Has anyone notice the rapid influx of Gothic Belly Dancers and Gothic Belly Dance events in the scene as of late? It seems as though everywhere I go I see more and more of them and to all of these dancers' credit, they have taken a very old and traditional form of dance and have painstakingly transformed it into something dark, sinister, sexy, and, of course, beautiful to behold (just the way we like it). This influx of hip jiggling mavens have been so prevalent recently that the Goth community has made an unwritten amendment to include the genre of Gothic Belly Dancer into its fold...and grateful we all are!
So...the question remains here: where do all these limber beauties go to hang out? Well...mainly, they hang out where we do...I'm sure you've spotted at least a few of them out and about....but, if you really want to get a great glimpse into their world you have to come to Opium.
Set in the habitual hookah styled lounge known as Horus Lounge, this venue hosts this lavish event organized by one of the top teachers of Gothic Belly Dance, Jeniviva. The first thing you will notice as you climb some steps and step inside of Horus Lounge is that the main room is quite narrow and that the tiny bar is immediately to your right...this makes for a very intimate setting, indeed. The next thing you will notice is that the decor hearkens back to North Africa and the Middle East, with the lights kept low...how very appropriate. The third thing you should take notice of are the stairs at the far left end of the room that leads up to the impromptu DJ booth and additional seating area that serves as a long balcony upstairs, but what you will notice instead is the cluster of silken temptresses that have gathered at the two small nooks on the right, beyond the bar...I like to call this the "Harem Room." Now, it's important to mention here that if you yourself are not a Gothic Belly Dancer, you will inevitably realize that the dancers that converge here tend to huddle to themselves, and that might give off the impression that they are rather 'clique-ish'...but this is very far from the truth. Remember that this is an event that celebrates them, and their form of art. Gothic Belly Dancers only seem like they are apart from the rest of the crowd because they are constantly talking and reviewing each other's technique, style, schooling, etc.. They are so passionate about what they do that, in truth, their "workshop" never ends...and the pay-off? If, and when you attend at least one installment of Opium, your eyes will be privy to several performances of the best Gothic Belly Dancing this side of Dubai, Transylvania!!! Now, if I can only convince at least one of them to do a special number in thigh-high stockings, a corset, and a black silken scarf...
I shouldn't forget the music and/or the DJs. How can you go wrong on an Goth event when you have DJs AEngel & Templar taking turns spinning your typical Goth favorites along some new, lesser known music that lends itself perfectly to hip shaking and serpentine hand and arm movements? You can't. Both Djs are quite masterful at combining the both, just as the dancers do with Goth and Belly Dancing. It really is a natural fit, if you think about it. Moreover, I'm sure Templar is having a blast when spinning high on his perch overlooking the crowd below! LOL!
In closing, I want to state that Jeniviva, along with AEGel and Templar, as busy as they all are with other events and personal business, have effortlessly put together a very unique monthly event that celebrates the beauty of the popular art form that is Gothic Belly Dance, which, in turn only enhances and adds to our gotholicious scene! This event only creates another, more exotic facet to our complex scene...you shouldn't miss it! (*makes that crazy Arabian female battle cry with the tongue /shriek thing that substitutes actual applause*)
ANNOUNCEMENT: Time Out New York Goth Article
Current mood: enthralled
Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping
To announce the opening of the Museum at F.I.T's 6 month exhibit of Goth fashion, local magazine/guide, Time out New York (sept 4-10 issue) has a fun, and tasteful, 2 page article featuring some information and tidbits about our beloved Goth scene and fashions. Even New Goth City's very own Sir William Welles is quoted in the piece!
Go out to your nearest news stand and check it out!!!
The Gothic Gazette: 09/03/08
Current mood: curious
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008
Born in 1908, Shot Dead in 2008!
Imagine this: You are a woman who has survived to the very ripe old age of 100 years. You have seen, survived, and lived through the birth of aviation, several wars, the atom bomb, the rise of technology, 9/11, and then some. Now, you are just counting down the days...hell...the hours until your inevitable demise when..........BLAM!!! You are shot dead by your very own 75 year old daughter! Well, that is precisely what happened to a certain (unfortunate) Jessica Burke, who was found fatally shot in the head in her million-dollar North Haven, Long Island home, Suffolk County Police reported yesterday. No motive was mentioned as of late, but we're pretty sure this wasn't a dispute over the 75 year old daughter being an unruly Goth!
