Whitby Goth Weekend

Whitby Goth Weekend

Whitby Goth Weekend logo and iconic image of Whitby Abbey
Genre Gothic rock, Industrial music, Electronic body music, Gothic metal, Synthpop etc
Dates Twice Yearly (April and October/November)
Location(s) Whitby, North Yorkshire, England
Years active 1994 - present
Founded by Jo Hampshire
Website
http://www.whitbygothweekend.co.uk/

Whitby Goth Weekend, often abbreviated to WGW or simply referred to by attendees as Whitby, is a twice-yearly music festival for goths, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, organised by Jo Hampshire who runs Top Mum Promotions.

Event history

Screaming Banshee Aircrew on stage at Whitby Goth Weekend, April 2005
Uninvited Guest on stage at Whitby Goth Weekend, October 2006

The origins of WGW lie in an ad hoc meeting of around forty pen-pals who Hampshire had met through NME and which was arranged in 1994.[1] Hampshire states that Whitby was chosen for its Dracula connections, although probably more so because this had already fostered a sense of acceptance on the part of locals and businesses rather than any inherent romanticism regarding the location.[1]

The festival was held yearly until 1997, when it became twice-yearly, now held in April and October. It has since grown into one of the most popular goth music events in the world, attracting attendees from across the UK and around the world. The main event is held at the town's largest venue Whitby Spa Pavilion (known just as ‘The Spa’), and the popular Bizarre Bazaar 'Goth Market' is also held here along as well as at Whitby Leisure Centre and Whitby Brunswick Centre. Other venues such as RAW Nightclub and The Shambles are used for official fringe events, and various venues including The Resolution, The Rifle Club & The Metropole are used for unofficial events.

Although referred to as a "weekend" it includes events during the day on Friday and Saturday as well as fringe events on the Thursday, Sunday and Monday. These events include additional club nights, markets, and a charity football match between visiting goth team Real Gothic, and local team Stokoemotiv Whitby led by Jon Stokoe the ex editor of local newspaper the Whitby Gazette on the Sunday. There are often unofficial day events that vary from year to year including sandcastle building competitions, picnics, photoshoots and boat trips. During the October/November event there is also an independent custom car show, 'Whitby Kustom', that takes place in the grounds of West Cliff School adjacent to Whitby Leisure Centre.

The event also results in booming business for the town of Whitby in general. (it is calculated the Goths contribute £1.1m per annum)[2] including pubs such as The Elsinore (where the WGW originally started) and The Little Angel. The October 2007 festival was dedicated to the memory of the murdered goth Sophie Lancaster and a collection was raised of over £3,000 from various events to place a memorial bench to her in Whitby.[2][3][4]

Whitby Goth Weekend alumni by year

(*) indicates headline act for each night/event

Event # Title Date Bands (split into nights where applicable)
1 Whitby 1 September 1994 Friday:
Manuskript*		 Saturday:
Inkubus Sukkubus*, 13 Candles, Nightmoves, All Living Fear

[5] [6]

