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Mommy, where do little goths come from?
Warning: opinionated rantings about the state of the world.
Goth apathy is not the central problem hereabouts. Well, not IMHO. The real problem is that the average age hereabouts is going up and, over time, people acquire other commitments. Kids, D.I.Y., huge unwieldy overdrafts, paintballing habits. This phenomenon is often known as "getting a life". Although I have to say that bankruptcy, toddlers and grouting doesn't sound like much of a life to me.
Also, sometimes (as a result of the above) people drift out of touch with the local 'scene' to the point that they won't chance going out unless they know they've got friends who'll be there. In that sort of situation, perceived cliques can be as off-putting as real ones.
I reckon that, if you're a promoter, some of this is fixable some of the time. Give enough warning of an event, or settle a night into a regular slot, and people can change their routine and/or budget to reflect it. And kick-starting the social whirl (mailing lists, cheerful PR mailings, pub meets, whatever) can make the social side more friendly/inclusive.
But you're still going to lose people as time goes by. Even if you're playing top-notch tunes and hosting all the best bands, the hundred regulars you have now are not going to be a hundred regulars in three years time. Some will move away (physically or musically), some will be irregular attendees due to other commitments.
Which brings me to the central point. Where are all the newcomers coming from?
I've got this weird theory that there's more to building a thriving local scene than starting a goth night in a town full of goths. Because, frankly, if you haven't already got gothy-type things going on there, you're unlikely to have a town full of goths. What you might have is a town with a large number of people who might drift/plunge into goth music/fashion/etc if they were exposed to it.
It's not just a case of getting the local goths out. It's a case of getting the not-quite-goth locals out and persuading them that they want to be goths. Or at least that they want to go to goth nights and get into the music, even if they aren't going to identify as "being" goths. Nine times out of ten, that means getting your hooks deep into the universities (Rocksoc, gothsoc if they've actually got one...) and getting the fresh crop of students each year.
And I guess that, in turn, means that you've got to be prepared to cope with an influx of ickle protogoths who may not know about much more than Marilyn Manson and Rammstein.
...which covers getting their attention in the first place, and then holding it for long enough to show them what else is out there. Both musically and in terms of a social group/life.
Goth apathy is not the central problem hereabouts. Well, not IMHO. The real problem is that the average age hereabouts is going up and, over time, people acquire other commitments. Kids, D.I.Y., huge unwieldy overdrafts, paintballing habits. This phenomenon is often known as "getting a life". Although I have to say that bankruptcy, toddlers and grouting doesn't sound like much of a life to me.
Also, sometimes (as a result of the above) people drift out of touch with the local 'scene' to the point that they won't chance going out unless they know they've got friends who'll be there. In that sort of situation, perceived cliques can be as off-putting as real ones.
I reckon that, if you're a promoter, some of this is fixable some of the time. Give enough warning of an event, or settle a night into a regular slot, and people can change their routine and/or budget to reflect it. And kick-starting the social whirl (mailing lists, cheerful PR mailings, pub meets, whatever) can make the social side more friendly/inclusive.
But you're still going to lose people as time goes by. Even if you're playing top-notch tunes and hosting all the best bands, the hundred regulars you have now are not going to be a hundred regulars in three years time. Some will move away (physically or musically), some will be irregular attendees due to other commitments.
Which brings me to the central point. Where are all the newcomers coming from?
I've got this weird theory that there's more to building a thriving local scene than starting a goth night in a town full of goths. Because, frankly, if you haven't already got gothy-type things going on there, you're unlikely to have a town full of goths. What you might have is a town with a large number of people who might drift/plunge into goth music/fashion/etc if they were exposed to it.
It's not just a case of getting the local goths out. It's a case of getting the not-quite-goth locals out and persuading them that they want to be goths. Or at least that they want to go to goth nights and get into the music, even if they aren't going to identify as "being" goths. Nine times out of ten, that means getting your hooks deep into the universities (Rocksoc, gothsoc if they've actually got one...) and getting the fresh crop of students each year.
And I guess that, in turn, means that you've got to be prepared to cope with an influx of ickle protogoths who may not know about much more than Marilyn Manson and Rammstein.
...which covers getting their attention in the first place, and then holding it for long enough to show them what else is out there. Both musically and in terms of a social group/life.
Hmm. Cogs are turning, but I'm not sure that all these fine theories translate into a cure for the woes of the world. Still, we'll see.