The Perfect Goth Wedding!
In the town of St. Joseph Township, Mich., Jason and Rachel Storm, each 24, were blissfully wed recently at the Starks and Menchinger Family Funeral Home. Was this, by chance, a Goth couple's great idea? No. The groom, Jason, is actually the funeral director at the Funeral Home! It's still a great idea, though. Jason figured out that he already has an aisle, pews, a podium, P.A. system, flowers, an organ, and all the trimmings to make for a ceremony and reception on the cheap! The Reverend that officiated over the wedding, Rev. Greg Prather, said with typical religious fervor, "This room is usually filled with sadness and contemplation, but today it is filled with joy and celebration!" The bride, Rachel Storm, stated that she was not at all creeped out by the wedding's location, and that she was accustomed to what her new husband does for a living. Although she did admit that some invited guests refused to attend until she assured them that there wouldn't be any coffins or rotting corpses present for the wedding. Five words: "Till death do us marry."
ANNOUNCEMENT: New Goth City’s 1 Year Anniversary!!!
Current mood: excited
Category: Parties and Nightlife
On Saturday September 13th, DJ CYN and DJ PATRICK have graciously offered to host New Goth City's One Year Anniversary party at Salvation!
There will be "I Skullzie NY" tee shirts and R.I.P. pin giveaways for the first 50 people through the door starting at 11pm, so don't be late, and come get some Salvation!!!
The Gothic Gazette: 08/21/08
Current mood: amused
Category: News and Politics
Infestation in Queens!
Earlier this week a Con Ed worker went to the home of a certain Mr. Ronald Mitchell, 66, in Queens, and upon entering the home at approximately 10am, found himself knee deep in a black swarm of bugs described as fleas and ticks. Both Mr. Mitchell and the unidentified Con Ed worker were swiftly attacked. The Con Ed worker ran out shouting, "Get them of me! Get them off me!" Responding to the 911 call, two police officers also made the mistake of entering the pest filled home and were also covered with the blood-thirsty critters. All four victims were taken to Jamaica Hospital. Somewhere a dog is laughing his ass off!!!
NOCTURNAL DIARY: Chili Con Carnage
Current mood: hungry
Category: Food and Restaurants
Quite a few of you that attended my "Waikiki William's Zombie Tiki Luau" at the beginning of the month, were rather bowled over by my chili recipe (yes...I can cook). So, without further ado, here is the recipe:
CHILI CON CARNAGE!
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil(side note: NEVER, EVER cook with Olive Oil. NEVER!!!) 1 large onion (yellow or white), finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced (Insert stupid Vampire joke here) 1 pound of lean ground beef 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (nothing fancy...just plain) 3 tablespoons of ketchup 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon of pure chili powder 1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce, or to taste (optional) 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or more to taste 1 teaspoon of dried oregano 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder (That's right! I said Cocoa Powder!!!) 1 teaspoon of ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves (NO! Not Clove Cigarettes!!!) 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 1 large can of Bush's country-style baked beans
Git yerself one of 'em large sauce cookin' pots (Dropping yokel-local accent now). Heat the oil in the pot/sauce pan, or in a large skillet, over a medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and minced garlic and cook, while occasionally stirring, until lightly browned. Increase the heat to high and drop in your pound of beef (*giggle*) into the pot. With a wooden spoon, crumble the beef until it begins to brown. Take notice of the subtle sizzle that occurs when dirty flesh meets intense heat as it sears away....*ahem*...*cough*cough*...back on track...When the ground beef has turned from red, to gray, and then to slightly brown, stir in your spices and sauces: the tomato sauce, ketchup, vinegar, chili powder, cinnamon, oregano, cocoa powder (don't you start again...), cumin, cloves, and allspice. Open the can of baked beans (you can't imagine how many people fail to realize that step on their own), and pour the baked beans into the pot. Mix well. Bring the Chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently until it's thick (not too soupy) and flavorful, about 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding the salt and ground pepper to your liking, and a dash or smidgen of any other spices from the ingredient list you might want to taste more of. This chili is highly seasoned, however it is on the sweet side...and is unlike your typical burn-your-face-off variety...that's what makes it so especially good! But, you could add, or have ready on the side, your favorite hot-sauce if you want to make it hotter. This chili can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen up to a month.
