Gothic subculture began in England in the 80's but it can be found in many countries. Deriving from the Punk and Glam culture, Old English literature and horror films. The movement has outlasted any other in that same era, continuing to diversify to BDSM, Fetish and Pervs. The goth subculture has it's own distinct music, aesthetics, and fashion sense. The music of the goth subculture comes in a number of different styles including gothic rock, post-punk, deathrock, darkwave, Industrial Music, Ethereal and neoclassical. Styles of dress within the subculture range from deathrock, punk and Victorian style attire, or as a combination. Mostly they wear black clothing, with dark make-up and dark hair.
(The Batcave 1983: the post-Romantic goth look championed by Olli Wisdom’s clubnight. By Shapersofthe80s)
The term 'Goth' originated in 1979 when the producer of Joy Division described the band as "Gothic" in comparison to the mainstream pop music that was popular at that time. The term was later applied to newer bands as a genre. But it wasn't until 1981 that Gothic-Rock became it's own subgenre within the post-Punk era. Followers of "Gothic" bands came together to create a recognisable movement. The Batcave opened in July 1982, coincidentally in the same venue of Gossips, in the upstairs venue Gargoyle, in London's Soho. It provided a well-known meeting point for the "Goths" having a club night on wednesdays called The Batcave. The term "Batcaver" was then used to describe old-school goths.
(Membership card for London nightclub The Batcave)
(The March Violets 1982)
The style itself of Gothic culture was based on 18th and 19th century literature, where a gothic novel is a mixture of Horror and Romance. The most famous of these being The Legend of Sleepy Hollow published in 1820, and has continued to crop up throughout the past two centuries. Classic romantic gothic, horror literature has played a significant role in the subculture.
(Standing in line for the Batcave club, early 1980s)
A combination of black velvets, fishnets, lace and leather stained with purple or scarlet. Accessorised with tightly laced corsets, gloves, platformed stilettos and silver jewellery depicting religious and occult symbols. Back-combed jet-black hair with faces painted white, with heavy black eyeliner and lips that were blood-red or black.
(People wearing Martin Degville 1985)
(Members of the Vampyre Society on a 1992 outing to Whitby, a key location of Bram Stokers's original Dracula)
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