You know that your subculture is dead when they make a coffee table book about it! Well it’s happened, recently, long time Los Angeles Scenesters, Amelia G and Forrest Black oversaw the publication of their “California Deathrock” book, a glossy overview of the subculture that evolved out of the early L.A. punk scene and recently has been enjoying a revival on the west coast. This time around however, I don’t see this as a nail in a budding scene’s coffin but more as a reaffirmation that, what a handful of artists have been pushing toward for the last 5 years is now a true growing cultural concern!
California Deathrock book, Christian Death Pins, Deathrock fashionista.
Up here in the unforgiving North, the underground has had a thriving Deathrock / Gothic / Darkwave community for years… The mainstream constantly pushes forward the image of “lumbersexuals” and coffee shop folkies, but in truth the Pacific Northwest is more metropolitan and anti social. The scene has remained subterranean largely due to our mainstream media outlets ignoring it. New artists and musicians have been operating in a vacuum, and with no one to please but themselves, we’ve seen the return of dangerous dark music as well as dangerous dark styles! All that is missing is the real violence and menace that permeated the early eighties scene… but alas, you can’t expect to have it all!
Sally Dige & Marc Godfrey outside Shadow Line (In an Italian article!), Early Dark Noise pioneer Dandi Wind on tour with The Horrors, The Vampire Bats and Shadow Line Poster.
The sea change first started around 5 years ago, with a collective rejection of bearded indie folk and coachella style hipsters who despite all the instagram selfies they were taking, somehow remained oblivious to how mainstream and boring they were! Vancouver and Portland have emerged as hotspots for a new Deathrock / Dark Wave / Gothic underground. Goth by the late 90’s had devolved and deviated into an embarrassing caricature of itself, terrible cyber footwear, Hot Topic accessories, and awful bands that drew upon Nu Metal and Modern Rock… Is it any wonder that Columbine happened? Over the last 6 years, the new scene has been placing it’s emphasis on it’s obscure 80’s roots before it was hijacked by MTV frat boy mentality! In isolated yet urban, Vancouver we’ve seen the resurgence growing gradually and organically in our music and fashion. At the start of the decade, the musical landscape seemed to be hopelessly, bleak and bearded with a million bands that sounded like Mumford & Sons all jostling for an ipod commercial, now more and more bands seem to have seen the light and are drawing on 80’s Goth, Post Punk, Dark Wave and Deathrock influences.
I will always remember where I was on 9/11 (With the Human League!), Portland’s Shadowhouse
Deathrock BC DJ’s Batt Fink and Pentagram, Repossession Poster w/ Infidel, Spectres.
Vancouver’s SPECTRES made their debut in 2007 with their “Cold War” EP and then in 2010 released a true classic… “Last Days”. Their latest album, “Nothing To Nowhere” continues the band’s winning streak in absolutely nailing the Deathrock genre! Vancouver has been leading the charge in dark music, with a particularly prolific amount of new bands, WHITE LUNG, MODE MODERNE, ACTORS, TERROR BIRD, ANIMAL BODIES, VAMPIRE BATS and PETROLEUM BY-PRODUCT to name a few. The now defunct, dark wave revivalists Petroleum By-Product spawned SALLY DIGE, who relocated to Berlin and has just released her debut album on Night School Records. This month’s issue of the NME has picked her as a buzz worthy artist. Petroleum bassist, Vanessa Turner is often found DJing alongside TERROR BIRD frontwoman Nikki Nevver at the DARK 80’s, a night that just keeps growing in popularity! Sally Dige’s sister Johannah Jørgensen relocated to Copenhagen and formed METRO CULT who’s debut EP has just come out on the excellent Mass Media Records. Mass Media is also home to notable Portland band SHADOWHOUSE, who along with BELLICOSE MINDS are two of the best of the city’s scene! 
Portland’s Bellicose Minds.
Spectres, Nikki Nevver Terror Bird, Metro Cult.
One of the early influential catalysts of the revival in Vancouver of the new Gothic Deathrock scene was the monthly SHADOW LINE night that ran throughout 2012 at the now defunct Waldorf hotel. Created by THE VAMPIRE BATS and Virginia Fraser, the SHADOW LINE played host to past, present and future talents from the city’s Goth, Punk and Arts scene! The SHADOW LINE featured guest DJ’s and live performances and the most over the top, elaborate “Bat Cave” decorations in clubland. Each event was like walking onto a movie set or art installation. We managed to create a Gothic Wonderland and were able to promote some of the city’s most deserving and enigmatic artists, DJ Philth (Download, Skinny Puppy), Dandi Wind (Fan Death), Bloody Betty, The Vampire Bats, Spooksy Delune, DJ Vortex, I Braineater, DJ Contrasoma (Sanctuary), Sally Dige, Arsenic Of Jabir, Viktor Kuhn and many more… sadly, just when we confirmed Daniel Ash to DJ, the Waldorf was shut down during a much publicized dispute with condo developers, Solterra!
Vampire Bats at The Rickshaw, Spooksy Delune and Sally Dige.
The Shadow Line’s run had an subtle impact on influencing the city’s burgeoning black clad culture… It was the first club night in town to start mixing in harder edged Deathrock with the more traditional Gothic dance staples that could be heard at nights like SANCTUARY. After that came Deathrock BC’s ill fated, REPOSSESSION and DARK 80”s. The DARK 80‘s at the Astoria has become the natural successor to the Shadow Line. One of the best moments for me at the SHADOW LINE, came when I was Djing… I followed up 45 GRAVE‘s “Evil” with the BIRTHDAY PARTY‘s “Sonny’s Burning” for a packed pogo-ing room and realized that for the first time, that song had somehow become a dance floor crowd pleaser! Right after that, I suggested to GOTHIC BC website curator Michael Barrick that perhaps we should think about making a coffee (Coffin) table book… 
SPECTRES & BELLICOSE MINDS will be playing at THE DARK 80’s Friday May 22nd!
Links!
COMING SOON – An Unpublished SHADOW LINE Photo Gallery!
SECRET AGENT RECORDS MAGAZINE 