2 Whitby 2 1 – 3 September 1995 Children On Stun*, Shadowmaker, Suspiria, The Horatii, Manuskript
3 Whitby 3 September 1996 London After Midnight*, The Marionettes, *Corpus Delicti, Die Laughing, Midnight Configuration
4 Whitby 4 25 – 26 April 1997 Stun*, James Ray's Gangwar, Dream Disciples, The Merry Thoughts, Libitina Judith, Emma Conquest, Robed In Desire, The Tortured, Violet Times
5 Whitby 4.5 31 October – 1 November 1997 Rosetta Stone*, Inkubus Sukkubus, Manuskript The Horatii, Sunshine Blind, Psycho TV
6 Whitby 5 24 – 25 April 1998 Faith and the Muse*, Die Laughing, Nekromantik All Living Fear*, These Crimson Dreams, Isobels Shrine
7 Whitby 5.5 30–31 October 1998 Sunshine Blind*, Funhouse, Nervosa, Dream Disciples (at overspill venue), Passion Play (at overspill venue) Rosetta Stone*, Emma Conquest, Faithful Dawn, Sunshine Blind (at overspill venue), The Sisters Of Murphy (tribute act at overspill venue)
8 Whitby 6 23–24 April 1999 Switchblade Symphony*, The Last Dance, Denyze & Ed Alleyne-Johnson Manuskript*, This Burning Effigy, Star 80
9 Whitby 6.5 5–6 November 1999 Dream Disciples*, Manuskript, Passion Play, The Breath Of Life (band) (at overspill venue), Sneaky Bat Machine (at overspill venue) The Breath Of Life*, The Narcissus Pool, The Chaos Engine, Sneaky Bat Machine, Manuskript (at overspill venue), Dream Disciples (at overspill venue), The Chaos Engine (at overspill venue)
10 Whitby 7 28–29 April 2000 Mesh*, Saints of Eden, The Chaos Engine Sigue Sigue Sputnik*, VNV Nation, Putra-Chic
11 Whitby 7.5 3–4 November 2000 Clan of Xymox*, Screaming Dead, Mist Of Avalon Inkubus Sukkubus*, Emma Conquest
12 Whitby 8 27–28 April 2001 Dream Disciples*, Attrition, Adfinem Je$us Loves Amerika, The Last Days, Seize, The Faces Of Sarah
13 Whitby 8.5 2–3 November 2001 Andi Sexgang*, Sorrow, Dawn Of Oblivion, Cauda Pavonis D.U.S.T., Finger Puppets, Swarf, Rome Burns
14 WGW 9 26–27 April 2002 Paradise Lost*, Manuskript, Passion Play, Je$us Loves Amerika Action Directe, Arkam Asylum, Little Match Girl, Synthetic
15 WGW 9.5 1–2 November 2002 Last Rites*, The Narcissus Pool, Swarf Beautiful Deadly Children, Ordinary Psycho, Season's End, Spermwhale
16 WGW 10 11–12 April 2003 Belisha, deadfilmstar, Scary Bitches, The Ghost Of Lemora, Torsohorse Red Lorry Yellow Lorry*, Spares, Synthetic, Psychophile
17 WGW X 30 October – 1 November 2003 Thursday:
Inkubus Sukkubus*, Faith and the Muse, DeathBoy 		Friday:
Wayne Hussey*, The Chaos Engine, All Living Fear 		Saturday:
Icon of Coil*, Sheep on Drugs, Goteki 		Sunday:
All About Eve*, Manuskript, Rose McDowall
18 WGW 11 23–24 April 2004 The Damned*, Earth Loop Recall, Zombina and The Skeletones The Mission*, Dream Disciples, Libitina
19 WGW 11.5 29-31 October 2004 Manuskript*, The Last Dance, Corrosion, Faetal Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction*, Claytown Troupe, Beautiful Deadly Children, Torsohorse Alien Sex Fiend*, Glass, Ovni[7]
20 WGW 12 22–23 April 2005 Gene Loves Jezebel*, Voltaire, Psychophile, Screaming Banshee Aircrew In the Nursery*, QueenAdreena, Devilish Presley, Greenhaus[8]
21 WGW 12.5 28–29 October 2005 Doctor and the Medics*, NFD, DeathBoy, Katscan Rico*, Mechanical Cabaret, The Modern, Neon Zoo[9]
22 WGW 13 21–22 April 2006 Manuskript*, Swarf, Misty Woods & GDM, History Of Guns The Breath Of Life*, Frankenstein, Zombina and The Skeletones, Spares[10]
23 WGW 13.5 27–28 October 2006 The Damned*, Vampire Beach Babes, Trauma Pet, Xykogen XPQ-21*, Katzenjammer Kabarett, Inertia, Uninvited Guest[11]
24 WGW 14 27–28 April 2007 The Last Dance*, Sohodolls, D.U.S.T., RazorBladeKisses The Crüxshadows*, Bella Morte, Machine Gun Symphony, Rome Burns[12]
25 WGW 14.5 26–27 October 2007 The Cassandra Complex*, Crud, Ghost of Lemora, Voices of Masada The Birthday Massacre*, Sins of the Flesh,[13] All Living Fear, Pro-jekt[14]
26 WGW 15 26–27 April 2008 Star Industry*, Skeletal Family, Cauda Pavonis, Dyonisis Clan of Xymox*, Mercurine, Screaming Banshee Aircrew, Snuff Radio[15]
27 WGW 15.5 31 October – 1 November 2008: Specimen*, Christian Death, Rezurex Wayne Hussey*, Voltaire, The Beauty of Gemina[16]
28 WGW 16 24–26 April 2009 Abney Park*, The Last Dance, Zeitgeist Zero[17] Diary of Dreams*, The House of Usher, RazorBladeKisses[18]
29 WGW 16.5 30 October - 1 November 2009 The Eden House*, Zombina and the Skeletones, Grooving In Green Faith and The Muse*, Adoration, Rhombus[19]
30 WGW 17 22–25 April 2010 Justin Sullivan*, Deviant UK, In Isolation Anne-Marie Hurst*, Pretentious Moi?, Vendemmian[20][21]
31 WGW 17.5 29– 31 October 2010 Wayne Hussey (with special guests Simon Hinkler, Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls)*, Autumn Cannibals, The Last Cry[22] Manuskript*, The Stripper Project, Pro-jekt[23]
32 WGW 18 25–27 March 2011 [24] Red Lorry Yellow Lorry*, Fuzzbox, Dr Arthur Krause, Black Moth, Dutch Order The Damned*, Frankenstein, The Beauty Of Gemina, Luxury Stranger, Pink Hearse
33 WGW 18.5 4–6 November 2011[25] Abney Park*, The Mist of Avalon, Devilish Presley, Cryogenica, Berlin Black Chameleons vox*, Voltaire, Rhombus, The Dark Shadows, The Death Notes
34 WGW 19 27–29 April 2012[26] In The Nursery*, Ugly Buggs, The Spiritual Bat, Last July Gene Loves Jezebel*, Die Laughing, The Bellwether Syndicate, Red Sun Revival, Dead Eyes Opened
35 WGW 19.5 2–4 November 2012[27] Mesh*, Fangs On Fur, Inertia, Dutch Order, Last July Alien Sex Fiend*, Blitzkid, All Living Fear, The Last Cry, Bad Pollyanna
36 WGW 20 26–28 April 2013 Voltaire*, Doctor and the Medics, Zombina and the Skeletones, Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons Clan Of Xymox*, Skeletal Family, The Danse Society, Deviant UK, William Control
37 WGW 20.5 1–3 November 2013 William Control*, Fearless Vampire Killers, Ashestoangels, Bad Pollyanna Diary Of Dreams*, Bella Morte, Rabia Sorda, Method Cell
38 WGW 21 25–27 April 2014 Toyah*, Vince Ray & The Boneshakers, Cold In Berlin, Alexa De Strange New Model Army*, The Last Cry, UK Decay, Jordan Reyne
39 WGW 21.5 31 October – 2 November 2014 Heaven 17*, Visage, Deviant UK, Black Volition Voltaire*, Hugh Cornwell, Rhombus, Bad Pollyanna, Lesbian Bed Death
40 WGW 22 23–26 April 2015 Thursday:
The Birthday Massacre*, Abney Park*, The Red Paintings, Ashestoangels 		Friday:
The Crüxshadows*, Bella Morte*, Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic, The Last Dance 		Saturday:
Andi Sex Gang*, The Chameleons Vox*, Manuskript, Jordan Reyne 		Sunday:
The Damned*, William Control*, Doctor And The Medics, Pussycat And The Dirty Johnsons

