Goldie's Fab Four #2
Goldie's Fab Four #2
My cultural highlights of the week
The Art Of Darkness – A History of Goth by John Robb
There’s plenty in here about Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, The Cure, Adam Ant and Nick Cave, but this is more than just a rock book.
Robb’s romp through history delves back to the Sack Of Rome in the 5th Century AD and embraces both architecture and literature, before arriving at the specific moment when a new musical style emerged from the dark, foetid corners of post-industrial Britain.
Not all the bands subsumed under the genre enjoyed the association.
Andrew Eldritch from Sisters Of Mercy, one of numerous artists interviewed here, hated being called ‘Goth’ but there’s no denying that many of the key acts were linked by a sensibility that extended beyond a love of dark clothing, eyeliner and sticky up hair.
Common themes were an obsession with sex and death, as well as the desire to extract pleasure from melancholy.
What Robb also argues – persuasively – is that Goth expanded the palate of UK pop culture. Here were artists unafraid to borrow from both American dance music and Krautrock.
His enthusiasm might also nudge you to re-examine some great music. Just check out the full 9 minutes 37 seconds of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” for starters.
The Art Of Darkness can be pre-ordered here
Stewart Lee – Basic Lee Tour
I last saw Stewart Lee on the eve of the first pandemic lockdown. His classic ‘Snowflake/Tornado’ set was energised by anger at Brexit and the culture warriors who enabled it.
‘Basic Lee’ which I caught at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall is a less abrasive show, but features Lee’s trademark meta analysis of his own performance, his apparently wild digressions, and (of course) a stack of great gags. Perhaps not “genius” like last time, but still very, very good.
Gladie – Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out
Brilliant second album from Philadelphia’s Augusta Koch and her comrades. Is there such a thing as sensitive punk? Yes, and here it is.
The Goes Wrong Show - BBC i Player
Derived from the successful West End show ‘The Play What I Wrote’ this is laugh out loud slapstick comedy. Not every episode works well but the best of them (“The Pilot Show”, “The Lodge”) are examples of brilliant daftness.