2008 Woodie Awards
Dark times for goths
Former members say scene is dead
By Christopher Placek
"Basically, the neighborhood didn't want the Trenchcoat Mafia coming in so close after the Columbine shootings," Novasic said.
After being denied a liquor license in contentious meetings of the city Utilities & Licenses Committee and Common Council during the course of 1999, a license was approved to Club Anything in June 2000, Murrell said.
In response to the city's refusal to approve a license for the club, Murrell and others created a spoof of the Milwaukee Common Council. They called it the Milwaukee Goth Council, which was always a joke, Murrell said.
"So many of the drama queens in the scene took it so seriously," Murrell said. "Then the scene took a dump, a real dump."
Murrell said Club Anything is nothing like Club Sanctuary, which was strictly goth/industrial. "That's when it was fun," he said.
Novasic said the goth clientele from Sanctuary's days are now married and have kids. While Anything features music of wider variety now, the club still offers a goth night the third Saturday of every month.
"The goth scene has changed dramatically," Novasic said. "And we're no longer the hub of the goth scene. I think it's more decentralized now."
Performer Brain Graupner, whose local band The Gothsicles has performed at goth festivals and clubs internationally, said goth can be dead if you want it to be.
"It's pretty easy to say anything is dead," Graupner said. "It's definitely different, but I'm not going to say it's dead."
Murrell said he doesn't think anyone today is really goth.
"They're almost the direct opposite of people who used to be goth," Murrell said. "It's a different generation, but maybe I'm just old."
After being denied a liquor license in contentious meetings of the city Utilities & Licenses Committee and Common Council during the course of 1999, a license was approved to Club Anything in June 2000, Murrell said.
In response to the city's refusal to approve a license for the club, Murrell and others created a spoof of the Milwaukee Common Council. They called it the Milwaukee Goth Council, which was always a joke, Murrell said.
"So many of the drama queens in the scene took it so seriously," Murrell said. "Then the scene took a dump, a real dump."
Murrell said Club Anything is nothing like Club Sanctuary, which was strictly goth/industrial. "That's when it was fun," he said.
Novasic said the goth clientele from Sanctuary's days are now married and have kids. While Anything features music of wider variety now, the club still offers a goth night the third Saturday of every month.
"The goth scene has changed dramatically," Novasic said. "And we're no longer the hub of the goth scene. I think it's more decentralized now."
Performer Brain Graupner, whose local band The Gothsicles has performed at goth festivals and clubs internationally, said goth can be dead if you want it to be.
"It's pretty easy to say anything is dead," Graupner said. "It's definitely different, but I'm not going to say it's dead."
Murrell said he doesn't think anyone today is really goth.
"They're almost the direct opposite of people who used to be goth," Murrell said. "It's a different generation, but maybe I'm just old."
Published: 10/30/07 Section: News
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 9
Crescentia
posted 10/30/07 @ 10:06 AM CST
I totally agree. I dropped out of the goth subculture four years ago also. I was in it from about 87 onwards and saw it turn into absolute garbage. There are kids enetering it that beleive every single thing that the manistream press makes up about it and turn themselves into stereotypes. (Continued…)
Christian
posted 10/30/07 @ 7:55 PM CST
The Goth scene may be dead in Milwaukee, but it is not dead. This subculture is in it's third decade of life and waxes and wanes like any music tribe. (Continued…)
britt-a-cide
posted 1/24/08 @ 5:06 AM CST
Fight for it! Why give up and let it die!
dan
posted 1/25/08 @ 12:30 PM CST
I used to be a crazy goth before i got my Hvac Degree, eh, i guess im still a crazy goth
Shade de Monesko
posted 1/30/08 @ 2:11 PM CST
I can not agree that Goth scene is over. Yes, of course it is different than it was in the beginning. But people change and we can not expect that the scene will not change. (Continued…)
terry
posted 3/04/08 @ 2:05 PM CST
Yes, we most certainly need to keep the scene alive! True it is waning, but like anything it will wax and wane, and change. But hopefully never die! There is so much beauty in the scene, and I for one hope it continues and will be supporting those people in London, club promoters, creators etc in keeping the scene alive and swooning!
Tony B
posted 3/04/08 @ 4:44 PM CST
Why do goth kids always wear women's jeans?
No one survived
posted 4/23/08 @ 2:18 PM CST
I'm from Germany. And in Germany we have got the same problem. The clubs are full of metal and techno kids. there is no goth anymore. Too much tolerance and the popularity of futurepop, hellectro and symphonic metal destroyed the gothic infrastructure. (Continued…)
Elder
posted 11/24/08 @ 2:45 PM CST
I'm inclined to agree with NO ONE SURVIVED. Apparently one outstanding trait of all Goths - tolerance - has been the greatest factor in the decline of Gothic popularity. (Continued…)
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