The Dark Side to Vintage...have you 'that' urge for a Gothic look..?

[Indy Magnoli]

That La Bauta mask came from TragicComic on the way to Sant Barnabas.

Not many people would use St Barnabas as a landmark... you're showing your true colors Jones!

I too loved all the mask shops and would loved to have picked one up, but my wife and I were living out of a single backpack so... no room for souvenirs.

Kind regards,
Indy

 

[GOK]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap Well said!

And on the subject of frock coats, here is a pattern I have been wanting to try that some of you might be interested in having made up by your tailor:
http://www.lafnmoon.com/frock_coat.html

Lauren, I have this pattern - would you like me to copy it for you? I also have the California pants one too (which make men's bums look very sexy!) if you are interested.

 

[reetpleat]

In the UK there was a short-lived swing revival in the late 70s that grew out of the soul and funk scene in the London suburbs in Essex. The larger revival in the early 80s was also partly via the soul scene in London where clubs like the Dirtbox, the Beat Route and the Wag were playing soul, funk, 40s R&B and jazz, and rockabilly to very well dressed vintage crowds.

Psychobilly was an offshoot of punk in the UK - motorcycle jackets, ripped jeans, black t-shirts and ridiculous hairsprayed pompadours. It's odd that in the US psychobilly grew out of mod. And the original UK skinheads weren't necessarily racist, having taken their stylistic cues and their favourite music from Jamaican rude boys in the late 60s. I was a suedehead (post-skinhead with slightly longer hair) in the very early 70s and I used to spend the occasional weekend with some suedehead cousins in north London. Their friends were a 50/50 mix of white and Afro-Caribbean kids and there was never any hint of racism at the parties and youth clubs we went to.

I always thought the psychobilly scene grew out of the rockabillyish end of the punk spectrum back when rockabilly was not such a full fledged scene. Kind of like the stray cats, who were rockabilly, but more of a new wave punk way.

I did not mean it grew out of mod or skinhead. I was just comparing them in terms of evolution.

Seems most scenes end up populated by a bunch of hard drinking people who are not that into style as much as drinking. Don't know about psychobilly but that is what it seems to me.

I read a great book on English subcultures up to early eighties punk. It is difficult to read as it is some kind of scholarly tretise, but it follows post war english youth sub cultures, asserting that they are all related to working class youths' relationship to new immigrants. When economy is good and jobs are plentiful, they tend to be close as they often live together, and the white kids adopt styles and music, but when times are bad, they resent them and tend to become racist. Often it is a fine line between the pro English patriotism of the post war working class uniformed (braces, jeans, doc martens) young men, to the pro english by anti immigrant racism of the later skinhead evolution.

Someone who is English and was there for some of it may not buy it, but he made a good case in my opinion. He follows the teds, mods, skin heads, suede heads, rude boys, punks etc, and notices both the racist undercurrents, but also the affinity for musical influences from other countries.

Interesting. I suppose the same could be done for America. The book is call the culture of style, I think. Great read.

 

[reetpleat]

I was a southern goth growing up.

I have always played with the notion of an alternative to black and velvet as the south was so damn hot. I never wore velvet, just because of the heat.

I have had a fusion look in my head for quite a while- off-white frock coat with cream lace skirt, high collar and red piping, ascot and accents. All linen, all light weight. I would love to stroll the french quarter in that- with the proper hat and cane of course.

The juxtaposition is what i love.

In Oregon, I was a silly perky goff, when I went out. I actually think the stereo types are sad and lazy (Hot Topic). I really enjoyed making up my own outfits and pushing the envelope. My wife met me in my Oscar Wilde/London After Midnight fusion phase. One of my friends called it my doily-bat phase.

Clothes are fun.

The south has always had it's own sense of darkness and gothic. I wonder if that has ever infgluenced the goth scene in a distinct way. Of course Ann Rice had a big impact I guess. Poe seems the archetypical southern goth. Was he Southern. I should know that.