SERVES SIX TO EIGHT PEOPLE
This chili be served with Tostitos Scoops tortilla chips, on hot dogs, or eat it straight out of the pot for all I care!!!
Enjoy!
See you in the Dark! Sir William (Hey! Who farted in here?!?) Welles
NOCTURNAL DIARY: Operation: Black Locust Update
Current mood: determined
Category: Parties and Nightlife
As most of you have read in my previous Nocturnal Diary entry (see below), I am calling out to the entire N.Y.C. Goth scene to swarm to Wierd tomorrow night (Wed. 13th) in a show of force to remind the viral hipster crowd that this weekly event does indeed cater to our scene above theirs. I don't wish any harm or arrogance toward the hipsters, we are a peaceful lot, remember? And they do most certainly have a the right to attend this event, as Wierd does not impose a dress code or such...plus no one is going to argue against the money the event and venue generates from their hard-drinkin' ways. No, this mini (fun-filled) rally is merely to converge at this event (BTW: Diabolik has been cancelled for this month, so there won't be any back and forth between the two events. Wierd is the only game in town!) and enjoy the music and the company of other darkly clad friends, and show the attending hipsters that this isn't just a "spooky Halloweeny type of bar night" that happens to their local bar every Wednesday night.
Moreover, the folks at Wierd Records do take pride in the events they promote. They also strive to preserve the musical roots of our fragile scene, mostly by showcasing some very rare performances and by almost exclusively spinning songs off of vinyl original records (do you realize how fucking heavy a box of those things weigh?!?!? Now that's dedication!!!), and OPERATION: Black Locust is also a bit of a tribute to them for doing just that...week after week.
Sure...I understand that going to a Goth club night on Humpday (Hump...HA!) is a bit harder to do when you're trying to make a living the next day...everyone realizes that. However, I beseech you to get all dolled up in your favorite funeral fashion and come on out (only for a little while) to show this neighborhood that our scene is numerous and not just there for their petty amusement! Plus, I hear the music selection is going to be awesome this week...and the fog machine...I LOVE THE FRIGGIN' FOG MACHINE!!!!
I hope to see you there! If you need info/directions to Weird, please visit the individual event list on on the New Goth City website at: http://www.newgothcity.com/wierd.html
NOCTURNAL DIARY: What happened to Wierd???
Current mood: annoyed
Category: Parties and Nightlife
I've been holding my tongue (writing hand?) for far too long on this subject! For the past month or so I've been witnessing the disturbing reality that Wednesday night's Wierd has slowly, and systematically, been taken over by the surrounding hipster crowd. If you have read Skullzie's review of the event, you will notice that the neighborhood hipsters are welcomed there, and if anything, is a great gateway for those blazé individuals to get musically educated in some truly amazing Goth and New Wave classics (Ha! New Wave Classics...Oxymoron!). But this is getting too much!!! I don't know if there is a lack of Goths, an influx of hipsters, or both, but let me go on record in saying that if I have some half-drunk hipster couple using me as a lean-to while they sloppily make out (it's actually happened to me three times already at Wierd), I'm going to explode!!!
Now, don't get me wrong...I love the guys that organize Wierd, and for a Wednesday night event they are very successful (in part due to the hipster crowd...I acknowledge that), but if this trend(iness) of hipsters continuing to populate Home Sweet Home, because it's the neighborhood haunt the other 6 nights out of the week, exceeds or even pushes away the Goth crowd, I might have no choice but to remove the weekly event listing off of New Goth City. I don't want to do that!!! The venue is great; the bartenders are the coolest around; and the fog machine...what can't I say about the fantastic, central air, fog machine!?!? But being extremely observant as I am, I can't help but notice that the bearded, geek-a-zoid glasses wearing, plaid shirt sportin' guys are all to easily pointing fingers, snickering, and making fun of us Goths only to impress the dippy, low self-esteemed, anorexic, girlie-girls that scour the bar for free drinks and a potential husband.
Bitter? Moi? ...HELL YEAH!!!!! I'm sorry, but Wierd is just too good to lose to a bunch of fucking college slackers that believe the "Revenge of the Nerds" look is the "in" fashion style...and I think it's worth fighting for dammit (Janet)!!! So how do we win this war? A dress code policy of all black minimum would be a great solution, but since there is no admission price, this would be hard to enforce. Plus we wouldn't want these hipsters to blend in with us, anyway. What to do??? What...to...do???
