Toronto goth scene
In Toronto, the goths did not seek to reject mainstream status, and achieved partial acceptance throughout the mid to late 1990s.
In Toronto, the subculture that eventually would morph into "Goth" was an eclectic and varied group that existed prior to 1982 and was a cultural blend of New Romantic, Post-punk, and Hardcore punk enthusiasts.
[3] Some "freaks", notably Death punks and New Romantics, were extremely fashion-conscious, dressing in darker styles modeled on old black-and-white horror films, Morticia Addams, Lily Munster, film noir or ratty New Romantic and glam rock fashions, but maintained a local "freak" identity and a general lack of knowledge of burgeoning UK goth scene.
However, unlike concurrent goth subcultures elsewhere, many of these "freaks" were primarily fashion-oriented as opposed to identifying as strongly with gothic rock genre of music in particular.
Punk got its foothold in venues such as the Horseshoe Tavern, Beverley Hotel, X-Rays and the Black Bull patio (pre-bikers) and changed the area into a bohemian, artistic community (pre-current corporate gentrification).
"[7][11] The area became known as the "Fashion District" for its textile and upholstery wholesalers, which allowed goths to cheaply experiment with styles.
The central hub and breeding ground for the subculture later to be known in Toronto as "goth" was the city's after-hours clubs, beginning with Voodoo on St. Joseph Street (1981–1985), Kongo on Hagerman St. (1983-4), Klub Domino on Isabella (and later Yonge St.) (1979–85), Iguana Lounge on Pears Ave, and perhaps the peak of this early period was Pariah, a Wednesday club night that would run from 10 until dawn, which originated at Kongo in 1983, originally launched by Lynn McNeil, with Siobhan O'Flynn DJ'ing.
[12] After closing at the Kongo on Hagerman St., Pariah relaunched with Siobhan O'Flynn and Stephen Scott running the after hours night at the much larger Twilight Zone on Richmond Street (1984–87), owned by the Assoon Brothers.
[13] Other prominent DJs from this period included Dave Allen, Pam Barnes, Ivan Palmer, Donny Cochrane, Dan McKay, and others.
Also worthy of note is Century 66 - a restaurant attended and staffed by many members of the scene with a futuristic and dark decor, and the location of many events, including Brian Eno's Thursday Afternoon installation in December 1984.
Anne Rice, Edgar Allan Poe, Lord Byron, Bram Stoker and other Gothic romanticist authors were extensively read and considered social obligations.
[5][17] The mid-1980s - 1991 saw the emergence of proto-type gothic bands appeared such as Vital Sines, Breeding Ground, National Velvet and The Furies.
Leathercraft and later Northbound Leather, both on Yonge Street were key retail outlets for the emergence of fetish culture in Toronto.
Although these new emerging movements did not necessarily share the same outlooks as the earlier goths, nor an interest in the same styles of music and fashion, the scene itself flourished with a new emphasis on sexuality.
"[25] In Toronto, the goth subculture became widespread enough that the media referred to it as "pop-culture",[26] in contrast with the term "cult" that would be applied in later years.
In 1998, Johnson Cummins, a music journalist for the Montreal Mirror, reported that Toronto had a higher concentration of goths than anywhere else in the world and that anyone walking down Queen Street could not avoid seeing many of them.
[34] By mid-2001 goth music was no longer in significant demand in Toronto, and consequently night clubs had generally stopped playing it.
Bands like The Birthday Massacre, Vegasphere, Dream Corrosion, Rhea's Obsession, and Bitter Fall, who were accustomed to playing to full houses, especially when in their hometown, would discover that was no longer the case.
[33] In 2003 it was reported that where other cities had lost their base of goth and industrial fans, Toronto's scene was holding on, or even growing.
[39] While goth has declined in popularity in Toronto, a loyal following still exists, congregating at clubs such as Nocturne[40] (the former Savage Garden[41]) on Queen Street West for the weekly Black Friday nights and various monthly and other regular events, and The Orb (popularly known by its previous name, The Devil's Cellar), which is in the basement of Celts Pub on Dundas Street West, for the monthly Dracula's Daughter night.
Velvet Underground, a stalwart of the alternative scene and once home to weekly live broadcasts by Toronto FM station 102.1 The Edge,[42] closed its doors at the end of August 2015[43] due to its owner, Liberty Entertainment Group, deciding to focus on its wine bars.
Velvet Underground was reopened by a local entertainment group Embrace Presents on February 12, 2016 but as a live music venue.
[29] However, according to Matthew Didier, founder of The Toronto Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society and regular contributor to the CFRB paranormal radio show "Mind/Shift", speaking of Torontonian goths "They want to be 'professional' and be accepted for their contributions to whatever than shunned.