 

[GOK]

The south has always had it's own sense of darkness and gothic. I wonder if that has ever infgluenced the goth scene in a distinct way. Of course Ann Rice had a big impact I guess. Poe seems the archetypical southern goth. Was he Southern. I should know that.

Not unless Boston is considered the South!

 

[Senator Jack]

I thought he was from Baltimore. Wikipedia, please!

 

[BAZ]

Ah yes! They are a great band. I have some of their albums, but they are one of those bands where, though a lot of psychobillies love them, I'm not sure if they fall 100% into the genre. That's cool that you knew them! A lot of the most popular and well-respected psychobilly bands are from the 80's, and luckily, most of them are still playing shows today.

Man, I remember back in the early 80's (oops, showing my age, but HEY, it IS my birthday today!!!) the "-abilly" was tagged onto EVERYTHING!!
We had Rock,Punk,Goth,Glam,Schlock, ANYTHING get -abilly tagged on.
At one point we were referred to as "Clashabillies" by someone at a "Rockabilly night" (I had a Clash shirt on!!)
Funny. I remember the BIRTH of the Gothic Punk movement. Sex Gang Children were my faves (they used to roadie with the Meteors!) Got to be chums with Alien Sex Fiend. Nik was nice.
We had a club in Liverpool, Planet X where I dj'd. Funny ol' world.

 

[BAZ]

I always thought the psychobilly scene grew out of the rockabillyish end of the punk spectrum back when rockabilly was not such a full fledged scene. Kind of like the stray cats, who were rockabilly, but more of a new wave punk way.

I did not mean it grew out of mod or skinhead. I was just comparing them in terms of evolution.

Seems most scenes end up populated by a bunch of hard drinking people who are not that into style as much as drinking. Don't know about psychobilly but that is what it seems to me.

I read a great book on English subcultures up to early eighties punk. It is difficult to read as it is some kind of scholarly tretise, but it follows post war english youth sub cultures, asserting that they are all related to working class youths' relationship to new immigrants. When economy is good and jobs are plentiful, they tend to be close as they often live together, and the white kids adopt styles and music, but when times are bad, they resent them and tend to become racist. Often it is a fine line between the pro English patriotism of the post war working class uniformed (braces, jeans, doc martens) young men, to the pro english by anti immigrant racism of the later skinhead evolution.

Someone who is English and was there for some of it may not buy it, but he made a good case in my opinion. He follows the teds, mods, skin heads, suede heads, rude boys, punks etc, and notices both the racist undercurrents, but also the affinity for musical influences from other countries.

Interesting. I suppose the same could be done for America. The book is call the culture of style, I think. Great read.

Actually, the Psychobilly "movement" became full of Nazi skinheads looking for a fight.
Knobheads like that ruin EVERYTHING they touch!

 

[Astrobeej]

I was a southern goth growing up.
I have always played with the notion of an alternative to black and velvet as the south was so damn hot. I never wore velvet, just because of the heat.

Griffer, I know your pain. I was a Hawaiian goth for a while. I'd spend an hour crimping and teasing my hair into an enormous mane, only to have it collapse instantly the moment I stepped outside! lol

Beej

 

[Senator Jack]

Ah, and what about the 'Bat Cave' scene? As far as we could figure out here in the States, it was limited to one band: Specimen. (Great E.P. - What happened after that?)

 

[GOK]

Ah, and what about the 'Bat Cave' scene? As far as we could figure out here in the States, it was limited to one band: Specimen. (Great E.P. - What happened after that?)

Was that Batabilly or Caveabilly? lol

Oh and Poe.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe

Born in Boston, moved to Baltimore c.1829.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Born in Boston, moved to Baltimore c.1829.

He wrote "The Raven" in Philadelphia.

