The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth

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Purists might find it frustrating but if you're more of a generalist you should find plenty to enjoy and appreciate. I already knew a fair chunk of what's contained here but also discovered some new and interesting insights, and a few new artists and albums to explore.

JOHN ROBB – THE ART OF DARKNESS – THE HISTORY OF GOTH JOHN ROBB – THE ART OF DARKNESS – THE HISTORY OF GOTH

While this does take a while to get through it is worth it to set the scene before we get to the bulk of the book which, of course, focuses on the musical trend that began in the late 1970s through to the mid-1990s (he does go beyond this as ‘goth’ didn’t suddenly vanish in 1995, but this period is the main focus). MyHome.ie (Opens in new window) • Top 1000 • The Gloss (Opens in new window) • Recruit Ireland (Opens in new window) • Irish Times Training (Opens in new window) Robb delved into old interviews he carried out with Cave for the book. In them, he said Cave was reluctant to label himself a goth: “Cave would never consider himself a goth despite his brooding music, his dark poetry, his wild performances and his darkly exotic image that made him one of the icons of the form.” Whether it was their DJs playing The Sisters Of Mercy, Siouxsie or The Cramps, giving people a space to dress up without fear, or giving bands their first gigs…there would be no movement without those places. We must continue to protect them,” he said, at a time when live venues are still under threat post COVID and amid the cost-of-living-crisis. Marr also recalled the time he managed a goth clothes shop in Manchester, helping Robb to chart the rise of goths visual identity.A real labour of love (a decade in the making) Robb’s book takes as its jumping-off point the architecture, literature and philosophy that was deemed “Gothic”. There is an academic approach here, but never is it inaccessible. There is also, as Robb asserts, a socio-economic aspect to the goth scene, emerging as it did at the tail end of punk. Goth can be regarded as the more glamorous cousin to punk, but to dismiss it as decadent or frivolous is to miss the point. Of course, a crushed velvet, vintage aesthetic is one element, but goths always had something to say. Witness Jaz Coleman from Killing Joke, and his apocalyptic visions, many of which proved prescient. Or Siouxsie Sioux and Robert Smith writing about mental health issues, racism and alienation, when such issues still remained taboo in the 70s and 80s. Joy Division may not be everyone’s idea of a Goth band, but it can’t reasonably be denied that their take on Post Punk was hugely influential. As Robb puts it “ There would be few bands in the future Goth scene that did not take something from the Joy Division sound – whether it was those melancholic melodic bass lines, that baritone vocal style or the death disco motorik rhythms of the drums.” John Robb has written the definitive bookon a scene that demands to be celebrated.Fascinating, thoughtful, surprising andfreakishly detailed.’ Grace Dent In between The Art Of Darkness: The History Of Goth is a fascinating trawl through the history of Goth music. John Robb leaves few stones unturned in this comprehensive review. Almost anything that could be described as Goth, or Goth adjacent, seems to get a section, although there are a few omissions and he's probably put too much about some contentious artists (e.g. The Doors). The big hitters are all present and correct, often with their own chapters, or as part of a review of a regional scene (e.g. The Cure, The Birthday Party, The Sisters of Mercy, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, The Cult, The Banshees, The Damned) along with significant clubs, gigs, events. In Art of Darkness, Robb writes: “The world is full of newer bands touched by the dark velvet hand of goth”, and Fontaines DC are a perfect example. Grian Chatten has spoken about the influence The Cure’s 2001 Greatest Hits had on him as a child, Conor Curley has described the Gun Club’s Mother of Earth as his favourite guitar riff of all time and the ghosts of Leonard Cohen and Lee Hazlewood (another of Unsworth’s Gothfathers) hover over the shimmering fairytales on Chatten’s beautiful solo album, Chaos For the Fly.

The Art of Darkness, The History of Goth by John Robb The Art of Darkness, The History of Goth by John Robb

This is a lovely book about the darker side of Post-Punk that I would recommend to anyone, even though the promised ‘deep dive’ into Goth turns out to be an elaborate paddle, so let’s concentrate on the good bits first, and why you should buy it, as this is impressive. Now, Robb said there’s been a shift in attitudes ( he cited the pioneering work of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation) and noted how goth is thriving. “ Wednesdayhas been massive, The Cramps are bigger now than they ever were,” he said. “ Hans Zimmer’s score to Batman was one of the gothiest in Hollywood. Many musical movements died over the years, but goth just got bigger.” A real slog reading this, not very well-edited at all, lots of good info and history but not really collected into a readable whole. A real shame as there is a great book hidden in here. Lots of sloppy errors as well, ie Conny Plank didn't record at Hansa studios, Play Dead (who get one measly paragraph) are listed as producing 4 albums....... there's no mention of Cranes or Every New Dead Ghost (latter weren't that well known but probably more so than some that are included) little info on Other parts of the book focus on highlighting the female artists who were central to the scene, and the importance of grassroots venues to the development of sub-cultures like goth. “Places like The Batcave in London and The Phono in Leeds were massive in bringing the goth movement together,” Robb said.I've seen critics of the book criticize Robb's florid and hyperbolic prose. Personally, I've got no problem with that element. Goth is all about unapologetic emotionalism. Going "over the top" is literally what the word "Gothic" means. Yeah, Robb's gushing gets a little much sometimes. But if you're trying to capture the sound of, for example, Killing Joke in words, only hyperbole will do. Dry text could not do the subject justice. READ MORE: The Cure photographer Paul Cox: “Robert Smith is a normal bloke – but he has a presence” Interviews with the main players are a huge part of The Art of Darkness, and an interview with Banshees bass player and founder member Steve Severin is a rare treat and the band’s history is discussed at length.