What do vampires, goths and dark wave music have in common? They are all intrinsically linked with each other as far as pop culture (and subcultural) worlds are concerned. Bauhaus, the legendary Goth band who were featured in the opening credits of The Hunger, recently announced they would be reuniting for a short tour. Though Covid-19 threatens the tour, the news is a good excuse to revisit Goth’s influence on horror and discover the new and prevalent influence of horror and Goth subculture in our horror community. And who wouldn’t love new music recommendations to ride out this quarantine?!
When I first started this article, I wanted to highlight one of my favorite new bands: Twin Tribes, hailing from Brownsville, Texas. When asked about their favorite horror films, Luis relates that “Horror definitely played a part in our first album, Shadows. The title track was inspired by the film The Hunger by Tony Scott. Stories of vampires and the occult are some themes found in the album.” What are the odds!?
Loosely based on the 1981 novel by Whitley Strieber, The Hunger played on the aesthetic of the times, including the much loved Goth ‘golden age’ that became synonymous with dark wave music culture (the darker twin of preppie New Wave). Though the film was initially dismissed by most mainstream film outlets, it has been referenced numerous times in modern pop culture, such as American Horror Story: Hotel and in Twin Tribes’ music.
Complete with over-the-top sensuality and flowy lace scarves, The Hunger centers on Catherine Deneuve’s Miriam, who recruits and converts lovers from the living. Miriam’s consort John (David Bowie), despite being a vampire, begins to age rapidly. As it turns out, all of the men that Miriam gifts with ‘immortality’, will eventually live an eternal death – but not as an active member of the living dead. Fittingly enough, Sarah (Susan Sarandon) is a gerontologist who has made it her mission to ‘cure’ aging. With the promotion of her book, Sleep and Longevity, she finds herself on the radar of Miriam and John – ultimately ending in a romantically tragic triad.
This film is a testament to the evolution of horror cross-breeding with its eccentric and obscure fanbase. While music was an ever changing monolith in the ’80s (punk, dark wave, psychobilly, post-punk) most of the iconic bands from these genres were only popular in underground club scenes. The Cramps, The Misfits, and 45 Grave all tied horror and rock together; however, it was post-punk that brought this fusion to the forefront of pop culture. Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Joy Division and Killing Joke blurred the lines between the macabre and the political influence of punk. Considering that horror has always been the Black Sheep of film genres, it doesn’t take a genius to understand why the newly evolved Goth culture of the ‘80s held on to the lawlessness and lore of the genre. When asked why Goth loves the gore, Joel broke it down, “I believe both of these go hand in hand. Goth subculture tends to embrace the darker themes in life. When we talk about horror, the tendencies sway towards those themes. The occult, vampires, serial killers, cults, etc. It’s all a give and take. The goth subculture is also heavily influenced by horror. Perhaps more so than the other way around.”
“Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” featured so prominently in The Hunger, is clearly the most referenced song for the ‘ideal’ goth image in horror film, but where has the continuum led since then? “Personally, there are so many I can list that have made magnificent music that has inspired me as of late. Mr. Kitty, She Past Away, Otzi, Second Still, Silent EM,” Joel suggests. “They’re not all necessarily darkwave, either. There are so many amazing acts making new music [and art].”
