enough about our QUEER history for fuck’s sake (WHICH IS NEARLY ALL OF IT!!!).

Nope, I need to stop yelling.

Gothic music so esoteric to begin with, to get back into the best parts of the story doesn’t happen overnight, but for now let me at least link you this excellent article with the promise I’ll get off my damn soapbox and be more cool about this when I do my follow up. 

(Do I need to make a whole other rant for Latinos, because they are such an enormous part of the scene now and also largely left out?)

*not “everyone” that’s patronizing many of you could school me I’m sure

Further (better) reading:

That’s a very familiar story, and it makes me sad. The Gothic subculture does NOT come with a uniform. It’s very human to want to oversimplify things; it’s our shared compulsion to try to put things in neat, black-and-white categories, but that just isn’t how reality rolls. If you look at enough photos of the super-Goths, even they didn’t/don’t dress like Elvira 24/7. Siouxsie tried everything from topless punk, buzzcut military, to nothing but flowers, to elegant ball gowns. There are an abundance of super cute photos of Robert Smith in his own Stevie Nicks type vintage look of many colors - even white! /heavens!/  Andrew- oh let’s not just this once. Carl McCoy dresses like some kind of dirty, voodoo cowboy. Nick Cave dresses like some kind of dirty, voodoo, predatory, lounge singer. Niether Rozz nor Valor looked anything like Dave Vanian, and his shirtless animal teen days look nothing like his Romantic Phantasmagoria days, look nothing like his biker/rockabilly days, look nothing like his mad scientist… that’s enough, right? It was actually much later when “Goth” was cut down by the mainstream into the current Gomez and Morticia stereotypes. There’s nothing wrong with that! BUT, that is just one sliver on the vast spectrum of Goth fashion. Happens to everyone. Just look at old school punks and compare them to the stereotype, that’s a whole other rant… but damn… Any way look at trad Goths then look at Lolitas; have I convinced you yet? I say you’re a Goth-at-heart (which is so cute) maybe even a Goth. My stance is; fashion is great but the music is the main thing. It’s a matter of contention in the scene, but I think how you look is just one minor aspect of the culture; If you listen to the music, like the literature, art, movies, humor, community - you are part of it.
Zoom

That’s a very familiar story, and it makes me sad.

  • The Gothic subculture does NOT come with a uniform. It’s very human to want to oversimplify things; it’s our shared compulsion to try to put things in neat, black-and-white categories, but that just isn’t how reality rolls. If you look at enough photos of the super-Goths, even they didn’t/don’t dress like Elvira 24/7.
  • Siouxsie tried everything from topless punk, buzzcut military, to nothing but flowers, to elegant ball gowns.
  • There are an abundance of super cute photos of Robert Smith in his own Stevie Nicks type vintage look of many colors - even white! /heavens!/
  •  Andrew- oh let’s not just this once.
  • Carl McCoy dresses like some kind of dirty, voodoo cowboy.
  • Nick Cave dresses like some kind of dirty, voodoo, predatory, lounge singer.
  • Niether Rozz nor Valor looked anything like Dave Vanian, and his shirtless animal teen days look nothing like his Romantic Phantasmagoria days, look nothing like his biker/rockabilly days, look nothing like his mad scientist… that’s enough, right?

It was actually much later when “Goth” was cut down by the mainstream into the current Gomez and Morticia stereotypes. There’s nothing wrong with that! BUT, that is just one sliver on the vast spectrum of Goth fashion. Happens to everyone. Just look at old school punks and compare them to the stereotype, that’s a whole other rant… but damn… Any way look at trad Goths then look at Lolitas; have I convinced you yet?

I say you’re a Goth-at-heart (which is so cute) maybe even a Goth.

My stance is; fashion is great but the music is the main thing.

It’s a matter of contention in the scene, but I think how you look is just one minor aspect of the culture; If you listen to the music, like the literature, art, movies, humor, community - you are part of it.

You want to know why I hate you? Well, I'll try and explain...

  • Perky:

    /knock/knock/knock/ Elder, I have a surprise for you!

  • Elder:

    Go away.

  • Batcave:

    SunerRIZEicomevRymRNINg!

  • Elder:

    Batcave? /flings open door/ You're back! /hugs/ FUCK YOU, YOU LEFT ME! /slams door/

  • Perky:

    Wha- but... you... all you wanted was Batcave back!

  • Batcave:

    bababa boooooteeful

  • Perky:

    Now, now, there's no way Elder will sulk for days, we'll come back in 5 min!

  • ~2 weeks later~

  • Postpunker:

    So you finally came out... OF THE HOUSE, of your house.

  • Perky:

    Yeah, but Elder still isn't talking yet.

  • Batcave:

    Soooootured.

  • Postpunker:

    I know, I brought hir a present.

  • Perky:

    I don't know, dear. I left cupcakes on Elder's doorstep Wednesday, and ze set them on fire. My homemade cupcakes... so pretty...

  • Mallgoth:

    Hey, guys, so this is where we hang out? Took you long enough to invite me. Are we gonna do some meth, or some sacrificing or what?

  • Postpunker:

    A sacrifice.

  • Perky:

    Oh, heavens to Siouxsie! What kind of "gift" is this?

  • Mallgoth:

    Hey, baby, is that a Cure shirt? You really think they're GOFF ENUFF?

  • Elder:

    /twitch/

  • Perky:

    WHAT?

  • Mallgoth:

    I mean Friday I'm in Love, Just Like Heaven, Boys Don't Cry- it's really just pop when you think about it. I like Slipknot, ever heard of it?

  • Elder:

    /supertwitch/ THAT'S IT, GOETHE DAMMIT!! What albums do you actually know? Disintegration?

  • Mallgoth:

    Galore, the disco one.

  • Perky:

    Your confusing the greatest hits album with-

  • Eldergoth:

    I have a compilation for you, buddy! I'm going to drag you to a cage in my basement flat and we can listen to The Same Deep Water As You, Apart, How Beautiful You Are, Faith, then all of Pornography, and finally we'll listen to Charlotte Sometimes on repeat until we kill ourselves.

  • Perky:

    ELDER!

  • Eldergoth:

    *Want* to kill ourselves. AH hahahahHAhahahahahAHaha!!

  • Mallgoth:

    Help me.

  • Postpunker:

    It is done.

  • Perky:

    Well, it's nice to see hir talk and laugh again!

  • ...(we got to get that cage away from Elder)

Anonymous

Anonymous asked:

Dearest anyone-who-is-listening, I am a babybat who recently bought herself a skein of transparent-ish black spiderweb-motifed (pretty sure motif-ed isn't a word but~) cloth, about 2 metres by 1 metres long. Any suggestions on what I should actually do with it?

Elder: Ooooo! Very nice! My first thought is a great covering for light fixtures. It would be wonderful as veneer for lampshades; just not black ones, I would think.

You could make your own hanging shade using same-sized or concentric wooden circles to shape the material around a hanging bulb, chandelier you aren’t too fond of, or in place of the fixture on a ceiling fan. You can always just cut it up and through it over lamps and candles too! :) 

Perky: I would use it as a layer over a solid-colored dress, skirt, or shirt that needs more character. Depending on the material; you could sew it into a peasant top to wear over the item(s), or sew it on the item(s) as an extra layer. The easiest thing to do though, would be to simply use it as an adorable shawl! With as much material as you have, there are many options open! Good luck, I hope it’s fun!

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