/r/goth
Reddit's Goth Community, for goth music and subculture!
Please check out our Wiki which features the rules and FAQ, and our sidebar which features many resources on goth music, (including recommendations and playlists) fashion, history, and scene.
Anything relating to fashion when it's not Fashion Friday, please post in r/GothFashion and if you are looking for a subreddit which encompasses anything dark and spooky, please visit r/DarklyInclined. We have r/gothclub for any alternative tunes.
Welcome to reddit's hangout for all things goth, subculture, and community! Please be sure to check out our Wiki, rules and FAQ for further information!
What is goth?
Goth is a subculture which began in the late 70s/early 80s, developed and based around a specific style of arty and experimental post-punk, turned down gloomier avenues, now known as "goth rock".
The subculture itself consists of a group of music genres, sub-genres, and counterparts like goth rock, deathrock, darkwave, ethereal wave, and coldwave; fashion, which takes inspiration from a number of fashions such as punk and glam, cultures, iconographies such as Egyptian, and religions like Christianity; and a borrowed aesthetic which usually focuses on death, the dark, supernatural, mysterious, and occult.
A goth is generally someone who listens to and supports their favourite goth bands, by buying merchandise, and if they are able, partaking in their local scene by attending concerts and gigs, festivals, etc. or the wider online goth scene by watching DJs stream or engaging in groups or forums.
They may or may not wear goth fashion, which could include anything from the traditional goth and deathrock dress to adopted and borrowed styles such as period fashion (namely Victorian, Edwardian, etc.) and tribal, and Western.
The scene itself is built around a social community, music, DJs, fanzines, events & meet-ups, concerts, festivals, thrifting & a DIY ethos, nightclubs, and gigs; goth would not exist without this, nor can goth become entirely separate from music. Goth is the music.
Goth History & Background
Late 70s - Early 80s
The very early post-punk goth bands took inspiration from an array of glam, punk, and psychedelic rock bands, namely David Bowie, Roxy Music, The Sex Pistols, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, and so on. These bands today are known as either proto-goth icons or heavy influences, which are evident through the classic and iconic goth bands' music.
Post-punk itself was born when, towards the end of the 70s, artists had grown tired of the raw, traditionalism punk rock, and adopted avant-garde sensibilities and non-rock influences, including but not limited to, funk, electronic, jazz, and dance - in their music. Besides goth rock, post-punk gave birth to many other styles of music in the years following - synthpunk, indie pop, neo-psychedelia, and avant-funk roots can all be traced back to post-punk origins.
By 1979, punk was turning down gloomier avenues, with bands growing tired of the 3-chord thrash. Siouxsie and the Banshees’ second LP Join Hands made use of the flanger, a sound which would become the staple for future goth and dark punk bands, and Bauhaus’ August 1979 dub-influenced single ”Bela Lugosi’s Dead” would become a widely accepted beginning of the goth rock genre, due to the darker lyrical themes and audience misunderstanding.
With many more developments underway, such as the release of Killing Joke’s first EP, Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures, and The Damned’s “Plan 9 Channel 7”, journalist Dave Thompson wrote “Dave Vanian [The Damned vocalist] provided the look, the Banshees supplied the menace, and Joy Division the angst. Now Bauhaus provided the intellectual discipline, and the spore from which a new culture could be spawned.”
"The Goth tag was a bit of a joke," insists Ian Astbury. "One of the groups coming up at the same time as [Southern Death Cult] was Sex Gang Children, and Andi -- he used to dress like a Banshees fan, and I used to call him the Gothic Goblin because he was a little guy, and he's dark. He used to like Edith Piaf and this macabre music, and he lived in a building in Brixton called Visigoth Towers. So he was the little Gothic Goblin, and his followers were Goths. That's where Goth came from."
Establishment of the Subculture
The opening of the iconic Batcave in ‘81 or early ‘82 in Soho, London, ran by founder and band member of Specimen, Olli Wisdom (March 8, 1958 – August 23, 2021), is regarded as the beginning of the goth subculture and where all the aspects of the scene came together, consisting of the music, style and aesthetic. With its cobweb lined ceilings, black bin lined walls, and (real) coffin decorated door, the glam club is a heavy example of goths’ creativity, artistic expression, and DIY ethos. The club was a popular destination for many notable and recognisably post-punk and goth artists such as Nick Cave, Robert Smith, Nik Fiend.