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Published on Fri Nov 2 20:56:00 BST 2012. "''BBC News Online'' "Whitby's goth visitors' £1m seaside bounty" 2 November 2012". http://www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  3. ↑ Published on Tue Sep 25 08:51:36 BST 2007. "''Halifax Evening Courier'' "Goths unite in tribute bid for tragic Sophie" 26 September 2007". Halifaxcourier.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  4. ↑ Published on Wed Oct 31 11:27:21 GMT 2007. "''Whitby Gazette'' "Sophie's memory to live on" 2 November 2007". Whitbygazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  5. ↑ Photo of original stage running times, posted to the WGW Facebook group by Matthew North of All Living Fear, March 2015 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153093893700631&set=gm.10155364046870381&type=1&theater
  6. ↑
  7. ↑
  8. ↑
  9. ↑
  10. ↑
  11. ↑
  12. ↑
  13. ↑
  14. ↑
  15. ↑
  16. ↑
  17. ↑
  18. ↑
  19. ↑
  20. ↑
  21. ↑
  22. ↑
  23. ↑
  24. ↑
  25. ↑
  26. ↑ "NEWS". Whitby Goth Weekend. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  27. ↑ "NEWS". Whitby Goth Weekend.

Bibliography

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Whitby Goth Weekend.

External links