It’s quite bright here in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where The Blogging Goth is keeping an eye on Facebook and Twitter and watching as the Goth community comes together to celebrate – even more than on Halloween!

We’ve covered World Goth Day before – in 2013 when we interviewed DJ Cruel Britannia, one of the founders of WGD – and in 2014, when we watched as the mainstream media struggled ineffectually with the very concept of Goth.
This year the media coverage hasn’t been as widespread, and we even had to nudge content-conveyor-belts like Buzzfeed to get a shift on!

@TheBloggingGoth Arg! I’m tied up with other stuff. We’ve done loads of Gothy things tho and I shall suggest we re-promote

— Patrick Smith (@psmith) May 22, 2015

So far, only persistently poor paper The Metro has managed to churn out some fairly inaccurate guff about Goth – hardly surprising, as this free rag is part of the hated Daily Mail publishing group!

“But not as you know it!” – Like, accurate? Entertaining?

Still, Goths online have been keeping the celebrations going; Twitter in particular has been exceptionally lively, with the sharing of events, memes, jokes and – for the Shopping Goth – special offers! You can see an exhaustive roundup on the official World Goth Day website.

There have been some great blogs written about growing up and realizing you’re not going to leave this ‘Goth phase’ behind – and you can also help prove that to the world by taking part in this academic survey, aimed primarily at older Goths.
Or you can let others surprise you with their music choices as people strive to compile the ultimate World Goth Day mixtape! And never forget those who are no longer with us, and who suffered for trying to be different, like Sophie Lancaster.

Today also we’re celebrating the birthday of a couple of pretty iconic people as well! There’s sullen, pouting Fairuza Balk – famous for playing sullen, psychotic Nancy in 1996’s “The Craft” and revitalizing the Goth look towards the end of the Millenium – and be-quiffed flower-thrower and rent-a-rant indie maestro Morrissey, who – like The Sisters of Mercy – influenced and counts many Goths as fans, but otherwise has nothing to do with the subculture at all. Many unhappy returns to them both!

Finally, you can read a chat with the man whose fault it all is, DJ Cruel Britannia, in this fantastic little interview. He comes across as just the wry, sarcastic bloke he is in the real world, and – I hope – adroitly punctures a lot of the misconceptions and outright lies people believe about Goths.

It’s almost the end, anyway – because as we all know, when night falls, Goths really come out to play! Do so – get out there, hit up your local club or catch a gig or just get down the pub and see what’s on the jukebox. Confounding all stereotypes, Goth is more than just sitting in your room listening to the same records over and over.
OK, a lot of it is that but at the same time, the whole culture benefits from people getting out there, supporting the efforts made to bring new blood into the scene.

Don’t let it die on us – keep Goth shambling ever forward!