I Feel Really Sorry For Goths Who Don’t Live Anywhere With An Actual, In-person Goth Scene Because

I feel really sorry for goths who don’t live anywhere with an actual, in-person goth scene because that means all they get of other goths is Internet people being stupid. No one at in-person events is debating the precise definition of goth, quizzing you to see how many bands you’ve heard of, or calling you a poser for wearing a Tom Waits shirt instead of a Bauhaus shirt. That’s Internet nonsense right there. People just assume that, if you’re at a show, you probably like at least one of the bands performing and, even if you haven’t heard of any of them, you’re curious enough to support them, coming out to support little bands is good! And I’ve yet to come across a band say to someone, “sorry, you don’t like these specific bands or weren’t in the scene for more than x years, so I’m not going to let you buy any of my merch.” Most of them are happy to have the support, no matter how involved you are. Another plus: because most shows have smaller, newer bands and most DJ nights play newer bands as well (well, depends on the DJ and usually it’s a mix, but I digress), you won’t run into people who think that bands who started after 1985 don’t count.