I'm 29 and I've been in the goth scene since I was about 15-16. I went to high school In SF and there wasn't very many goths or darksider's in my school. We were always treated pretty fairly. I mostly bought my clothes at "Goodwill" or "The Salvation army". I would mainly wear fishnets and a kilt or If I wanted to dress up, I wore white vintage wedding dresses. I think the goth community changed when Mr. Manson came out. The younger goth crowd started wearing really baggy black clothes. "Hot Topic" Is huge here.
Hallo! Ich habe heute dieses Forum gefunden. Ja!! OK, since this is in English, I will write in English. (It's also easier for me to do so.)
I will have to agree with a lot of what redghost said about her experience being a Goth in America. I'm not a Goth (well, physically), though I have Gothic friends, and I enjoy Gothic music and the culture. I am 26 years old, and when I was in high school, we had one Goth in 1500 students. We also had 2 punks (both from Holland). I was good friends with the Goth, and it seemed most people just let her (and the punks) be. There were no problems. These 3 were also the nicest 3 of everyone.
Today is a different story. You go to any high school and you see Goth-wannabes. I feel there are very few actual "true" Goths in today's youth culture in America. Hot Topic is huge... but that's really pop-Gothic or mall-Gothic. It's a fashion statement, even though these kids say they are Goth. Once this "fad" ends, these so-called Gothic kids will be on to the next style of clothing. Most of thes ekids wouldn't know Robert Smith if he walked into them.
As for how Goths are viewed... I cannot say for sure, but I do know that some people are frightened by and worried about those that are Gothic. People automatically associate them with Satan. It kind of came about with Marilyn Manson, I feel. Many non-Goths see Manson as being Goth. And the urban myth is that Marilyn Manson is a Satanist. Therefore, all Goths are Satanists. Hence people are "afraid." Plus, people are not comfortable around what they do not know. However, I feel it is more accepted today than it was 10, or even 5, years ago.
The bands I listen to (they are not all Goth)... Lacuna Coil, Moonspell, In Flames, Poisonblack, Evergrey, EverEve, Tristania, Nightwish, The Gathering, In Extremo, Oomph!, Rammstein, Genitorturers, AFI, and many more. Most Euro-Goth bands are FAR better than the American Goth bands.
I have yet to experience the scene here in Hamburg. I just moved here 2 weeks ago. I don't know anyone yet (except those I work with, and I don't think they would be into the scene), and I do not feel comfortable enough with the city to go out alone at night to find these things out. I am very interested in the clubs (though I don't dance... I just want to listen to the music and people watch), and the big parties that are put on. Maybe I'll find some friends here that would be willing to show me around.
And for the scene I experienced in America... I lived in Tampa, Florida, and there is one Goth club there. I've been there a few times, and there I have seen real and fake Goths. It's a very cool place to hang out, with very cool people. Peter Steele has been spotted there a time or two as well when he's in town for a show. That's really all there is for a Goth scene there... except for the pop-Goth kids that hang around the mall. Haha.
Naja... ich denke, dass Hamburg eine bessere Schwarze-Szene als Tamps hat, aber das weiss ich noch nicht. In America many of us are anxious to go to Europe since the Gothic scene seems to be much more here than there. But I guess maybe that really only applies to London (where I hear there are some awesome clubs and a pretty decent scene)?
