Sisters of Mercy. Given the Eldritch one's attitude to goths, I'm amazed that he would play a festival at which the audience is going to be... mostly goths.

That would actually be my preference, I have to say!

That's an interesting comment. Do you mean that there aren't very many musicians/groups playing, or that there's only a small population of goths in Germany?

Thanks for the warning, demon!

I love this comment!

The last Gig I left after four songs. This bassist, a punk was awfully and Eldritch got no voice. The audience was horrible and the location disgusting. It was not the band any more which I saw in the 80ies. In fact he lives in Hamburg and to 90% from the gothic scene.


It's a question of the definition, Minnie and no one is counting, because it doesn't make sence unless we find out what gothic is.
I don't know, some DJs play the german stuff for hours and some only play the stuff from England and America. It's in english, so I think it comes from there. It depends on the style. Mediaeval is nearly 100% from Germany, the classic goth pop 80% from England and America, the batcave parties to 90% and I don't know were most of the electro stuff comes from, if there is no lyric. It's a bit tougher here from the tendency but I'm simply bored, after ten years of clubbing. In the late seventies and eighties there were so many different trends. So many sounds I never heard before and I never was focussed on just one scene in this years, because there was no pure gothic scene up to the end of the eighties here. In the 90ies I lost myself in experimental music and crossover and alternative from America. So I hope for more input from different cultures, like Laibach in the eighties who perfectly fits to Einstürzende Neubauten, although they were totally different. I mean, I don't hope for a new revelation like Cure, Bauhaus and Joy Division offered any more.

To comment on the state of scene in the Netherlands (as far as I'm able to), I think there still is a small scene over here. Most of the big cities still have, I believe, a regular goth night (once month or once every two/three months). Some are more oriented towards batcave, some more electro, some mix everything. Small festivals or nights where a couple of bands play are still being organised as well.

When I was living in another city, I used to go to parties. Back then I could easily get there, as they were organised nearby. I think approxiamately 50-70 (?) people would attend such a night, and I really liked going there.

Right now, in the (quite large) city where I live there is one neo-folk/dark-ambient party scheduled for March and one wave/gothic/pop/alternative party focusing on the 80s for May. That's it. And I don't like neo-folk and dark ambient that much. Also, they're in the same venue and it's all the way across town, with virtually no way of getting there and back by public transportation (meaning a extremely high taxi fare if I decide to go). I wish I could go to other cities, because all the fun seems to be there.

They do have character, but that character is *usually* just German, or at least a nationality of Germanic origin. Off the top of my head most of the bands I know are either German, Austrian or Norweigan, with a few rare people from Italy, one US band and one Canadian. It's very clear which is which to me, but I can see how to the outside onlooker it'd merge together, especially since many bands just throw random German in for no damn reason at all. The tradgoth scene always seems far more British in origin to me, with a little bit of America in some of the heavier sounding bands. There's a good chance that, like with the stompy, it just sounds that way because of the chosen language.

The explanation I got for German Neofolk at WGT was pretty damn hillarious, but I have no idea if it's true or not so I won't quote it as gospel.

Oh, come on - spill!

Just hear some songs from In Extremo, (Subway to Sally), Corvus Corax/Tanzwut, Saltatio Mortis or Faun and don't wonder if you don't understand a word. Its Latin then or Middle High German. Seriously, I really love to dance to but some got definetely to much pipes. Take care if you want to visit a concert, it probably got a fuddling impact. I couldn't hear the pipes for weeks any more.

I'm going to have to pay more attention you your playlists, demon - not only has it been recommended by Cassie because of your fondness for Arcana, but this sounds pretty interesting too and I'm going to have to do some checking. I like to understand lyrics, but not doing so doesn't phase me in the least...

England is Germanic via Saxony, Scandinavia and Normandy. It's also got significant Celtic and Roman leftovers, with not a little more modern French thrown in too. The only real trace of Germanic heritage is the stoicism and fondness for queueing.

I WISH I could have a look at demon's playlist... I remember his introduction as it was a few minutes ago I read it, plus he's a great poet with an incredible taste for darkness. Whatever is, has been or was happening in the politics session, I think VERY highly of demon and I think his contribution to the board (as partially shown in this topic) is very important and very worth reading.

No; actually, I think that hints at a Slavonic heritage somewhere along the line...

Did I miss something? Either way, I agree - I'm glad that he, and everyone who has contributed to this thread, are around and I'm really pleased that this thread has taken off!

Oh, no, I just mean that I never look in the politics session and apparently it's there every trouble gets started and consumed... I've noticed demon writes there and automatically connected to "FIGHT!"

I don't understand the remark about Demon's playlist either. Is he a dj?

Not for me Calliope Aisha Cassandra. I have a split relationship to Germany
and understand that others have that too. In fact I feel scared a little bit, if people rave about Germany. Most of them don't share my point of view. Back to topic: The first three Bands surely have some videos on youtube or somewhere else. If somebody really wants some links, please sent a pm. I mean gothic breaks taboos, and we need an international exchange, so no taboo will be disregarded. Be sure I'm not embarrassed of it.

No I'm not, I just provided some german neo folk bands and a link to the line up of the mera luna. What's with the Paradiso in Amsterdam nachtvlinder? I thought the gothic scene captured it.

@ demon: don't fear me anyway ^_^ . My love for Germany comes from the fact that when I was a little child in the camping with my parents I used to play with a german girl who tought me the numbers in german and some basic words, plus my german best friend just had a baby *_*

Oh thats nice. I just remember Antonella an exchange student I got around with. The guys in the Pizzeria Inferno were always impressed: "Una Siziliana."

But here is nothing to defend. There comes a lot of awful EBM from Germany, although it starts to become better and I'm sure things like "Combichrist" are not from here. In fact it was an attempt by people who made their money with techno, to unite the rest of that scene with the electronic part of the goth scene. I don't thing it got to much to do with the language. Just hear Deine Lakaien, Wolfsheim or Helium Vola (with Ernst Horn fom Deine Lakaien), which I really like. So if I speak about Medieaval it contains medieaval folk, folk rock, folk metal and folk electropop. (as we say in germany) Helium Vola is one the best of the last genre.

... and a Bacio di Tosca to Calliope Aisha Cassandra

.... und wenn das Herz auch bricht.