Gothing the rural lifestyle: Gothabilly

I'm a holistic person. I need a leitmotif to bring all the bits and pieces together. Without one, I get all angsty and fragmentary-y and such. But fending off the centrifugal forces is not as simple as selecting a theme and going with it. No, it has to feel right. It has to fit with the moment and the environment and every petty obsession and fixation. So what is the theme du jour?

Well, I'm a Goth who lives in rural northern Alberta. It's about as rural as it gets without living in a shack in the woods. My home is practically at the end of a gravel road surrounded by bush and farm fields. Not as romantic as it sounds. The nearest town is only 5 miles away but it only has a population of 4000 on a good day. This is the heart of hillbilly redneck Alberta. Or 'little Texas' as some of the local yokels call it. And we are the mirror image of the cowboy/oilpatch Lonestar State.

While Goth is primarily an urban lifestyle, there is a romantic trend that connects with the country and nature. Goth and the rural lifestyle are definitely compatible. What is more spooky than traipsing through freshly cut hayfields under a harvest Moon? Yes, the woods and creeks and pathways and abandoned buildings provide many a dark delight for the intrepid gothling.

And I enjoy them but I'm also no romantic. I tend to appreciate the ironic side of Goth far more than the glimmer of doom and gloom glamour. Besides, the country up here is not of the manor and the moor kind. Think Southern Gothic more than Wuthering Heights Gothic. And what ironic style of Goth is easily countrified in the 'Western' sense? Nothing less than Gothabilly with its playful reinterpretation of 50s/cowboy culture via monster movies, comic books and camp?

So Gothabilly is the theme that ties and binds. The Goth style I keep returning to. Gothabilly just works in the Wild West. The 50s/country punk undertones of Gothabilly bands like Ghoultown, the HorrorPops, the Creepshow, etc. provide the perfect soundscape for the landscape of cow pastures, paddocks, muskeg (bog), willowstand, etc. The dark take on cowboy hats and boots, jeans and work shirts, provides the perfect subtle and ironic compliment to the 'normal' gear of rural life. Chili cook-offs, bbqs, harvest and seeding feasts, are activities just demanding to be Gothed up. Gothabilly is country Goth.

I have some issues with Gothabilly, however. The fixed gender roles bother me. Gothabilly is supposedly for macho men and feminine women. The gender stratification in clothing, behavior and representation is certainly far higher than in most other Goth styles. And the apolitical focus on kustom kulture, kitschy monsters, burlesque, etc. is also a turn-off. Yes, unlike punk Goth is generally apolitical but most other styles of Goth at least challenge the norm. Gothabilly is too much like a fun version of the norm.

But the ironic style of Gothabilly is full of subversive potential. Cowboys represent a male chauvinist white supremacist archetype but when they're Gothabillified they become something else entirely.

This is not your traditional cowboy:




Source: Shrine Clothing

 Nor are these gents:



Source: Ghoultown

 Even if you can picture them at a rodeo dance...in a novel by Joe R. Lansdale.

You can also see a similar dark metamorphosis of the 'greaser' style of Gothabilly here:

Source: Lip Service

Or in the shape of zombie greasers like this mini-horde:

Zombie Ghost Train Source: Auxiliary Magazine

Oh yes! It's spooky! It's fun! It's camp! It ain't your grandpa's rockabilly bobby-soxing!

But what about the ladies? Does Gothabilly offer nothing but conformity for the grrl?

Well, yes and no. Gender bending style is not Gothabilly. Strict gender stratification is the norm. But there is a certain whimsical cheekiness even here:

Source: Jennifer Linton

And here:

Source: weheartit

That's gotta count for something, right?

Of course, because that cheekiness is part of a Gothabilly mindset that allows grrls to be grrls--that is strong, independent women in control of their lives and their bodies. Gothabilly grrls aren't just ornaments, they're agents. Singer Devil Doll exemplifies this attitude and the autonomy behind it.

Source: myspace

She is not just another sex object. No way!

The sexiness of the Gothabilly style is also open and inclusive. Against the mainstream female body type monoculture of skin and thin, Gothabilly sexiness is available for every shape and size; indeed, it even caters to the voluptuous woman.

Source: offbeatbride



Source: Sourpuss Clothing

 In our misogynist culture, that adaptability is far more radical than it should be; and it goes beyond helping women recapture and re-occupy their bodies. It is about rebellion against a repressive and reactionary society. Singer Jamie Bahr of rockabilly band Danger*Cakes makes all the right connections:

Source: His Ruin Photography

"I think the recent interest of Pin-up and Rockabilly styles has come about because people are tired of the same old routine. The economy is lousy. We’re cynical and untrusting of our government and each other. We’re over-worked, under-paid and under-insured. And on top of all that, we’re constantly being bombarded about the obesity epidemic. Yes, the measurements and weight of an average woman today are larger than past generations, yet the average print ad model is smaller than ever. This reflection of our society just adds a second helping of discontent and self-loathing onto our already full plates. So what can you do to spruce up a day of discontent? Get dolled up and go dancing! Pin-up styles are best suited for women with full-figured physiques and ample curves. I know I feel good when I look my best and I’m sure that goes for other people as well. It may not change your situation, but it’ll definitely change your outlook, which could potentially lead to a change in situation. And isn’t that exactly what we’re all hoping for right now?"

Yes, obesity and austerity, body type tyranny and authoritarian social control, they all have the same source in our ultra-commodified lives. We are dominated by abstractions like 'healthy body size', 'debt', 'terrorism', 'intellectual property rights'--you name it! Against all this ether madness, Gothabilly brings it all down-to-earth in a re-worked mish-mash of working class greaser/punk and middle class Goth/beatnik. All forms of youthful rebellion against the status quo.

And the rebellion is real...Surprisingly, the subversive potential of Gothabilly really does still cause problems in the mundane world. I know. I've seen it happen up here in cattle country.

Let me take you back...no, not to the 1950s. Although it seems like we entered a time warp. No, back to the McCarthyist present of 2010 where a group of local Peace River psychobillies decided to put on Rust 'N' Lust, a combo kustom kulture/burlesque/bellydance/hellbilly show featuring the Phantom Creeps, Lascivious Burlesque, Halo Dance and the Scarlet Coquette.

Source: Rust 'n' Lust

The burlesque portion (while I am aware of the debate, I won't go into the issues of burlesque in this post) of the show caused controversy from the start among some Bible-thumping locals but that was minor until the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission decided to clamp down on burlesque by re-classifying performers as 'exotic dancers'. I have nothing against exotic dancers but the problem is that they are subject to all kinds of laws and regulations that govern what they can and cannot do on stage and with the audience. Burlesque performers need the freedom to play with their audience; and the new designation as 'exotic dancers' kills the fun and chills the performances across the province. So we have the return of creeping McCarthyist control of women's bodies in the 21st century. And Gothabilly is there front and centre against the state...well, that's a little exaggerated. Rust 'n' Lust has not come back in full force yet. We anxiously await its return.

In any case, you can see how the Gothabilly style is a natural fit with the rural life, especially up here in north central Alberta. And its rebellious tendencies and downright spunky irony only add to its appeal in 'little Texas'.

...and with that I ride off into the sunset, my fellow Gothabilly desperadoes...