Wait...O.k...I think I have a plan! The only feasible way I can see beating this dilemma is by counteracting with a show of strength in numbers to reclaim our rightful (Wednesday night) territory! On august 13th, the entire scene should come out and partake in a two-party event between Wierd and Diabolik happening at Happy Endings only a stone's throw away. We shall invade that neighborhood like a plague of black locust, devouring all that is before us!!! *pant*pant*pant* I might be getting a bit carried away, and in no means do I suggest any type of violence against the hipsters, I'm speaking metaphorically, of course...however, I am serious about having a massive show of Goth force on the 13th between these two events...more at Wierd, naturally. All of us together can put an end to this viral hipster infection growing rampantly upon Wierd and reclaim this event as our own!!! Are you in? Mark your calendars! Otherwise, I will sadly, and reluctantly, be forced to drop Wierd from the Goth event roster on NewGothCity.com. Don't let this happen to this great event!
According to the Daily Variety, MTV has put the gears in motion on a remake of the 1975 cult film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The Executive Producer of the original film, Lou Adler, is partnering with BremanBraun and Fox Television Studios to start work on the new production. No timeline or release date has been set and casting decisions have yet to be made. Hollywood just couldn't resist, could they?
The Gothic Gazette: 7/24/08
Current mood: cultured
Category: News and Politics
Thursday, July 24th
Wicked Accident
LEBANON, Ind. - A woman accidentally stabbed herself in the foot with a 3-foot-long sword while performing a Wiccan good luck ritual at a cemetery in central Indiana. Katherine Gunther, 36, of Lebanon, pierced her left foot with the sword while performing the rite at Oak Hill Cemetery, police said. Gunther said she was performing the ceremony to give thanks for a recent run of good luck. The ceremony involves the use of candles, incense and driving swords into the ground during the full moon. Gunther said was aiming to put the sword in the ground, but hit her foot instead. "It wasn't the first time I performed the ritual, but it was the first time I put a sword through my foot," she said. Gunther immediately pulled the sword out of her foot, and her companions took her to Witham Memorial Hospital, where she was kept a couple days for treatment. No charges were filed, police said. The Wiccans were warned that being in the cemetery in the city about 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis after posted visiting hours constitutes trespassing.
O.k., here is actual proof that I am going insane: everyday that I wake up (as close to sundown as possible), I carefully peer through a slit of my thick black curtains to get a gander at the day. After the initial sting of sunlight finishes dancing around my eyeballs, I always notice these two tall, very thin nuns poised on a building rooftop across the street from by building. They seem to be praying, or something, but I never get a good look at them since they always seem to turn away from me...maybe they might turn into a pillar of salt if they got a good, hard look at me...
Today, however, I finally caught them on film (digital film?) to prove that they indeed exist and are here to torment me!!! The picture is below. You be the judge.
The New Goth City Tee Shirts are here!!!
Current mood: excited
Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping
I am sooooooo happy to announce that the New Goth City "I Goth(Skullzie) NY" tee shirts are finally here and available for purchase!!!!
We're selling both Men's Beefy Tee's and Women's American Apparel brand tees. The shirts are a mere $22.00 each, with Free Shipping!
And I've also included a Combo Tee Shirt/R.I.P. Pin deal for $27.00 with Free shipping!!!
Also, remember that 100% of the profit from New Goth City merchandise goes toward OPERATION: Dark Bar to create a Goth Lounge in NYC to call our very own!
The Gothic Gazette: 07/07/08
Current mood: inquisitive
Category: News and Politics
Tuesday, July 7th 2008
Headless Hitler In Germany
A 41 year old German man stayed on line for hours to be the second visitor at the new branch of Madam Tussauds' wax museum, in Berlin, only to go berserk as he tried to leap over a table, shoved his way past two guards, and succeeding in ripping off the head of a controversial wax statue of Adolf Hitler. Yeah...that'll show 'em! Good job, Hans! Hitler was not available for comment.
It's Alive!
According to horror movie website ShockTillYouDrop.com, Director Guillermo del Toro, who releases his Hellboy II movie this week, has confirmed that he will helm a new adaptation of Frankenstein, after finishing his "Hobbit" movie. As much as we find del Toro to be a master craftsman when it comes to fantasy creatures and beasts, we feel it our duty to remind him of the last remake of Frankenstein...the one with Robert De Niro as the Monster. You've been warned!