Mid-80s
Heading into the mid-80s, Leeds-based The Sisters of Mercy arrived at on the scene at the forefront of the second wave, building their reputation up with EPs and singles and mixing the post-punk elements of Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Cure into hard rock, creating goth rock. Other bands playing a similar style, including Fields of the Nephilim, The Mission, Ghost Dance, The March Violets, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, and The Merry Thoughts either formed around the same time or played in a similar style.
90s & Onwards
Towards, the end of the 80s going into the 90s, however, electronic industrial music, namely bands playing genres like electronic body music (EBM) and later on, electro-industrial, started taking over the nightclubs, forcing post-punk and goth rock to retreat underground.
Goth, however, still lives on with many new bands establishing themselves throughout the decades.
The 90s saw bands such as Rosetta Stone, Nosferatu, Inkubus Sukkubus, Corpus Delicti, and Mephisto Walz carry the torch.
The 00s saw bands such as Pretentious Moi, Voices of Masada, Solemn Novena, Dr. Arthur Krause lead the scene.
Now some of the most well-known names from 2010s include Angels of Liberty, Sweet Ermengarde, Masquerade, Ritual Howls, and Merciful Nuns.
In the early 2020s, goth is now lead by post-punk/synthpop band Molchat Doma, post-punk/darkwave "gothwave" band She Past Away, and coldwave Lebanon Hanover. Russian/Ukrainian post-punk is especially booming right now, with many record labels releasing several albums a month.
Themed Days
Themed day submissions must be relevant to the subculture, music or history. Please do not use the themed day flairs if it isn't that day. If you wish to partake, please make sure your submission is posted after the bot has posted their mega thread.
The themed days are:
Music Mondays
Event Tuesdays
DIY Wednesdays
Review Thursdays
Fashion Fridays
Spooky Saturdays
Soothing Sundays
Gothy Discord
Rules
Goth Event Locations
Looking for new music? 2021 Upcoming and Recent Goth Releases
Goth Genres Guide
Post-Punk / Goth: Arty post-punk bands which developed a darker sound. Examples include Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure, etc.
Goth Rock: Bands which incorporated hard rock elements into post-punk groundwork of the first-wave bands: The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, Fields of the Nephilim, etc.
Darkwave: Goth incorporating synth elements, which may include influence from synth-pop/new wave: includes Clan of Xymox, Lycia, London After Midnight and Diva Destruction, etc.
Deathrock: Goths' American counterpart, a spookier and more atmospheric version of punk. Bands include Christian Death, 45 Grave and Bloody Dead and Sexy.
Ethereal Wave: Mainly supported by 4AD bands, and described as being "romantic", "otherworldly" and "gothic". Bands include early Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins and early This Mortal Coil.
Coldwave: French/Belgian post-punk, with a more stripped/mechanical sound. Bands include Asylum Party, Norma Loy, and Little Nemo. Minimal/Electronic Coldwave: Lebanon Hanover, Sexual Purity, and Church Group.
Grey Rock: Portuguese goth rock. Bands include Morituri, Dead Dream Factory and Jardim do Enforcado.
Afterpunk: Spanish post-punk/goth. Bands include Décima Víctima, Malefixio and Cristales Goticos.
Goth Friendly Subreddits
There are also a couple other humble gothy subreddits hanging around. Go give them a shot! I'm sure they'd appreciate more activity.
And some more general/dark alt. subreddits that might interest you:
This subreddit uses /r/naut
/r/goth
206,938 Subscribers
La Danza de las Animas - La muerte del mundo
23:19 UTC
15:52 UTC
Whitby Goth Weekend - Anyone from 2000's still go?
Just wondering if any Goths who went to Whitby in the 2000's before it changed to a fancy dress parade still go? I have not been since 2015 and unlikely to do so again because its too busy and expensive.
16:38 UTC
Twin Tribes - Cauldron of Thorns (Official Video)
The goth fashion in this video is just incredible
21:20 UTC
hello! would like to get some highly specific music recommendations
I am dipping my toes a little bit in the genre currently, so I’m looking for goth music that suits my tastes the type of rhythm and vocals. It’s a bit difficult to find for me for the reasons I would like to keep private (mostly chronic fatigue), so I’m hoping on you.
