Goth - by Lol Tolhurst

About the Book

"GOTH is an entertaining and engaging historical memoir of the genre of Goth music and culture, exploring creative giants like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division, and many more great bands that offered a place of refuge for the misfits of the 80s and ever since. Written by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, this book offers a fascinating deep dive into the movers and shakers of goth with stories and anecdotes from Tolhurst's personal memories as well as the musicians, magicians, and artists, who made it all happen-the people, places, and events that made goth an inevitable and enduring movement. Starting with the Origins of Goth, Tolhurst explores early art and literature that inspired the genre and looks into the work of T.S Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Albert Camus and more. He also outlines the path of Gothic Forebears and shows how many musicians played in punk bands before transitioning into goth endeavors. Next, he introduces readers to the "Architects of Darkness "-Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy division and The Cure-the godfathers of goth who established the genre's roots. Following these early bands, Tolhurst discusses a group he calls the " Spiritual Alchemists ", consisting of bands like Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins and more, who helped the darkness expand into the culture . He also tracks the expansion of the genre overseas, from England to New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. Gothic fashion was an important part of the movement as well, and Tolhurst discusses the clothing that accompanied and complemented the music. Finally, Tolhurst examines the legacy of goth music, and shows how its influence can still be seen to this day across music, film, TV, visual arts, social media, and so much more finally concluding "Why Goth matters!""--

Book Synopsis

Following his memoir Cured, a fascinating deep dive into the dark Romanticism of Goth music, a misunderstood genre and culture, by co-founder of The Cure, Lol Tolhurst

GOTH is an entertaining and engaging historical memoir, a journey through Goth music and culture, and an exploration of a place that offered refuge for the misfits of the 1980s and ever since. Written by Lol Tolhurst, cofounder of The Cure, GOTH is infused with stories from Tolhurst's personal trove of memories, as well as anecdotes about the musicians, magicians, and artists who made it all happen--a veritable garden of earthly delights for the longtime Goth fan and newcomer alike. Equal parts teacher and storyteller, Tolhurst explores early art and literature that inspired the genre and looks into the work of T. S. Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, and more. He outlines the path of Gothic forebears and shows how many musicians played in punk bands before transitioning into Goth endeavors. He introduces readers to the "Architects of Darkness"--BAUHAUS, SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, JOY DIVISION, and THE CURE--and discusses a group he calls the "Spiritual Alchemists," bands like DEPECHE MODE and COCTEAU TWINS. He tracks the expansion of the genre overseas, from England to New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. Gothic fashion was an important part of the movement as well, and Tolhurst discusses the clothing that accompanied and complemented the music. Finally, Tolhurst examines the legacy of Goth music, and shows how its influence can still be seen to this day.

As thoughtful and thorough as it is utterly bewitching, GOTH is a timeless testament to why Goth matters--and why it always will.

Review Quotes

"...[A]n interesting look at a counterculture from the eyes of someone who helped bring it to life... Much like its subject matter, it's moody and emotional in all the right ways."--Spectrum Culture

"GOTH succeeds at what's often thought of as an impossible task: defining the roots, influences and impact of goth."--Salon

"If you're going to read one book about goth culture, you might as well read the one written by a co-founder of the gothiest goth band. Lol Tolhurst's new work, Goth is a must-read for any Cure fan and an entirely pleasing experience for anyone interested in the subculture. Far from an encyclopedic text of a few thousand bands you may have heard about if you ever shopped at the one place in town that sold band shirts andleather jackets... Goth is an engrossing memoir/history lesson in the happy-sad subculture."--Dread Central

"An impressionistic, heartfelt account of the origins, influence, and curative powers of the goth subculture."--Library Journal

"A thoughtful, highly readable memoir and music-history book will appeal to Cure fans as well as anyone interested in the history of Anglo-American punk and goth culture... lively, intelligent reading for discriminating late-20th-century dark music fans."

--Kirkus

"The Cure wrote the book on Goth, so who better to literally write the book on Goth than one of the Cure's founding imaginary boys? By joining the dots of his own unique story with the darkest and most romantic moments in pop culture, Tolhurst has crafted a fascinating tome that is part memoir, part travelogue, part textbook, and most of all, the definitive guide to what has always been one of music's hardest-to-define genres."--Lyndsey Parker, Music Editor, Yahoo Entertainment

About the Author

Lol Tolhurst is a co-founder of The Cure, inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and author of Cured: A Tale of Two Imaginary Boys.