Nails painted black? Check.
Heavy eyeshadow? Check.
Having a good time? Absolutely.
Earlier this month, “darkly inclined” folks gathered for a unique event in Columbia: Goth Night, a musical celebration of the witchy, mysterious, and macabre. Organized and DJed by Moth, a fixture in the Columbia music scene, Goth Night featured a plethora of music from the decades-spanning goth subculture, including post-punk, industrial techno, and other electronica.
“Not a lot of goth bands come to South Carolina, so I figured it would be a start,” Moth said. “I know there are people in Cola who are just as passionate about the music and lifestyle—we just gotta bring them out of their ‘bat caves,’ so to speak.”
Goth Night found its home at The Spaze, a Columbia venue off Rosewood Drive that decidedly fits into the category of “underground.” With no Google Maps presence and a not-always-advertised address, it’s the kind of place found almost exclusively through Instagram stories and word of mouth. As the dozens of attendees sardined themselves into the show space, the goth look of heavy makeup and dark clothes became the usual, while more typical street attire suddenly felt out of place.
Besides the organizer, live acts included Candy Coffins, a local band whose post-punk grunge was punctuated with the icy sound of a Cold War-era numbers station, and Dead Cool, a “dark electronic duo” based in Wilmington who impressed the crowd with bright yellow bar lights and surprising electronic prowess and vocal intensity. Finally, local DJ godfear finished the evening with a set of artfully twisted fresh and classic goth tunes.
“When you’re in the goth community, I find that everyone sort of knows everyone,” said Moth. “It’s a very rewarding and beautiful experience.”
Shot by Hayden Blakeney on a Canon AE-1P with @ilfordphoto Delta 3200 + color photo Kodak 400.