I don't know much about the genre yet, but I know that it varies in sound, although it is united by common themes. Therefore, I would like to ask you to help me find some tunes. :)
The thing is that I really don’t like sort of “echoing" sound because of audiosensitivity reasons (like with , but I highly enjoy clear synthetic rhythms. I like melodic, clean female vocals, or low male, but without active tremolo or pitch variations. I’m okay with harsh sounds, though I would prefer something on the more calm end.
In total - my thing is basically some Symphonic Metal, something more like Depeche Mode and something like “Keep Your Eyes Peeled”, but a bit less like the Cure. So if you have something to share, please let me know. Thank you so much in advance!
17:55 UTC
til there's no such thing as a dead can 💀🥫
i've listened to DCD for a while now, but never really read up on the band or band members. a lot of music i listen to sort of just plays in the background and i haven't researched or anything
idk why on earth, but this whole time i've been imagining like some old dirty can, that's been resurrected or something that someone dances with
it wasn't until today that i read about the origin of the name and realized it's referring to "the dead" as in dead people, and their ability to dance, as in "the dead" can dance
i'm such a wanker
17:19 UTC
Soda Stereo - Cuando Pase el Temblor
12:40 UTC
Goth clubs in Connecticut in during the 80s and 90s
Hi was wondering how was the goth scene during. The 80s 90s in the state of Connecticut that were the clubs like. How are the people like back then. How was the fashion like and what were some of the biggest difference is between now and then?
10:16 UTC
How do i start getting into goth culture?
i've strated listening to the music, "studying" the architecture and ideologies but i just don't know where to start, any advice?
i really want to know if it's for me, if i really like it or just think it's cool, it's not something i just want to become because i like it a little but really because it may be something that fits me.
(sry for any mistakes, i'm not an english native)
10:01 UTC
The Official Seething Sunday Post-Halloween Afterparty
Was Halloween all it was cracked up to be? No? Tell us about it.
Or maybe you dressed as a "goth" for Halloween putting in no effort from your day-to-day. For shame.
But what would I know, I didn't even do anything this year until November 1st. Boo-urns!
08:20 UTC
/r/Goth's Soothing Sundays!
What happened this week that made you happy?
Maybe you found a great new album or just an album you hadn't heard about before? Maybe you found a new cuddly kitten that now is a part of your family?
Share it with us!
08:00 UTC
Monoworld - CORRUPTS (2024 Darkwave)
05:23 UTC
Stranded - Children of the night
A darkwave song i just created. With inspiration from horror movies and shows. I love this season and I hope my song and video will resonate with folks here, peace ✌️🖤
21:09 UTC
Danish Goths
Hello! I'm having a really hard time finding "my people" where I'm located. So I'm wondering if there are any goths/people who enjoy goth culture and music in Denmark? Would love to talk to similar minded people in my area :)
20:49 UTC
The Attainment Of Nirvana- Desperate
(Sorry about my bad English)
I was surprised when I couldn't find any posts about The Attainment Of Nirvana so I decided to post one. If I'm correct they are a second wave goth rock band from the 90's with only 306 listeners on spotify with a single song as most of their songs are on youtube (No official channel though.) my personal guess is they we're never able to blow up so most of their songs are lost.
14:59 UTC
Clan of Xymox - Waterfront (1999)
17:09 UTC
Every Siouxsie and the Banshees Album Ranked!
00:08 UTC
One person Gothic Rock bands?
Wondering if there are any Gothic Rock bands like this? I know there's Punk Rock bands, Black Metal bands and Grunge bands that do or have done this; anything? I'm curious 🤔
I picked the underrated 90s tag because I figured higher concentrations of such Gothic bands would exist or have existed in the 90s. Unless I'm wrong and there have been Gothic bands with a single musician since the beginning lol
11:43 UTC
NEVA - Psykodrame - '83 french deathrock - rare video (seizure warning)
08:02 UTC
/r/Goth's Self-Promo Saturdays!
Welcome to Self-Promo Saturdays, where you can post your own music!
