GOTH

noun (Music) (Youth Culture) A style of rock music characterized by an intense or droning blend of guitar, bass, and drums, often with mystical or apocalyptic lyrics. Also, a performer or follower of this music or the youth subculture which surrounds it, favouring a white-faced appearance with heavy black make-up and predominantly black clothing. Etymology: A back-formation from the adjective Gothic; the style of dress and some elements of the lyrics evoke the style of Gothic fantasy. History and Usage: Goth grew out of the punk movement in the late seventies, with bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees making the transition from punk; by the mid eighties it had attracted large numbers of British youngsters to its subculture. One of the most noticeable things about the goth look is its elaborate dress code, including black leather, crushed velvet, heavy silver jewellery, and pointed boots, combined with long hair, white-painted faces, and heavy black eyeliner. Although this gives a rather gloomy appearance, most goths are actually peace-loving vegetarians who see themselves as the heirs to the hippie movement of the sixties. The leading performers of the music (also known as goth rock or even goth punk) include Sisters Of Mercy, whose leader Andrew Eldritch reportedly chose his pseudonym from the Oxford English Dictionary, where the adjective eldritch is defined as 'weird, ghostly, unnatural, frightful, hideous'. A more middle-class and tame version of the goth subculture, based on indie music and ethnic clothes, is dismissively known as diddy goth among young goths. Siouxsie Sioux is the godmother of goth-punk, and her Banshees' brew hasn't been reformulated in years. Washington Post 14 Oct. 1988, section N, p. 22 Justin, 22, a computer operator from Southend, explains he's a 'total' goth and fan of SOM, though he does have a surprisingly catholic taste in music...'The way I look at it, goth is being into alternative music. We're a mixture of the punk and hippie things. We're into black and the occult.' Evening Standard 22 Mar. 1989, p. 42