The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth

Reviews

N. Smith

We get long sections on the expected bands (Bauhaus, Banshees, Cure, Joy Division, Killing Joke, Sisters, etc. ), their inluences (particularly from the '60's and '70's: Doors, Velvets, Stooges, Bowie, Roxy and others), as well as a host of smaller bands and many on the darker verges of other scenes from industrial and metal to indie and pop. I am more than halfway through this book and I am very, very impressed by the information contained within it.

djvampira

I especially love the fact that Robb was actually around the subculture in the 80's. It's refreshing because I am personally tired of younger people, who weren't even born in the 80's, trying to tell me what the subculture was like back then. If you have been in the subculture for any amount of time parts of this book will feel familiar, like you are talking to a good friend about 'back in the day'.

Paige Turner

The many experiences that Robb talks about in the book are the same that I had halfway around the world in California during the late 80's. I also love that he really gets into the threads that tangled together to form the goth subculture. He is generous in his opinions of all the musicians. Wide ranging and well researched with plenty of interviews with the main players, the book has enough depth and detail to surprise even the most demanding and obsessive fans.

Gpaolo

Finished……. There are things said in this book that I haven't seen talked about in other books about the subculture so I would highly recommend this to anybody interested in the history of the subculture, whether you are young or old. Thankfully, journalist and musician John Robb has seen the scene from the beginning, and the six hundred and forty pages of main taxt (plus notes) that he gives us here are packed with information on just about every aspect of the subject you could want.

When I was a teen in the mid/late 80's I actually got into The Doors, along with bands such as Virgin Prunes and Specimen so I felt like my experience was finally being seen and talked about. it’s a fascinating read. And he knows so much about just about all music, particularly post punk (two words- not just post-punk).

Anyone who gives a damn about the music genre or general subculture of 'Goth' knows what a daunting task any attempt at a history of it is likely to be: both its historical origins and its influence on wider culture are varied, complex and up for almost constant debate. The definitive tome on the subject.