For a few confusing months in 1983, I spent a bit of time shlumping around the late night streets of N.Y.C. as a Goth. It's true. It was an innocent combination of a few friends I had enjoyed hanging around with, and a band named Specimen, who had released a few singles in England that were getting some airplay on WLIR out of Long Island. I dug the singles enough to see the band perform live at The Ritz, and then, enjoyed the show so much, took it a step further by heading downstairs to The Batcave, a recreation of the famous London club that sat below Danceteria, a famous New York club.
Not much happened at The Batcave. If memory serves, there were a lot of private rooms with couches, fake spider webs, black lace and black light. Alien Sex Fiend and the ilk were piped in through the speakers, and a bunch of kids all looking like Siouxsie Sioux, sat around skulking and smoking cigarettes, rarely uttering a word. Good times!
These memories came flooding back after finding a copy of Specimen's single "Returning (From A Journey)" in a stack of 45s. I listened and still loved it, so I continued on to the "Batastrophe" E.P., and enjoyed it as much as I did 40 years ago.
Specimen may not be your cup of tea, but these three tracks posted here, are favorites of the genre.
And if they do nothing for you, you can at least thank me for the photo at the bottom.
12 comments:
ah man, memories. i've lived in a few cities that had their weekly goth nite. besides the cool threads it was a place you could literally dance with no one looking.
That photo!!!
As I was reading the text of your post I knew my response would include a desperate plea for a photo... and then, you came through like a champ.
Dear God, what a bad ass motherfucker. If I met you on the street I would turn and run as fast as I could!
Randy
It is one of the great regrets of my adult life that I never had a goth chick girlfriend.😎
Back in the day I was way into that Specimen 12" ep. And Bauhaus.
Great stuff! This reminds me of when I spent Christmas Day 1977 with my friend Zowie at CBGB's. Kinda the same vibe. What rebels we were! Ha!
Nice photo. You'd have scared the shit out of me too.
Your dad let you get away with that?? Or did you do the full morph at someone else's house?
@M_Sharp
FYI- that photo was taken in my grandparents apartment.
I taught thousands of teenagers in my years as a high school teacher and from my experience with goth kids I can say they used their make up and attitude as a way to keep the world at a distance. Once you could get them drop their guard I found goth kids were some of the nicest and intelligent students I had, I treasure my time with them. Overall great people.
For once a serious Captain Al
Hey Captain,
That serious side is very becoming.
Thanks for your comments.
Steve Simels -- hahahaha.
And O.M.G. That's awesome. If I had a photo of myself during the week I owned a white linen jacket in the Miami Vice era, sleeves rolled up, I'd share it too. Happily, people were too kind and refused to take my picture. I believe I wore it once before fleeing back to the preppie look and staying there.
Wow. Nice photo !! Just don’t try to recreate or revisit it now. 😂😂. Enjoy the memories. Music is pretty good too.
Thanks for sharing
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