i love the cure and bauhaus, but i don't like the sisters of mercy. That doesn't make someone any less goth

I've loved Bauhaus since I 'discovered' them at 18; the Cure have their moments; and Sisters of Mercy are good for a laugh. ...I mean, sure, I'll hit the dance floor if the DJ spins "This Corrosion," but that's almost like asking someone not to sing along or at least tap their foot when the Beatles' "Help" comes on the radio. It's a classic that's been etched into everyone's memory from the first time they heard it. And I will say, seeing Andrew Eldridge getting soaked in the rain in his open trench coat, mirrored aviator shades and slicked back hair is still kind of cool. ...But they're really not good for much else.

And, as I touched on in an earlier post, the old school/traditional goth scene goes a LOT deeper than the "big 4"(Bauhaus/Siouxsie/Cure/Sisters, who are like the Metallica/Anthrax/Slayer/Megadeth of goth).
Just listen to some of these older school radio stations like Cathedral13, and you'll see that there was LOADS of bands around during this era, and even many more who spilled into and out of it from many other genres.The "big 4" sure as hell didn't create this scene alone!!

Not to mention the whole goth/industrial connection....... the reason you see these two often in the same sentence goes much further back before goth club DJs began playing aggrotech, and way deeper than the average goth growing up in the 90s owning a NIN or Ministry album or two.
In the early days, these scenes and genres were much more similar than people give them credit for, and crossed over quite a bit: such as Einsturzende Neubauten playing the Batcave, or Rozz' experimental projects, or the more experimental sounds of Bauhaus, Alien Sex Fiend, and the Virgin Prunes, or bands like Coil whoreached out to both scenes, or oddball artists like Death in June, Danielle Dax, and Diamanda Galas having ample influence on both subcultures. Goth WAS within the experimental music category, and the two were intertwined since the days of Throbbing Gristle and The Fall.

Of course there were a lot more bands. All the darkwave stuff, like Echo and the Bunnymen, eyeless in gaza, And Also The Trees, Nick Cave and his first Band Birtday Party or Suzi's project The Creatures, Tuxedo Moon, Mecano (the dutch band) Black Flag, Big Black, Killing Joke, The Clash, Lydia Lunch and all the one hit wonders I forgot. Laibach's phophecy came true in the jugoslavian war and so on ...If you mention the Sisters don't forget the Fields of the Nephilim. For me Mourning Sun is still the best Goth Rock Album of all times.

Now there's a band that's been having an effect on how I want to dress some days. I'll never be a cowgirl, but I may dress like Carl McCoy sometimes. ^_^

Great look dear. On the GGB is a women who is a totally fan of him. She nows him personally and sometimes got promos.

That would be awesome! She's a lucky girl. I don't have a black puffy shirt and leather vest, yet. But I have been buying a few things with a western flair thanks to listening to him.

This is somewhat how I feel about the Sisters. I would dance to "Temple of Love", but not much else from them. It doesn't help that I've heard Eldritch is a complete dick - from what it sounds like, he merely capitalized on Goth (whether for fame or fortune, it doesn't matter) when it was most popular then dropped it like a bad habit when it started becoming less shiny. All Eldritch-related things aside, though, I simply can't get into the Sisters' music and I'm not sure exactly why that is.

As for the Cure, I haven't allowed myself much time to explore them because I've been so busy going in different directions. I'm sure that there are songs that I would like, but not sure what those might be.

I've noticed that I seem attracted to the more punkish side of Goth that is still Goth - Deathrock. I fell in love with 45 Grave before I even knew about that genre, and have always preferred the songs from Bauhaus that lean towards a dark punk sound (this is why "In the Flat Field" is my favorite of their albums). Cinema Strange has caught my attention, as well as Blood Dead & Sexy, and Deadchovsky (still need to investigate more into those last two before I make a definite decision though). It took me a while to give Christian Death a fair listen, which I regret, because I was paranoid that my christian family members would rummage through my music and make all sorts of accusations... I know, I know, it was an incredibly stupid reason to put off what I now consider one of my favorite bands.

Industrial influences can be heard plainly in some of Bauhaus's music, I agree. I can also even hear some influence in Christian Death (The Feeling Somnambulist), though not as much as in Bauhaus. I see Goth and Industrial as two people who have a lot in common (thematically) but love each other because of their differences (musically), and produce fusions that enrich both genres.

Well said, Spectre!

If you like the 'punkier' side of things you'd probably like The Cure's earlier albums. Just start with '3 Imaginary Boys' and go up until you start hearing 'pop'(Disintegration?).

Thanks for the recommendations! It is difficult sometimes to start exploring a band when they have so much discography, that's when it requires a little research to find out where the best place to start would be, or when helpful people provide recommendations .

Although this is probably The Cure at their poppiest (they still play it on the radio), I like "lovesong" because the lyrics are great. I imagine that a lot of their more pop-oriented stuff it still really good, and I would rather listen to that than a lot of the crap they have on the radio today, but generally I don't much care for pop. There are always exceptions to this though, I don't totally cut myself off once I've established a certain taste - I try to remain as open minded about music as I would like people to be for my music (although this can be very difficult when you absolutely loathe what someone has you listening to, then they ask your opinion on it).

I don't think 'Lovesong' is nearly as bad as 'Just Like Heaven', which is my favourite. I've made the mistake of doing rather rough critics on music that people I know like, before they told me they liked it. So they call me an 'elitist'. Oh well.

Got The Cure's discography, jam Sisters of Mercy at least once a week, not a big fan of Bauhaus, but then again I listen to every genre excluding country so thats not saying much. Just Like Heaven is the shit. Love Song has kind of been played into the ground. Probably got to say Friday I'm in Love is my most played Cure song, well that and Cult Hero, No Time to Cry for S.O.M. I have to add Depeche Mode in there for favorite shit from that era as well, jam out Blasphemous Rumors quite often.

(My last post on this thread didn't focus much on the actual bands suggested in this thread discussion, so - yeah I guess I'll take about stuff now.)

I think the best way I can explain my relationship with bands like Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, and etc. (all the rest of the relatable early goth bands like Christian Death, Love Like Blood, Big Electric Cat, whatever) is that I go through stints. I'll just pick up a song by The Sisters or The Mission (aha) and listen to them on-again-off-again for about a week, and then I'll go back to listening to my usual playlist. I can say that statistically, the song by one of these bands that I find myself listening a lot more often would be "Fascination Street" by The Cure. Then "Temple of Love" by the Sisters (yeah; it had that same effect on me as well before I got into some of their other stuff).

Besides that, if there's any sort of intensity, I usually listen to the second-third generation stuff that borderlines other genres.

Wolfie: I have to say that the fact that they wore such hats made me check out Fields of the Nephilim, and they turned out to be one of my most listened to early goth rock bands.

And I want one! D:

Aside from hearing the Cure back in the '80's, the Sisters were one of the first bands I got into back when I first started listening to Goth music (in late 2008 as in when I thought about what was Goth and what wasn't - I wasn't aware of the term back in the '80's). Somehow certain Sisters songs have stuck with me and give me good memories of when I first started going to concerts (the first few songs on First and Last and Always give me a warm feeling).
I do like some of FotM and The Mission UK as well.
Bauhaus took longer for me to get into - I like them OK but like Tones on Tail better.

It doesnt make you less goth but possibly hard of hearing! My stepdad comes from leeds and loves the cult but ive never had him even try the sisters. God knows why. Have you tried listening to "bury me deep" or "marianne"?