Goth parties in Paris

Now that I have two years of experience in goth parties, I'd like to write a bit on this subject, present you a bit how it works here, in the French capital city.

This article has three sections: a general presentation of these parties, my personal opinion and a list of the parties I know.

GOTH PARTIES IN PARIS

Paris is quite clearly the capital city of the French goth community, and the offer in parties (and in concerts) isn't what's missing!

Practical infos

As the law requires it, one has to be over 18 to enter these parties. That being said, they never checked my identity, while they could have, since I appear to be younger than my age.

Just like any other party, they start at 11pm and finish at 6am, in the night from Saturday to Sunday.

These parties are either monthly, bi-monthly or yearly. Some of them are held since the 90's.

They're all easy of access (well, in Paris, basically everything is easy of access).
Some of them have night buses very close, so when you live in the suburbs you can easily leave the party before the end (and therefore before the first train).

When it comes to the price, a goth party varies between a free entry and 13€.

As far as drinks are concerned, I don't drink alcohol so I can't really say anything about it. But Red Bull / Monster prices at 3€, and water is free.

Most of parties have a left-luggage, where you can drop off your coats and bags for the price of 2-4€.

The decibels don't go beyond the limit, but to wear ear protections is never a bad idea.

Music, people, ambience

There are parties entirely dedicated to the tradgoth scene (goth rock, post-punk, coldwave, darkwave, minimal synthwave, batcave, deathrock), others are dedicated to the cybergoth scene (aggrotech, dark electro, industrial, EBM), while others are a mix of the two, generally on two different dancefloors, sometimes in an alternate DJ set.

I'd say that the average age is 35 - 40 years. I am one of the very, very rare people who are 21.

At the entry, there's no selection in fuction of your beauty like you can see in American films. Maybe it does exist in France, but certainly not in goth parties! You can freely enter, independently of your appearance. The security guards aren't a part of the goth community, they don't know anything about it. They're just here to check your bag.

Some parties offer free photoshootings, be it with a photographer and a nice studio background, or with a photo booth. Also, hobbyist photographers stride along nearly every party and offer you to be taken in photo. Nothing prentious, they don't ask for models, the point of these photos is just to be nice souvenirs.

Some parties organise activities, such as costume constests (when it's a theme evening), burlesque dancers show, organ concerts or stands of jewelry creators.

The video below is a compilation of videos I took during my parties.
Please note that it's my "private collection", these videos are personal souvenirs and are nothing profesionnal. For profesionnal photos and videos with other people than my friends and I, please refer the Facebook pages of these events (see last part of this article).

MY PERSONAL OPINION

People, ambience

I think that the security guards are a bit too indulgent.
Often, you'll find drugged people. They're always inoffensive, but sometimes it can be a bit annoying to have them around. These people would shout, tap in their hands, be loud and put people off the atmosphere. And when talking about atmosphere, these people are dressed with a white t-shirt and blue jeans. Of course, someone is perfectly entitled to enjoy goth music while not dressing like one. But you can also do an effort, out of respect by the rest of the community. The thing is, these drugged people don't care about goth. They could have been in a Rihanna party that it wouldn't change a thing for them. That's disrespectful, and it spoils a the atmosphere. So a bit less of permissiveness from the security would have been nice. It's not difficult to see when a person took drugs.

Other than that, I never had any troubles with anyone. Not a single fight or drama. No alcohol or drugs problems. On the contrary, the people are always nice, and even though I'm an introvert who doesn't seek to make friends, it's nice to chat with a few people. Also, many faces become familiar with time.

You can dance freely, no one is going to make fun of you. The atmosphere is always very benevolent and easy-going. The activities are a nice touch!

Music

I would reproach to the DJs to go round in circles and not to give a chance to modern goth music. I remember one night where they played Sister's Alice thrice... and it's rare that we get modern songs. A culture that doesn't evolve is a culture that dies. Selofan, Lebanon Hanover, Spleen XXX, Les Modules Étranges, The Devil & The Universe, Rendez-Vous, Love In Cage... I have never heard a song by them. And these are just a few examples, the list is longer. Even She Past Away and Ash Code, who are clearly popular amongst both the international and the French goth scene, only get one song, always the same. While the DJs don't deprive themselves of playing off-theme and off-atmopshere music, such as Nirvana or Manson.

Basically, the music that is played during parties is just a small part of what I listen to on my phone.
Of course, it's according to one's taste, and to the DJs taste. But I find it very sad, to always favour the same bands (and worse, the same songs of the same bands!) instead of bringing some novelty, be it known or unknown to the people on the dancefloor.

Oveall, goth parties have always a great atmosphere and a cool DJ set (it's not because I critise them a bit that the DJ sets are fundamentally bad!). I think that I have been actually deceived only once, out of around fifteen. That's a good score!
I nearly always stay until the end, and I dance during the (very) vast majority of the time.

Goth parties are always a pleasure for me. I love the fact that the different sides of the goth culture coexist peacefully. You can dance on post-punk, and one party or one dancefloor away, you can dance on electro-industrial. I love this diversity and this liberty to pass from one to the other, or on the contrary to stay in only one if that's how you feel.

A big thank you to the organisers, who keep the goth scene alive after all these years!

LIST OF THE PARTIES

Name of the party || place ||  musical scene

By tradgoth, I mean : goth rock, post-punk, coldwave, darkwave, deathrock, minimal synthwave

By cybergoth, I mean : aggrotech, dark electro, industrial, EBM

The links lead to the official Facebook pages of these events, where you can find more informations. This list is not exhaustive, it represents my own knowlegde on the subject.

- Nightoo || Concorde Atlantique || Tradgoth, cybergoth, new wave

- Blood Dolls Society || Caves Saint Sabin || Tradgoth, early EBM

- Children of the Night || Concorde Atlantique || Gothique romantique, néo-classique, folk, tradgoth

- L-EKTROD || Caves Saint Sabin || Cybergoth, indus

- Nuit Halloween || La Machine du Moulin Rouge || Tradgoth, cybergoth

- Pigalle New Wave Party || Supersonic || New wave

- She's In Parties || Le Klub || Tradgoth, cybergoth, new wave

I went to all of them, except for the last one.
A little thought for the Batcave Horror Show, a tradgoth party at the Cantanda absinthe bar, which closed permanetly earlier this year... so ironic that this party, to which I went to only once before it closes down, was surely my favourite ever...! 

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And that's all!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below!

And you, what's your goth parties experience?

~ Nephelith