Please ensure that it still fits within the subreddit rules and music genres guideline. Any dark post-punk, goth rock, deathrock, coldwave, darkwave, ethereal wave, etc. is absolutely fine!
So get posting your own songs, we look forwarding to listening.
08:00 UTC
Update on first concert/festival experience!
A couple days ago I posted about seeing Traitrs this Friday as Chicagos Sanctum Fest, and it was going to be my very first live event ever and as a baby bat I was a little anxious…and I’m pleased to say that IT WAS SO FUN! I honestly felt so comfortable just “dancing” (I mostly just tapped my feet and bop my head and swayed) but I didn’t feel self conscious about it, it felt like it was only just me for a couple of moments, honestly the vibe was very chill, the people were nice, and as a guy I say this in the most respectful and wholesome way possible, ya gals were honestly really pretty, all of ya, I wish I had the courage to ask one of you to dance lol, other than that I fell in love with EchoDroids and Traitrs knocked the roof off the house and overall it was an amazing experience, just feeling the music.
Definitely hitting up sanctum next year and hopefully go to more shows throughout 2025.
04:56 UTC
I unknowingly harassed someone at a show
And I feel bad.
They're 2 gorgeous people. And one of them danced so mesmerizingly that I couldn't help but danced with her. She opened me up - I didn't even know I had those moves in me.
But during the break I stepped over the boundaries. I wanted to show my appreciation for them so bad that I approached and wanted to engage. I became obsessed.
The music was loud and I was awkward. I had to yell and that got in my head. I asked weird questions and apparently was a bit overstepping. She talked to her friend and they both left right after.
Their just leaving shocked me to the core. I thought I was innocent and in the moment but I then realized I did something horrible. I ruined something beautiful. If I only knew how to keep my distance and appreciate, I'd have a great company for the rest of the night.
I had to ruin it. I hate myself. I can only imagine how others who witnessed the whole sequence would cringe at me. It feels fucking weird ending up feeling like the weirdo and creep in a bunch of weird and queer people.
You probably won't ever see this, but I want to apologize. Sincerely.
22:25 UTC
Please help me find some new bands
I really like post-punk bands like Bauhaus, The Bolshoi and Screaming for Emily which all have that natural sounding. So i would love to find some other bands that doesn't have that electronic or dark-wave vibe
21:34 UTC
Goth songs for the Renaissance Festival?
Hello! I am going to the Renaissance Festival tomorrow and it is quite a drive! I'm looking to expand my playlist and find songs that give whimiscal renaissancey vibes that I can listen to in the car!
I already have songs like: Beatrix by Cocteau Twins, The Unquiet Grave by Faith and the Muse, Ophelia by The Shroud, Saltarello by Dead Can Dance, some early Sopor Aeturnus, and some stuff by Autumn Tears on there! Does anybody have any other recommendations? Thank you!
20:51 UTC
"Older" goth going to a club? 😮
Hey there. Me and my husband were trying to save up for a Twin Tribes gig but sadly the tickets sold out. I feel very bummed out about it, but alas, it is what it is. So my husband suggested we go to a goth club night instead. It's not a bad suggestion per se but I'll be honest, I haven't gone to a club in years! The goth community in general seems accepting, or that at least has been my experience; so do you guys think it'd be ok if a slightly older person attended?
All things considered I'm not -that- old really, I turned 40 in September. I still dress the part and I try to be encouraging to people & tell about my experiences in the scene when I was younger. But that said I'm socially awkward and I can't really drag many friends to go with me as they actually live far away from me, apart from my husband who I consider a friend! I don't even remember how to dance but maybe I can wiggle awkwardly and make it look like I know what I'm doing?
What are your thoughts? It would at least be a great excuse to put on some "war paint" (I don't put on make up too often anymore), get an over priced beer and enjoy the music along with the husband who enjoys the same tunes as me. I haven't really been in touch with the local scene much, maybe this might be a great reason to fix that? There will also apparently be live music. 🤔
Edit: wow, I didn't expect to get so many responses - all of them incredibly encouraging. It's genuinely good and awesome to learn that people older than me attend clubs. We're definitely gonna go! 😁 Thank you for all the lovely words of encouragement!
18:12 UTC