Goth Night FAQ
Back in 1996, I found a complete lack of music diversity in Athens, Ohio, the home of Ohio University. There was a substaintial group of freeks going to school there (including myself), a group that I thought needed an event where they could dress up in their pretty velvet clothes and see bands that would have never come to Athens, Ohio otherwise. So I approached different locations where I wanted to set up a show. I was turned down by many locations, but The Union Bar and Grill (an old-school local punk bar) accepted. They gave me control over their upstairs stage room, let me set the admission price, gave me all the money at the door (they made money off the upstairs bar), and most of all, THEY LET ME DECORATE!. The first show was such a success (72 dressed up people attending!), that I continued to do them once about every 3 months. The last one I did was Goth Night Part VII, and through the years I have learned a great deal about performance art, organizing, working with bands, cheaply decorating, running contests, dealing with the evil general public, advertising, and worrying about whether I am going to be loosing my shirt in the next two hours or not from poor attendance.
preparations before a show. photograph by Lara Glee
The anouncement at Goth Night VI of the winners of the door prises. Photo by Lara Glee
The tradtional Goth Night speach about cheese to the audiance. Photograph by Lara Glee.