Brinkley On The Brink
Arguments at the Christie Brinkley/Peter Cook divorce hearing got heated as the porn-loving, soon-to-be-ex cheating husband admitted to.......Ahh! Who gives a crap!!!
The Gothic Gazette: 7/02/08
Current mood: anxious
Category: News and Politics
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
Hipster Club Busted!
The NYPD has shut down two of the most popular hipster nightclubs in N.Y.C., notably Pacha and Marquee, in an undercover drug sting that started last January of this year. Vice investigators posed as party-goers looking to buy a wide assortment of drugs such as Ecstasy, Special K, and Marijuana. The closing of Marquee also made for some last minute "angry" venue changes since it was set to be the official After-Party space for the Gay Pride Parade held this past Sunday. New Goth City is proud to announce that this sort of thing doesn't happen in the Goth scene!
Spy vs. Sci
The anti-Scientologist group known as Anonymous is set for another global protest in front of Scientology centers in major cities across the world on Saturday July 12th. The protest's theme of Spy vs. Sci calls into question this "religion's" intelligence agency, called the Office of Special Affairs (OSA), and their alleged abuses. Protesters are urged to dress as a popular spy character such as James Bond, Austin Powers, a Femme Fatale, etc., but not as Tom Cruise's character in Mission: Impossible!
The Dead Shall Be Ignored!
What do you get when you cross a dying woman, a neglectful and moronic hospital staff, and a video surveillance camera? The perfect Gothic Gazette story (with video), that's what!!! Here's what happened: As the surveillance camera at King's County Hospital, in Brooklyn, continued to record the goings-on at the hospital's small psych ward waiting room in the dawn hours of the morning, mental patient Ms. Esmin Green, 49, is seen to be sitting quietly off to the side. At 5:32am she suddenly keels over out of her chair and flops facedown to the floor. Two other patients in the room see this but say nothing (Hello...mental ward!). At 5:53am a security guard takes a long look at her from a distance and leaves. At about 6am Ms. Green is thrashing about, but by 6:08am she is not moving, and by 6:20am (almost a full hour later) she is pronounced dead as a medical team finally tends to her. The cause of death is still unknown. We'll let the video speak for itself...
THE GOTHIC GAZETTE: 6/30/08
Current mood: evil
Category: News and Politics
Monday, June 30st 2008
Supermodel Suicide On the afternoon of Saturday June 21st, at approximately 2:30pm, 20 year old super-model Ruslana Korshunova, from Kazakhstan, fell to her death as she plunged 9 stories from her Financial District apartment on Water Street in an apparent suicide. While this young model's final decision to end her life is indeed tragic, especially to her friends and family, at New Goth City we feel it important to point out that countless of "not so young and beautiful" people commit suicide everyday without ever getting the honor of a front page article in major newspapers!
Central Park Gets Scary!
Atari & Eden Games are set to release its upcoming horror video game entitled "Alone in the Dark," available for XBOX 360, Playstation2, and PC. The Mature-rated game features a detail rich replica of N.Y.C.'s Central Park as its virtual environment, filled with zombies, demonic bats, and other spooky delights. Game developers used GPS technology along with photorealistic rendering methods to digitally recreate Central Park's landscape down to a 20 inch precision! New Goth City declares this the must-have video game of the year. For more information on Alone in the Dark, click here.
Teen Loses Head Over Batman Ride
A 17 year old teenager, ignoring "Do Not Enter" and "Danger Zone" signs, climbed a six foot fence into a restricted area under the Batman rollercoaster ride at Six Flags theme park in Austell, GA. As the coaster cars soared over him at 50 m.p.h., the teenager was swiftly decapitated. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reported that the boy was visiting the theme park with a church group from South Carolina. The lesson here: Church goers need to read the warning signs!
exotic
enthralled
curious
excited
amused
hungry
determined
annoyed
I might be getting a bit carried away, and in no means do I suggest any type of violence against the hipsters, I'm speaking metaphorically, of course...however, I am serious about having a massive show of Goth force on the 13th between these two events...more at Wierd, naturally. All of us together can put an end to this viral hipster infection growing rampantly upon Wierd and reclaim this event as our own!!! Are you in? Mark your calendars! Otherwise, I will sadly, and reluctantly, be forced to drop Wierd from the Goth event roster on NewGothCity.com. Don't let this happen to this great event!
pissed off
cultured
crazy
anxious
evil