Sisters of Mercy, Brothers in Black.

Lucretia, my reflection dance the coast with me...

These words we love to have haunt us.  The bellowing Boris Karloff-esque voice of Andrew Eldritch resonates through the speakers on another fun filled night at Qxts in Newark, NJ.  It is definitely a spook classic for a black cloaked enthusiast on the dance floor anywhere.  It's more than a dance tune, it's a calling card and an anthem for some.

There is a lot to be said about a legacy a band creates.  This goes double for a band that has been on strike with the record industry since 1993.  The anti-establishment views of a small sector from today's Punk and Emmo bands are nothing new, but old ideas revisited.  How many bands have sold out, changed their sound for commercial success, or "sold out?"  I'm sure we can all think of a list but I'm not here to name names.  Sisters of Mercy is one band that never compromised and always stuck to their guns.  That' why I can go to Loop Lounge in Passaic, NJ to see my friend's band Tashjian play and drop a playful Doktor Avalanche reference as he adjusts the drum program on his Mac laptop before the gig; and the pun doesn't fall flat.

18 x 24 Andrew Eldritch and Patricia Morrison Oil on Panel. alexiogessa.tumblr.com

  

  

The hits keep coming after Lucretia. There's Dominion, This Corrosion, and who can forget Temple of Love?  These are the tunes seasoned Bat Veterans thrive on and new comers curiously indulge in.  One of, if not the first band to make the use of a drum machine a staple, Sisters tunes crossover in a lovely glooming way.

8 1/2 x 11 Andrew Eldritch Pencil on Paper alexiogessa.tumblr.com

 

 

   

 He's been called the "Godfather of Goth," and if the boot fits...

The Sisters's energy and dynamic, ethereal presence have influenced a slue of bands and spawned more than a few imitators.  There is only one Sisters of Mercy, like there is only one Picaso.  Nothing beats the original.  Whether you're at Pyramid in the East Village, Qxts in Newark, Loop Lounge in Passaic, or in your car en route to somewhere in gothtown; dance on!

Boogeymen

Are you afraid of the dark? Are you afraid to go to sleep, or have sex outdoors?  Michael Meyers, Jason Voorhess, Freddie Kruger, and Leatherface are some of the most iconic villains we love or love to hate in modern horror cinema. 

Taking subtle ques from Hitchcock's Psycho, John Carpenter's Halloween was set in the suburbs of 1978.  This was far away from the romanticized European castles of Bela Lugosi Dracula movies and horror films of yesteryear.  Psycho brought horror to the modern age, but Halloween took off from the platform and sliced it's way to the top and continues to do so.

Michael Meyers Oil on Masonite 18 x 24 alesiogessa.tumblr.com

Less has always been more with John Carpenter.  The original Halloween is a pretty bloodless movie, yet it is filled with terror.  You know people are going to die, it's a slasher flick.  Is someone gonna die? That's not a scary question.  Where's Michael Meyers?  That's a terrifying question.  Michael passes by the window and quickly leaves the frame, leaving you to wonder where he is and when he'll reappear.  This is what creates real suspense. 

Freddie Pencil on Paper 18 x 24 alexiogessa.tumblr.com

Freddie Kruger was always the boogeyman you loved to hate because you knew at some point despite all that soda and candy, you we're going to fall asleep eventually.  As a child you wondered if it was possible to really attack people in your dreams.  But at least with Freddie, you would have chuckle before being sliced up!

1974 Leatherface Oil on Canvas 24 x 24 alexiogessa.tumblr.com

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a slasher not to be slept on.  It's one of the few horror films to take place mostly during the day.  Think about that one.  Inspired in pieces from the psychosis of real life Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein, Chainsaw delivers cannibalism and murder in terrific form.  Though the story is fictional, it does contain certain historical elements.  Ed Gein did wear the skin of women who looked like his mother.   His house was filled with body parts, lamp shades made of skin, trash, and all sorts of vile human remains.  This combined with the Partridge family from hell, and you have the 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

It would appear that Freddie speaks enough for the both of them but there's been one killer who makes people think twice before pitching a tent, and that is Jason Voorhees.  The revenge of a Mother's Elephant Boy and about 10 sequels later you have one of the longest running franchises in Hollywood history, Friday The 13th.  TSH TSH TSH AH AH AH  is the sound people don't hear when they're too busy rolling on the grass at Camp Crystal Lake.

Freddie VS. Jason Scratchboard 8.5 x 11 alexiogessa.tumblr.com

 You can't keep a good man down. I guess you can't keep a great boogeyman down either.  The silent stalker or the trashing talking slasher, boogeymen will always haunt us, make us laugh, and make us address how we deal with fear.

Not just Monsters, not just men.

THE CLASSICS NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE.

