Teen Gothic

I have been called that multiple times both by white people and poc and each time I get speechless and can't say anything.

So, i got in a discussion on another goth related forum of "dress codes" at venues. My attitude is "fuck you, i wear what i want, when i want". I'm more into "post punk" in general than strictly goth, and my manner of dress is typically more on the punk side of things or whatever weirdness i'm on at that moment (currently,: tie dye clerical/preist clothing. Im going for psychedelic ufo cult leader)
The issue is some people are pushing harder for dress codes at events and venues. I take serious issue with that. Why should i be obligated to wear certain colors or conform toa certain style of dress, when i only care about the music? I tend to have the urge to do the opposite of what im told, so if im being told i need to wear black, im going to rebell against it beacuse its just my nature. I thought my attitude of "fuck the fashion, its all about the music" would be the more popular, but apprently im in the minority. alot of people responded in favor of it. To me, that just seems hypocritical since this is an alternative subculture that arose put of punk. what does the reddit goth folk think. should one be olbigated to wear black at goth night? what if i WANT to stand out like a sore thumb?

i usually listen to premade playlist when im doing my makeup and getting ready for the day. but during chores and more high energy tasks i usually listen to emo/scene music. sometimes i listen to it before bed and let my mind settle with the tunes

when do you guys listen to goth music? do you play it in the background during a task or just lay down and vibe?

For me I discovered goth music through cosplay TikTok back in 2019-2020, I saw someone lip syncing to tear me apart by she wants revenge and since I’ve been hooked!

Siouxie and the Banshees & Bauhaus are my 2 favourites right now. I just want to dance in an abandoned graveyard under a full moon, with no one for miles. Its such a special vibe that I've never ever had with any other music.

Please give me more artists/bands reccomendations! Or you could tell me your favorite songs from the either that I've listed!

I’m a huge shoegaze fan and we have our good few movies that are a part of the holy shoegaze canon (Araki stuff, Lost in Translation), but do goths have any? They don’t necessarily have to have goth music, but if you do know any movies with goth songs, I’d love to hear them. Movies that capture the atmosphere of goth music, have a visual style relating to goth music, or just have successfully written goth characters. I’ve heard Lisa Frankenstein may fit.

Are there any movies that come to mind?

i’ve seen quite a few people online talking about people thinking goth music is just screaming and i don’t understand why anyone would think that. if people DO really think that, what gave them that idea?

I have this weird thing about my brain where listening to darkwave, coldwave, and etherealwave helps my brain focus. Its the most effective thing at regulating me emotionally, calming/relaxing me, helping me concentrate/focus, and soothing my bodys adrenaline response(ptsd symptoms). It clears up brain fog pretty effectively, too. Helps me process information as well/helps my memory.

I've never ever heard of gothic genres as helping someone that much(mentally, emotionally) just by their sound alone(compared to classical). It doesn't matter what the lyrics are, just the sound alone massively helps me emotionally and mentally. When I'm upset, hurting, anxious, scared, in fight or flight, nervous system dysregulated, just listening to the genre for about 20 min fixes everything. You'd think that listening to "depressing/melancholy" music would make things worse , but it does quite the opposite! I'd go so far as to say it's comforting.

All the things people say about how good classical music is for your brain is exactly all the things darkwave/coldwave/etherealwave does for me for some reason. Meanwhile classical doesn't do much to help me.

Is it because my brain really fucks with the music in particular or do you think there's a specific reason why it'd help so much?

Additionally, does anyone else have this too with a goth genre? Or is my brain just a special breed

I don't want to discourage them from coming, but I also want them to understand what the goth subculture is about. The community has substance and its own identity that has gotten very muddled. I just would like some advice for others who have started their own goth night in their area.

Neat stuff. This was at Twist & Shout in Denver, CO. I shop there often. I only got the Xymox CD this time. A lot of the best stuff goes quickly. If only they'd make a goth section like the other record shops here do.