The art of darkness

This is the first comprehensive history of goth music and culture. Across more than 500 pages, John Robb explores the origins and legacy of this enduring scene, drawing on his own experience and interviews with a host of bands, from Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure to Throbbing Gristle.

John Robb is a journalist, broadcaster and musician. He is the author of Punk Rock: An Oral History (2006) and the founder of culture website louderthanwar.com. He plays bass in the post-punk band The Membranes.

ONE OF ROUGH TRADE'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023
VIVE LE ROCK'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023

'John Robb brilliantly illuminates the realm of imagination and dark beauty. Enter the other side of love. The kingdom of goth is within you.'
Johnny Marr

'An encyclopaedia of excitement - thanks to this book goth is undead.'
Chris Packham

'John Robb has written the definitive book on a scene that demands to be celebrated. Fascinating, thoughtful, surprising and freakishly detailed.'
Grace Dent

‘John Robb is an inexhaustible fact finding music sleuth, a sturdy writer and trustworthy guide’
Henry Rollins

'I could not stop reading about the birth, death and ghost of goth as it poured out of this extensively researched panorama of goth music and culture. Connect the dots, do that dance… while wearing black, of course.’
Kid Congo

'This is a glorious book, exploring Gothic from its historical roots to the cliches, caricatures and catcalling of the present age. The music, dance and fashion are sumptuously brought to life, but more than that, Robb manages to take us into the psyche, fantasies and imaginations of a plethora of fascinating Goths. The go-to book on all things Goth.'
Janina Ramirez, author of Femina

'The reader is taken on a journey through history, both ancient and recent, from the big stuff of historic tomes to the intricate detail of the history of each band that is anyway connected to Goth, however tenuous.'
Blitzed Magazine