Whether you're a crazed Misfits fan or a connoisseur  of classic cinema  Frankenstein, Dracula, The Creature of The Black Lagoon will always remain a few icons of Classic Horror Cinema.  I remember being a little boy going to the town library to check out the Wolfman and Phantom of The Opera on VHS(if you remember what that is) for an afternoon of adventure and mystery.  I've graduated art school, started a career, but in many ways I'm still that five year old boy who loves monsters and isn't afraid of the dark.

The Creature From The Black Lagoon.  20 x 15 Pencil, Charcoal, & Conte Crayon on Textured Paper.  alexiogessa.tumblr.com

I remember marveling at my tv screen as Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi delivered their iconic performances.  I don't think anyone else can fill the boots of Frankenstein's monster like Boris Karloff.  The bolts in the neck, the drooping brow, the sad expression hanging on his face all add up to one of the most incredible creatures in movie history.

Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster 8.5 x 11 Pencil on Paper alexiogessa.tumblr.com

"The monster was the best friend I ever had."  Boris Karloff

I guess in many ways a monster can be your friend.  After all if one reads the novel, it is discovered that Dr. Frankenstein is the real monster for abandoning his creation.  One thing I find most striking of all in the Frankenstein story is that it is not about death but life.  So many horror films of past and present deal with death or the threat of it, but Frankenstein is about bringing something to life.  I can't think of many other tales of terror that make coming to life seem so scary.  I think this is the single most distinguishing feature of the Frankenstein legacy.

Lon Chaney Sr from the silent film The Phantom of The Opera.  20 x 15 Pencil, Charcoal, & Conte Crayon on Textured Paper.

"In between films there is no Lon Chaney."  Lon Chaney

The Phantom was just one of the thousand faces for the actor Lon Chaney Sr.  The son of deaf parents he learned to pantomime at an early age to help communicate.  The lemons were made to lemonade when those pantomime skills aided him as a star in the silent film era.  

Joker Ink-wash concept sketches based on the likeness of Lon Chaney Sr. 20 x 15 on paper alexiogessa.tumblr.com

In 1928 Lon Chaney Sr starred in the film The Man Who Laughs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Laughs_(1928_film)

He played a boy who's face was disfigured into a permanent grin during England of 1690. "Wanna know how I got these scars?"  In early Batman comics the likeness of Lon Chaney Sr was used as an inspiration for the Joker. 

Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolfman 8.5 x 11 Pencil on Paper alexiogessa.tumblr.com

Horror is hereditary.  Lon Chaney Jr. is the famous for his portrayal of the Wolfman.  "When the full moon shines, and the wolf's bane blooms, even a man who says his prayers at night can become a wolf," is a great line from the film. 

In dealing with icons like the Wolfman or the Phantom at some point everything old becomes new again.  I guess a great thing never dies!

Heathe Ledger as the Joker.  18 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas alexiogessa.bigcartel.com

 

 

I went to a City of Darkened Angels party last Friday.  I saw it on newgothcity.com which is a great site.  I was reminded of just how diversified and entertaining the Goth Community really is.  I parked my car and began walking to the venue on West 14th St between 8th and 7th Ave painted up like this guy and enjoyed all the passer by stares of disbelief.

I got to the venue and right away stumbled into a conversation about Bruce Lee, Danny Inosanto's Jeet Kune Do Concepts, Ted Wong's Jeet Kunde Do style, and how long it's been taking to build the Bruce Lee Action Memorial Museum.

After two appleteenies and Temple of Love by Sisters of Mercy I realized something.  It's fun and ok to be different from the mainstream.  There I was in a room celebrating a movie from 1994 but it was so much more.  We weren't incessant mimes chasing the 90s. No.  We were living the legacy of The Crow.

The Crow is always an iconic source of inspiration to me on many levels.  Like most people I saw the movie first and then discovered the graphic novel.  The graphic novel being filled with Joy Division lyrics inspired me to do some required listening.  I'm also a huge a Joy Division fan as a result.  Joy Division led to The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Depeche Mode, Siouxie and The Banshees, and on and on.

The graphic novel and movie introduced me to Goth culture, independent comic art, and emotive expression.

I delved into a world where the good guys wear black, people aren't afraid to like horror/sci-fi movies, and individuality is never frowned upon .  I know these are a few key principles of the Goth community.  With these guide lines in place, there is also the truest sense of open-mindedness I've ever seen.  No one judges anyone else's "dance moves" or "style."  Frankly you could wear a clown outfit and fend just well for yourself at any event. 

That night I felt like I was at a Live Action Art Gallery.  The film was playing on white blanket facing a projector as everyone danced their boots off.  Bartenders and patrons alike were graced with a "shadow smile" on their faces while other were decked out in full Brandon Lee attire.  All in all good times were had and what is old isn't always new again; but nostalgia can be fun.