The United States had its own goth moment in the 1980s, one coloured by the country’s distinct rock’n’roll history and the cult of Southern Gothic. Punk and post-punk were less of an explosion in this geographically vast territory than they were in the UK, but little by little they had their effect, galvanising an amazing array of micro scenes. This chapter explores a number of goth and goth-adjacent bands and artists, including Black Flag, The Germs, Misfits, Lydia Lunch and Swans.

In a Europe that was full of fear, Gothic horror became its own genre. The Romantic Era encouraged the expression of emotions through art, resulting in its own century-long artistic revolution. Romantics like John Keats and William Blake led the sort of thinking that sparked the pre-industrial revolution, critiquing child labour and the destruction of nature. Other poets began to introduce elements of horror into their work. This chapter explores the gothic connection between poems, history and horror.

One of the major artists of the present times, Nick Cave is a master of dark energies and an icon of the goth world, though it is a term he rejects. This chapter traces his progress from his early days with short-lived Melbourne provocateurs The Birthday Party to his current status as a global star. Cave’s powerful imagery and emotional content mark him out as one of the finest lyricists of his generation. His iconic status has been achieved without ever compromising his unique and unholy vision – a vision that makes him one of the central pillars of modern gothic.

Gothic darkness and violence can be found throughout history, from Ancient Rome to Greek mythology. Dionysus, the god of the grape harvest, was the protector of those who stood outside of conventional society, and symbolised chaos and danger. Rock legend Jim Morrison embodied the hedonistic nature of Dionysus, providing a template for the modern goth rock star. Back in Rome, there was a fascination with dark and gory entertainment. Rome’s downfall sparked an era of superstition, witchcraft and dark imagination. This age of fear resulted in a wealth of inspiration for modern poets with a flare for the Gothic.

Coming up alongside U2, the Virgin Prunes never achieved the massive success of their contemporaries, but they left a major mark on the city of Dublin. They integrated tribal rhythms, mutoid disco and dissonance with captivating vocals. Benefitting from the explosion of punk, they nevertheless remained apart from it, embracing a contrary artfulness that saw them loved by a few but ridiculed by many more. The band split up in 1986, but their avant-garde stylings were to inspire many followers.

This chapter explores the unclassifiable rock band Killing Joke. Formed in Notting Hill in the late 1970s by Jaz Coleman, Kevin ‘Geordie’ Walker, Martin ‘Youth’ Glover and ‘Big’ Paul Ferguson, the band emerged from the punk scene but encompassed a wide range of influences, from dub to krautrock and disco. Their brand of shamanic dance rock was to prove extremely influential, as was the dark vision of lead singer Jaz Coleman, a true rock original.

In the 1960s, a new darkness entered music via the (un)holy trinity. In sunny California in 1965, four disillusioned America-dream dropouts formed The Doors. Their vocalist, Jim Morrison, had a dark, erotic air to him and frequently got in trouble with alcohol and the law. As true goth rock heroes, the legacy of The Doors would heavily inform the culture that followed. Meanwhile, The Velvet Underground and The Stooges were equally integral to the goth template. The Velvet’s created a musical hybrid of droning and guitar pop. The Stooges, profoundly affected punk and goth through their minimalistic primitivism and dark nihilism. Frontman Iggy Pop engaged in shocking acts of violence on stage, with both the audience and himself. This chapter traces the the (un)holy trinity’s journey through sex, drugs, death and psychodrama, revealing how these three bands became the pinnacles of gothic rock and roll.

No sooner had punk arrived than it had morphed into post-punk. This chapter follows the progress of this subgenre, whose tenebrous sound was exemplified by bands such as Joy Division – described by one writer as ‘gothic dance music’ – and Wire, as well as the often overlooked The Stranglers. Sex Pistols’ Jon Lydon also played a major role through his new band Public Image Limited, whose dub-influenced grooves were just one example of how ambitious musicians were accelerating away from punk’s Year Zero.

In the 1960s, The Beatles put the UK at the forefront of pop culture. This chapter discusses a churlish darkness that lurked behind band culture, where new drugs and rebelliousness encouraged a number of bands to ‘paint things black’. This includes The Rolling Stones, whose 1966 single ‘Paint It, Black’ became a proto-goth classic. Embroiled in rivalry, death and drugs, The Stones became archetypal gothic icons. Both The Stones and the Beatles would inspire the UK and US rock scenes, spawning many weird and wonderful bands. The chapter goes on to explore the gothic influence seen during the music scene in the 1960s and 1970s, from whimsical R&B to head-banging rock and roll.

