goth -
noun (Music) (Youth Culture) A style of rock music characterized by an intense or droning blend of guitar, bass, and drums, often with mystical or apocalyptic lyrics. Also, a performer or follower of this music or the youth subculture which surrounds it, favouring a white-faced appearance with heavy black make-up and predominantly black clothing. Etymology: A back-formation from the adjective
Gothic; the style of dress and some elements of the lyrics evoke the style of
Gothic fantasy. History and Usage:
Goth grew out of the punk movement in the late seventies, with bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees making the
transition from punk; by the mid eighties it had attracted large numbers of British youngsters to its subculture. One of the most noticeable things about the
goth look is its elaborate dress code, including black leather, crushed velvet, heavy silver
jewellery , and pointed boots, combined with long hair, white-painted faces, and heavy black eyeliner. Although this gives a rather gloomy
appearance , most
goths are
actually peace-loving vegetarians who see themselves as the heirs to the hippie movement of the sixties. The leading performers of the music (also known as
goth rock or even
goth punk)
include Sisters Of Mercy, whose leader Andrew
Eldritch reportedly chose his pseudonym from the Oxford
English Dictionary , where the adjective
eldritch is defined as 'weird, ghostly, unnatural,
frightful , hideous'. A more middle-class and tame version of the
goth subculture, based on indie music and ethnic clothes, is dismissively known as diddy
goth among young
goths. Siouxsie Sioux is the godmother of
goth-punk, and her Banshees' brew hasn't been reformulated in years. Washington Post 14 Oct. 1988, section N, p.
22 Justin, 22, a computer operator from Southend, explains he's a 'total'
goth and fan of SOM, though he does have a surprisingly catholic
taste in music...'The way I
look at it,
goth is being into alternative music. We're a mixture of the punk and hippie things. We're into
black and the occult.' Evening
Standard 22 Mar. 1989, p. 42
