goth

Initially a musical genre that emerged in the late 70s post punk era, Goth evolved into a full-blown sub culture a few years later with the evolution of Gothic fashion and imagery. A movement with a seemingly infinite ability to re-invent itself Goth has survived over 2 decades and has continued to evolve and grow in this time. However this propensity to re-invent itself has lead to a form of “identity crisis of Goth” in which even its most fervent adherents can no longer agree on a definitive answer to the question “What is Goth”. In recent years the music industry has applied the term “Goth” rather broadly to various musical styles, which they seem unable to categorise, resulting in some confusion between various genres and the fans thereof. Unlike many of the subcultures than went before Goth does not seek to rebel against society, highlight its flaws (as was the case with the punks of the 70s) or define itself in terms of opposition to other sub cultural groupings (as was the case with the mods and the rockers of the 60s). As press interest in the genre continues, other sections of society have begun to define normality as “that which is opposed to Goth,” a common mainstream reaction faced by all subcultures at one time or another.