 

[TheKitschGoth]

Ah, and what about the 'Bat Cave' scene? As far as we could figure out here in the States, it was limited to one band: Specimen. (Great E.P. - What happened after that?)

Specimen and Alien Sex Fiend would be the main Batcave bands as far as I know.

Two of the members of Specimen are in the techno/rave scene now.

It's a shame, because I love Specimen's music.

 

[Salv]

I always thought the psychobilly scene grew out of the rockabillyish end of the punk spectrum back when rockabilly was not such a full fledged scene. Kind of like the stray cats, who were rockabilly, but more of a new wave punk way.

I did not mean it grew out of mod or skinhead. I was just comparing them in terms of evolution.

Ah, sorry - re-reading your post I see what you mean now

I read a great book on English subcultures up to early eighties punk. It is difficult to read as it is some kind of scholarly tretise, but it follows post war english youth sub cultures, asserting that they are all related to working class youths' relationship to new immigrants. When economy is good and jobs are plentiful, they tend to be close as they often live together, and the white kids adopt styles and music, but when times are bad, they resent them and tend to become racist. Often it is a fine line between the pro English patriotism of the post war working class uniformed (braces, jeans, doc martens) young men, to the pro english by anti immigrant racism of the later skinhead evolution.

Someone who is English and was there for some of it may not buy it, but he made a good case in my opinion. He follows the teds, mods, skin heads, suede heads, rude boys, punks etc, and notices both the racist undercurrents, but also the affinity for musical influences from other countries.

Interesting. I suppose the same could be done for America. The book is call the culture of style, I think. Great read.

Was it written by Dick Hebdige - if it's the book I'm thinking of it's called Subculture: The Meaning Of Style, and I thought he made a fair amount of sense, even though, like almost every commentator on youth cults, he ignored the various factions in the soul and funk scenes. These were always as popular as any other cult, but remained largely underground, except for the very occasional feature in the national press. The release in cinemas of Saturday Night Fever brought some attention from the media, when it was realised that there were thousands of Brits, in their teens and early twenties, doing pretty much what Tony Manero was doing with his life. The soul scene(s) have always been pretty much racism-free - although there's the occasional numpty that loves the music but hates the people who make it - but in general Hebdige's claim that an economic downturn brings out the racists doesn't ring true for white working class soul fans.

Not that this has anything to do with Goth...

 

[Senator Jack]

Were ASF part of the BatCave scene? I seem to recall their coming along just after, but that's probably because the BatCave party only lasted for about three weekends here in NY.

Sort of related, but not completely, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, though I much preferred Pop Will Eat Itself's cover of their Love Missle F1-11.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[griffer]

Sigue Sigue!

HAHAHA!

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I had a fever

You are a psychic, I was thinking of them just yesterday. Hmmm. I even know how to pronounce the name correctly.

 

[TheKitschGoth]

Were ASF part of the BatCave scene? I seem to recall their coming along just after, but that's probably because the BatCave party only lasted for about three weekends here in NY.

Double checked a few sites, yep ASF played the Batcave. They're actually playing in London this month, I'm gutted because I can't afford to go

 

[Salv]

From what I can remember Specimen came out of the remains of the New Romantic movement with the Batcave opening in 1982.

Ah yes, here we go (google is your friend) - some pages from the Blitz Kids archive:Specimen and Batcave

 

[reetpleat]

Ah, sorry - re-reading your post I see what you mean now



Was it written by Dick Hebdige - if it's the book I'm thinking of it's called Subculture: The Meaning Of Style,

Yesm that is the one. Loved it, but of course I was not there.

On another note, it just occured to me my take on this topic. While not really goth, my all time hero is Gomez Addams as played by Raul Julia. Suave, debonair, eccentric, dashing, dark, and somewhat Latino with a name like Gomez. As a guy of Mexican descent, I especially love that.

He seems to me the epitome of thae classic man, with a hint of eccentricity.

If I could be anyone in the world, or dress like anyone in the world, it would be him.