Journalist, author and punk rock musician, John Robb, will unveil his deep dive into the dark culture of Goth for a unique evening set the intimate surrounds of the Monroe’s Live Backstage venue.
Here, he will discuss his latest book, The Heart of Darkness: The History of Goth in this fully seated show on Wednesday, September 20, at 7:30pm. As the bassist and singer for the mid-1980s band The Membranes, Robb explored his passion for writing with his own small-town fanzine, Rox.
He went on to become a prolific contributor to The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Guardian, The Independent, The Big Issue and many magazines all over the world. Not only that, he was one of the first journalists to interview Nirvana and is credited with coining the popular term ‘Britpop’.
Since then, he has become a regular TV and radio presenter, a Tedx speaker and launched an online rock music and pop culture magazine and blog called Louder Than War. Having published several books, his latest work is the result of a decade of research, with countless interviews and complete immersion into the Goth way of life.
He explores the enduring culture and the social, historical and political backdrop that created the space for the art of darkness to thrive. Whether it’s the Roman love of ghost stories, Middle Ages European macabre folk tales, romantic poets or the original Gothic tribes sacking the eternal city, a walk on the dark side had always had its attractions.
In the late sixties, the Goth emergence soared around a clutch of bands like the Doors, the Velvets and the Stooges. Music, clothes and value systems collided to create one of the most enduring pop cultures of all time.
In this way, the book starts with the fall of Rome and ends with Instagram and Tik Tok influencers, with interviews with the likes of Andrew Eldritch, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, The Cult, The Banshees, The Damned, Einsturzende Neubauten, Danielle Dax, Johnny Marr, Trent Reznor, Adam Ant, Laibach, The Cure, Nick Cave and many others.
Join John Robb for this captivating insight into the dark heartland of Goth across the ages as he discusses his latest book at Monroe’s Live on Wednesday, September 20, at 7:30pm. Tickets cost €10 and are available from www.monroes.ie
