Trad Goth (short for Traditional Goth) is the original aesthetic of the Goth subculture, which emerged directly from the British post-punk and gothic rock scenes of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The style was pioneered in influential clubs like London's Batcave and is inseparable from the music and image of foundational bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Cure.

The look is defined by its dramatic and androgynous fashion, with the most iconic element being the big, backcombed, and often black-dyed hair, paired with pale foundation and heavy, stylized black eyeliner. The fashion retains a strong Punk influence with a DIY ethos , incorporating elements like ripped fishnets, leather jackets, band t-shirts, and winklepickers. "Trad Goth" is a retrospective term used to distinguish this original style from the numerous substyles of Goth that have evolved since.

Modern Trad Goths or OG Goths are devoted to the core Post-Punk-born musical scene, from the late 70s to the modern era. They also revere and respect “Elder Goths”, namely individuals who experienced the 80s and 90s scenes.

Due to this devotion, they are often misunderstood and misconstrued as “elitists” and “gatekeepers” by people who like the clothing and aesthetic but don’t put proper focus on the music involved. For this reason, many Nu-Goths and Pastel Goths are frustrated with Trad Goths and vise-versa.

In truth, most Trad Goths are extremely open-minded in terms of what constitutes Goth music and towards the modern scene. All that matters to them is the understanding that it did develop from Post-Punk, and understanding Goth as a legitimate musical genre with certain guidelines to its sound and subsequent evolution. They listen to all kinds of music, but they know the difference between Goth and other darkly inclined musical genres.

Unlike newer dark sub-cultures with the “Goth” suffix (like Nu-Goth and Pastel Goth) modern Trad Goths try to be mindful of the religious, cultural, and political iconography used (in comparison to the 80s and 90s scenes) in their fashion. They are well-read in these fields and understand the influences in the imagery they use.

In the modern era, much Trad Goth information comes from blogs like Post-Punk.com (vital to learn about new music in the scene and in related scenes) and YouTube channels/playlists by Cadaver Kelley and Angela Benedict.

It’s important to remember that people of all religious, cultural, and political backgrounds are in and have been in the Goth scene since it began. They aren’t limited in their style and aesthetic expression (ie, black is not always used despite its popularity in the scene). The only thing that draws them together is their love for Goth music, their appreciation of the culture’s past, and an excitement over its future.

They can be found in Goth and 80s-rewind nights at clubs, coffee shops, bookstores, and record shops having stimulating conversations about literature, music, and the arts. They can often be spotted wearing DIY jackets covered in pins and patches of their favorite bands, exaggerated dark-colored eyeliner, and smoking clove cigarettes (with or without nicotine).

Music is incredibly important to Trad Goths. Here are some examples (mostly from the 80s just to show how many bands there have been around the world since then):

It’s important to note that 80s Goth styles were far more varied than they became popular in the 90s. There was no restriction to black or dark colors and different bands evolved different looks. Because of this and because Goth is mainly a musical scene, it’s possible for a Trad Goth to dress in any way they want to, particularly since the scene has had so many different looks and aesthetic facets.

In the 80s, they tended towards stereotypical Batcave and Trad Goth styles, Deathrock (which is a somewhat more punk variant), or the nameless ethereal, romantic, and bohemian type styles now grouped under Woodland Goth and Ethereal Goth.

This is mostly using names and terms from the 80s before the term “Goth” was used. (This is also before the terms Ethereal Goth and Woodland Goth were used or fully delineated, so the generalization of 4AD is used to describe the aesthetic.)

Nico (of The Velvet Underground) is considered by most OG Goth bands to be the godmother of the scene. Frustrated with the twee folk genre she had been lumped into, she rebelled (with encouragement from Jim Morrison) and created the album The Marble Index in the late 60s.

This is widely considered to be the first Goth album (see the main Wiki page for Nico). For this express reason, Nico was later adopted into the 80s Goth scene. She performed with Bauhaus, opened for Siouxsie and the Banshees, and toured with Gene Loves Jezebel, thus cementing her status as an overlooked Goth legend.

The term “Batcave” is in reference to the niche British club The Batcave, which helped start the Goth (at that time called Positive Punk) movement in that country during the early 80s.

It was owned by Ollie Wisdom of The Batcave house band, The Specimen. What made it unusual at the time was that it exclusively played alternative/independent music and refused anything remotely “pop”. As such, many other bands developed in this club including The Virgin Prunes, Alien Sex Fiend, and Danielle Dax.

Yet before The Batcave, in the late 70s, there were several bands that later performed there, and are now considered progenitors of Goth. Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Damned all appeared slightly before The Batcave, indulging in what they described as “punk” or (in Bauhaus’ case) “dark glam”.

The seeds these three bands had sown with their gothic, almost-costume fashions, morbid lyrics, and bass-driven Post-Punk lead to an explosion of bands that made music and used imagery in a similar vein (including the most famous, The Sisters of Mercy).

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