N O W T H I S I S G O T H I C

Find a nice compilation of the photos from this blog here on the must-read website post-punk.com  - among these picks are also many of my favorites!  

Thankyou for coming to the talk on the book, 20th of August at Kalabalik festival.  In case you haven’t heard of this great synth festival in Sweden yet; you should go there and the synth lovers among us need to do anything in our power to make a next edition happen again. Festivals and our entire scene don’t just occur, but exist by the sake of visitors from all over Europe (and outside!). Kalabalik is together with Grauzone Festival (Netherlands), Waveteef Festival (Belgium), Gothic Pogo Festival (Germany) and Return to the Batcave Festival (Poland) really one of the European places you need to be if you like postpunk/minimal synth and goth.  Back home, post-festival blues. One more box of books left. If anyone wants a copy (30 euros/35 dollars + shipping) please get in touch via [email protected]  

Shippingcosts information (sent from The Netherlands): Belgium & Germany + 9 euros shippingcosts Other European countries + 11 euros shippingcosts Outside Europe: all countries + 18 euros shippingcosts

I’m now on Etsy as well. You can get the book there.  Also, this pair of shoes is still for sale ( €35, size UK 7/EU40/US9): SOLD

You should definetely consider this festival, one with an interesting synth and postpunk line-up, in the background the beautiful Swedish landscape. I will sell the book there and also talk about the 1980s scenes and the book itself. Hope to see you there!

I have 8 copies of my book here that I’m selling :) They are 30 euros per copy (24.5 pounds/35 USD) and it's directly send by me, so I can sign it for you if you like :) I have paypal! PM on Tumblr or send me an e-mail when interested [email protected]  Shippingcosts information (sent from The Netherlands): Belgium & Germany + 9 euros shippingcosts Other European countries + 11 euros shippingcosts Outside Europe: all countries + 18 euros shippingcosts

SEE YOU!

I can be reached by [email protected] when neccessary. Seeya. 

I posted most of my stuff when I started the blog (in 2010) -  check it here!

At this moment you can buy a copy of Some Wear Leather, Some Wear Lace off me personally for 35 € (including shipping) (this is cheaper than the Book Depository, that offers from 36, because the book is low in stock everywhere) European costumers only for now! Drop me a message (with your country, e-mailaddress) when interested. First come, first serve >   [email protected]

The last one. Goodbye 2015. 

nowthisisgothic: This subculture definitely worked in a bottom-up way, considering its influences on the high fashion and then commercial fashion of some seasons ago. Eighties fashion, lace overload, leather jackets, buckled pixies at Zara, Joy Division t-shirts at Pull and Bear.. you name it. And now it is the 90’s turn – and indeed there you have 90s goth too popping in stores, velvet long skirts, mesh tops. Every new decade borrows from 20 years ago in fashion and music sense, and so will also takes its bits from ‘goth’. It’s just a matter of time until gothic metal acts are considered classics and musical innovators and their fashion will be hip again – mark my words.

nowthisisgothic: Oh man, I was so sick of all the ugly examples of ‘goth’ looks on the internet and annoyed that the original style with the big hair and toned down look was nowhere to be found. I named the website that way to state ‘now this is (what I think is) gothic’. It is partially a complaint and joke, but above all, a place to take inspiration from and a place to learn that creativity isn’t bought. I never really specifically tell about my sources ...:P Many people from back in the days gather into facebook groups, remembering the good old days. Facebook is an archive itself, basically! Also, you’ve got to understand how Google works; meta data, search tools, recent uploads, etc. It takes hours to go through all these pages and photos, though. I’ve spent unhealthy time on the internet for this.

nowthisisgothic: I am from the Netherlands. I grew up in a boring suburb in the centre of the country. I kind of lived off the Internet as a teen, filling my head with music and perceptions, until I was more mobile and able to go to university, and go out and meet people too. I think many people of my generation got to know ‘gothic’ as an inspirational element in rock acts, (nu-)metal bands such as Evanescence, The Rasmus and Nightwish. My story isn’t any different. However, when I was 13 I figured out that ‘actual goth’ was different than the forms I met so far. Some of the bands also referred to TSoM and The Cure when they were called goth. So after some research, I started bending towards new wave in my musical taste more and more. I’d now refer to darker forms of new wave as ‘gothic’ and that later acts in the 90s and 00s have similarities in themes and looks. To find out that there ever was a music genre that exactly reflects me was kind of a relief. As a teen, I’d figured I had a hard time finding people with the same interests, mindset, and nuanced and introverted way of style.

Héloïse, Paris 1986 [photo by Louise Maison]