The medium of opera allowed composers to explore darker feelings and tap into the beauty of the Gothic. The Gregorian chant, originating in Jewish and Byzantine traditions, contains this sort of mysterious beauty. Considered a classical ‘proto-goth’, Hungarian composer Franz Liszt updated this form of composition to include his signature themes of death, divinity and hell. This chapter discusses other forms of dark beauty that appear in creative mediums, including classical music and architecture. As centuries passed, the morbid fascination continued, though some forms, such as folk balladry of sex and death, fell victim to the passage of time.

Formed in New York in 1976, The Cramps were a key part of the city’s proto-punk scene, developing their own brand of primal rock’n’roll. The duo of Lux Interiors and Poison Ivy fronted the band, but it was guitarist Bryan Gregory who was the biggest style influence; his cool, slightly cadaverous appearance become a touchstone for goth. The Cramps were the inspiration for a slew of psychobilly bands, including The Meteors, King Kurt and Demented Are Go! But they retained a mysterious and exotic style that made them stand out. When the quixotic band toured Europe their impact was profound - from the bone jewellery to the graveyard chic, they were a major sartorial influence on the emerging goth scene.

Bradford-based Southern Death Cult were a short-lived but unforgettable feature of the UK rock scene in the early 1980s. Their combination of Native American philosophy and dark, euphoric post-punk was powered by tribal beats, spectral guitar and driving bass lines. They were natural successors to the underground throne vacated by Adam Ant, but no sooner had they made their presence felt than frontman Ian Astbury dissolved the group. From the ashes rose a new band, The Cult, which ultimately ditched its predecessor’s goth style for a more mainstream take on rock’n’roll.

Named from a race of biblical angel-human hybrids, Fields of the Nephilim are generally seen as goth outriders, their closest relatives being post-rock bands like Godspeed! You Black Emperor. They formed in the London overspill towns of Hitchin and Stevenage after the first wave of goth in 1984, but would transcend their roots to become one of the biggest bands in the loose catch-all of goth music. Their sound and style is dark, heavy and esoteric, thanks in part to singer Carl McCoy, who reacted to his religious upbringing by delving into Aleister Crowley and horror cinema. Still active today, Fields of the Nephilim remain intangible and mysterious, the ultimate cult band.

The 1970s post-hippie era witnessed a broadcast performance from David Bowie that mesmerised the teenage nation with its scandalous homo-eroticism. Meanwhile, Marc Bolan, the first glam rock star, was Bowie’s friendly rival. Both rock stars leaned into androgyny. At the end of a sparkling career, Bolan died in a car crash. The influence of Bolan can be seen in Bowie and glam rock today. Ziggy Stardust was one outcome of Bowie’s creativity, an androgynous persona that later caused a series of identity crises. Bowie’s infamous career is detailed in this chapter, including his relationships with fellow rock stars Iggy Pop and Lou Reed. Glam Rock in the 1970s was the blueprint for a post-punk future.

This brief introductory note reflects on what ‘goth’ is and what it means. Observing that ‘the art of darkness’ has been with us for centuries, it sketches out the plan of the book, which begins in the post-punk era then reaches back further to explore the pre-history of goth, from the Fall of Rome through ghost stories, folk tales, Gothic architecture and much more.

In the 1940s, once the uncertainty and darkness of war had faded, popular culture exploded. Sex, style and hedonism were the main focus of the younger generation, with symbols like Elvis Presley epitomising the American Dream. This chapter explores goth in the immediate postwar period, taking in pop-culture favourite Vampira, The Addams Family and Plan 9 From Outer Space. It also charts the rise of rock’n’roll. Seen as ‘the devil’s music’, this was reflected in the musicians who participated. Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash all battled personal demons of their own.

This chapter presents a whistle-stop tour of post-punk in northern Europe, taking in Germany, France, the Netherlands and more. The bands include Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, Xmal Deutschland, Die Krupps, Liaisons Dangereuses, Nina Hagen, Rammstein, Clan Of Xymox and The Young Gods.