World Goth Day

And the milestone birthday of an elder goth

Did you know that the annual holiday known as World Goth Day is coming up on May 22? Originally launched in the UK as Goth Day back in 2009, this “black celebration” quickly became a worldwide event.

At the time of this writing more than 60 events are listed on the official World Goth Day website, with some events extending through the weekend, since it falls on a Thursday this year. To no one’s surprise, the state of California takes the U.S. lead with 13 events, but Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Ohio, are among those represented. Live music and club nights abound, but other events include film festivals, picnics, high teas, and oddities markets—with a handful of festivities taking place online.

The World Goth Day logo, designed by co-founder BatBoy Slim, with a cheeky nod to Siouxsie Sioux’s famous eye shadow.

Since you’re reading Grimrose Manor, you probably already know a bit about the goth culture. If, however, you associate it with Hot Topic or Marilyn Manson, you’re not entirely wrong, but it goes much further back. For an insightful history of its evolution, I highly recommend the mini-documentary, Before Bauhaus, How Goth Became Goth, which does an excellent job of tracing the scene’s music and fashion roots. One thing you’ll learn is that very few, if any, of the musicians known for being icons of goth actually identify as such.

Reflections of an Elder Goth

As the Grimrose Manor matriarch, I’m also thrilled to share that World Goth Day happens to fall on my birthday. Coincidence? The organizers could have selected Siouxsie Sioux’s birthday on May 27, but they didn’t. (The Queen of Goth will turn 68 this year and there have been rumors of a new album since The Banshees performed a handful of live shows in 2023, breaking a 15-year hiatus.) I myself will turn 50 this year, so it seems only fitting to share a bit of my own baby bat origin story.

I wasn’t quite a teenager when my older brother started running with friends who dressed oddly and listening to what adults considered “weird” music. To be fair, the late 1980s brought a firestorm of stunning albums in the genre now referred to as post-punk or dark wave. In 1987 alone, the following releases rocked our worlds: The Cure’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me; Depeche Mode’s Music for the Masses; Peter Murphy’s Deep; Sinead O’Connor’s The Lion and the Cobra; New Order’s Technique; The Smiths’ Strangeways, Here We Come; Siouxsie & The Banshees’ Peepshow; and The Sisters of Mercy’s Floodland.

Post-punk albums of 1987, aka the gateway to goth

In the absence of the Internet, rural darklings like myself resorted to swapping mixtapes with friends and staying up late to watch MTV’s “120 Minutes” (circa the Kevin Seal/Dave Kendall host eras) to catch the latest videos from our favorite acts and get exposed to new ones. We didn’t refer to ourselves as goths, and while the term “punk” was thrown about, it was largely derogatory. We were just weirdos with morbid curiosity; a penchant for wearing black, making art, and dancing expressively; and listening to music that perfectly expressed our exquisite adolescent pain.

By 1990, I’d stumbled onto Propaganda, a goth magazine that introduced me to darker bands like London After Midnight (also still touring) and featured androgynous models in glamorous cemetery shoots. I read gothic literature from Oscar Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray to Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, and found likeminded souls through DIY zines and music magazines like Smash Hits. I exchanged melodramatic poetry and angsty life stories via post with penpals with persona names like Osiris and Raven—all the while praying for my favorite bands to tour within a 3-hour radius. (I cannot even describe what a thrill the first few Lollapalooza tours were.)

PS It wasn't a phase.

Fast forward to my 50th year, and goths are still being skewered by SNL—from “Goth Talk” to “Goth Kid on Vacation.” Paradoxically, mainstream culture has practically embraced the goth aesthetic—due in part to Tim Burton’s success (The Addams Family spinoff, Wednesday, returns with series 2! Nightmare Before Christmas has been adapted for live orchestra! Beetlejuice is on Broadway following a successful sequel film!). And it goes beyond TV and film: goth fashion is having a revival, and the goth music scene continues to grow, with newer bands like Vision Video and Twin Tribes gaining followers.

I’m honestly pleased that more folks are exploring the darkness. Our modern culture desperately needs a reckoning with mortality. As we’ve written previously, the philosophy of memento mori (remember you must die) isn’t just for broody teenagers. It gives one an awareness of our brief time on earth, underscoring what we value and the legacy we want to leave behind. May we all embrace our inner goth.

And enjoy a moody playlist while we’re here.