Birds Before The Storm

The best piece of performance art I’ve ever seen—measured by its emotional effect on me—was short and told a story of estranged youth. It began as a blood ritual set to black metal, it ended with one in the other’s arms flying from the stage set to this song. Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. (Who, randomly, I first discovered owing to her work on the soundtrack to Brazil).

Today I found the video, and I also found the video for the cover by Placebo. I don’t really know anything about Placebo. And I’m wary of covers of such beautiful, earnest songs. But I like it. And what’s more, I like the video even more. I don’t really care about music videos as a medium, I have to admit. But there’s a really important emotional quality to the video that, well, reflects that the cover artists respect the original. It’s a series of clips of fan-videos, of sad people singing along. And that’s what Running Up That Hill is about. Sad people singing along. Fuck yeah. The cover loses a bit of the “hopeful anyway” that the original has going for it, but I like it.

This isn’t actually a video, just a song. And to folks in the goth scene, it’s mostly a played out one.

When I first got into goth, it was for the darker, heavier stuff by and large: the swans and skinny puppy. New Model Army, who aren’t as heavy but certainly aren’t electronic dance. I used to really begrudge EBM (electronic body music: the combination of industrial and electronica). I hated that goth music had “gone to shit”, had “just become techno with lyrics.” In short, I was a judgmental idiot.

And it was this song, Darkangel by VNV Nation, that eventually won me over. It’s just so damn catchy and danceable, but still all spooky and sad.

In the anarcho scene these days, punk is dead. Long live (shudder) Michael Jackson. The pop dance party is the thing. Most of my friends think I hate dancing, because if I end up at a party, unless I’m drunk I stand in the corner, maybe talk to people or something. My goth friends know me better: I love to dance. Hell, it’s the reason I wear skirts. (So much fun to dance in!)

This summer when I was in Portland, VNV Nation had some posters up on posts around town for a show they were playing. VNV Nation, in case you don’t know, uses futurist/german-expressionist images. Think of the movie metropolis. Lots of “into the bold future of humanity!” kind of images. Which is a lot of the same stuff that fascists adopted as well. So all the punks were in a mild uproar, trying to figure of if this was some nazi band. Fortunately, someone said “we should ask Magpie.” VNV Nation is not some nazi band. Goths just use different imagery than punks. VNV Nation is explicitly anti-war, anyhow. From their environmentalist song “Carbon”: “By our blindness and stupidity, we kill everything.”

My good friends in Ego Likeness are heading out on tour again, and their music is getting even more interesting as the years go on. Ego Likeness is what you’re looking for if you want gothic dance with really intelligent lyrics, on themes spooky, mythological, and women-empowerment. Basically, Ego Likeness is mature gothic rock/dance. I’m remarkably biased, but you really can’t go wrong. Anyhow, if you’re anywhere near one of these shows, check them out. They’ll be touring with (and opening for) Bella Morte, who I really should find out more about.

BELLA MORTE with special guests EGO LIKENESS and Versailles

• OCTOBER 24TH FLINT. MI @ THE MASONIC TEMPLE
• OCTOBER 25TH BERWYN, IL @ THE NITE LIGHT CAFÉ
• OCTOBER 28TH KANSAS CITY, MO @ DAVEY’S UPTOWN
• OCTOBER 29TH FAYETTEVILLE, AR @ THE GYPSY
• OCTOBER 30TH BRYAN, TX @ THE STAFFORD
• OCTOBER 31ST SAN ANTONIO, TX @ ATOMIX!!
• NOVEMBER 5TH EL PASO, TX @ UNCLE PAULIE’S PUB
• NOVEMBER 6TH SCOTTSDALE, AZ @ MARDI GRAS
• NOVEMBER 7TH LOS ANGELES, CA @ BAR SINISTER
• NOVEMBER 10TH AUSTIN, TX @ ELYSIUM
• NOVEMBER 11TH HOUSTON, TX @ ROCBAR
• NOVEMBER 13TH NEW ORLEANS, LA @ THE HOWLIN’ WOLF
• NOVEMBER 14TH NASHVILLE, TN @ THE RUTLEDGE
   

Leslie Fish is an anarchist folk singer who writes songs about Star Trek and such, and is considered one of the innovators of filk. Here, in this song, she explains why a well-trained gunner is more effective than one using the “spray and pray” method.

My good friends in Ego Likeness are about to head out on an east coast tour for a few weeks, and if you have the chance you should definitely go see them. They’re not a “political” band, but all of their songs have meaning. This is what I love about the goth scene, at its best; although the music is danceable, it actually says something. For Ego, expect songs about self-empowerment, the majesty and beauty of science, acknowledging and recovering from trauma. Plus, it’s just damn good music.

I’ve been on stage with Ego Likeness before, as a drummer, which was one of the most fun things I ever did done. But anyway, yeah. Do yourself a favor and go see them live. Even though their music is mostly electronic, they really do put on a fine, fine show.

Thanks to the magic of Google Alerts (yes, yes, I’m one of those people), I heard about Power Forge Radio: a podcast of folk metal and industrial, for the most part, which is pretty sweet. I wonder if they know those are two of my favorite genres of music? Anyhow, they were kind enough to include my rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” as the closer to their latest episode, which led me to their show. It comes recommended. The title of the post comes from a discussion on the show, which warms my heart because, well, I think Man O’ War are a bunch of douchebags.