But you’re right. Still, the old stuff has a special place in my heart, if for no other reason than I can find it at Hastings. New stuff takes forever to get to Boise.

[Please bear in mind that of everything I brought in, I try very very hard to NEVER include older that a year goth or industrial. The scene can’t be rooted in the past, or it dies on the vine – like it has been doing slowly for years. While I began listening to Industrial only in ’89 (Machines of Loving Grace – Burn Like Brilliant Trash (At Jackie's Funeral)) I can not and do not consider myself ‘old skool’. This is why I haven’t brought in a disc of 16 Volt, Einsturzende Neubauten, Throbbing Gristle etc because I consider it too old for modern floors in massive quantities. A reminder from time to time is ok, but there is so much great modern stuff…]

Panzer AG – Behind a Gasmask
Mesh – Crash (Alien Six Kerosene Mix)
Diskonnekted – After Einstein
Empusae – Ekro-Alakin
Gary Numan – Crazier (Slide Mix)
Error – Jack The Ripper
Ah Cama Sotz – Nachtzehrer
Red Cell – Related Skin
Stromkern – Stand Up (Army Of Darkness Mix by Battery Cage)
*Rotersand – Storm
Steril – American Dream
*Ayria – My Revenge On The World
In Strict Confidence – No Love Will Heal (Lucas Boysen Remix)
*Project Pitchfork – The Future Is Now
*Covenant – Ritual Noise (Version S)
*Virtual][Embrace – Fuck You!
Leaether Strip – Suicide Bombers (12” Mix)
Soman – Pusher
Young Gods – Oxiam

Now as for goth… I also find it saddening that modern goth has zero representation in ‘goth’ clubs (Even in Portland). Sure, I’ve heard Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and The Banshees (in whatever incarnation she comes: The Creatures etc), Bauhaus – but again, these are alt-80s hits (aka old skool). Where is the Q’ntal? Nocturne? Nightwish? Subway to Sally? Tear Garden? Voltaire? 12 Rounds? Black Tape for a Blue Girl? Where are these bands? Sharon and I are the industrial rivet stomp stomp stompers and that’s why I’m critical of a dance night called Industria and why I’ll push for more of it. I’m just very surprised that the local Goths aren’t pressuring for more _modern_ representation of their scene in the music selection if it has indeed become a more goth-industrial night (heck, were is the ethereial representation?).

I first started going over a year ago, when it was just “Boise’s Goth-Industrial Night”. (Later, that became the subtitle.) And at that time, you were hard pressed to get goth or industrial. What I had to realize was that, in this town, “Goth” or “Rivethead” came right out of mainstream media. If I had a nickel for everyone who claimed to be goth because they liked Manson, Zombie, or NIN. . . (Which, if you notice, are the Balcony’s Holy Trinity. They tend to be played a lot, and they tend to be played next to each other, and the amount of people who dance to them show this city for the poser Mecca it is.)

Over time, due to pressure from old-school goths such as myself, “Industria” actually started putting some Goth into “Goth-Industrial Night”. Not as much as we want, but the scene is more than us. (A lot more than us, actually. I’ve had nights where I’m the only one who dances to the Sisters of Mercy. Dare I say, “I’m the only goth in the village. . .” Which is a Little Britain reference, so nobody get their knickers in a wad.)

Unfortunately, the Rivetheads aren’t as snarky as we are, and not as many people dance to Industrial, so the mix runs closer to Goth-Poser than Goth-Industrial. Which is a shame.

You can hear more of what you like if you bother the DJ and bring CD’s. You can even bring them just for the night, if you don’t have a CD burner. Just keep a few things in mind:

1. Never try to interfere with the Manson, Zombie, NIN Trinity. They absolutely must be played, or lots of people will get snarky and refuse to dance.
2. The DJ isn’t really a Goth or a Rivethead, but he generally likes goth more. That means you might have to educate him yourself. Like a friend of mine said, “He just doesn’t understand Industrial.”
3. As a rule of thumb, if it’s hardcore, genuine, and old school, someone will bitch and go up to request Rob Zombie. Don’t take it personally.

And I hope to see you again.

-Tara