A gothy eye-candy link, courtesy of tolkiencub

[cupcake_goth]

Photos from this year's Wave Gotik Treffen.

(Why yes, I am now filled with the urge to dress up even MORE elaborately. Go ahead, try to look surprised by that bit of news.)

I swear by everything I hold dear, I WILL attend WGT one year. Look at all those gorgeous gothy types!

Comments

[icprncs.livejournal.com]

Some of those people CAMP in those outfits. That's hardcore.

(Someone who has attended WGT religiously for several years tells me that unless you're very much into the music--which leans far more to the thumpy side than the swirly side--there's really not much to do. This came up when he was trying to persuade me to go and I pointed out that I didn't like any of the bands playing.)

[bork.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much true.

Especially since Leipzig itself pretty much shuts down that weekend, as it's also Pentecost, which is a holiday.

[marc17.livejournal.com]

Just on Sunday and Monday. Trouble is that most people do what I did the first time I went and ran around the festival on Fri and Sat with plans to shop on Sun when it turns out everything in Germany is closed.

[marc17.livejournal.com]

I did not find that to be the case. They have a fairly wide selection of bands from black metal to swirly goth. They are typically broken up into various little venues all over town with each genre in a separate venue acting like little mini-festivals. While you may not like the headlining bands, chances are there is some venue playing the music you like even if they are various bands from across Europe you've never heard of before.

Beyond that the shopping opportunities are huge with a dealers room that is HUGE and vendors from all over the world. Then you have the local shopping and the clubs. Local stores are a bit light on the weekend as it is a holiday, but there are still spots to see such as the Völkerschlachtdenkmal. Clubbing is clubbing. Dark Flower was what it was and the Moritz Batsei had at least three different rooms with different music going, several beer halls, and more vendors (I think that's where much of the medieval stuff was).

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd be going mostly for the people-watching and the shopping. Getting to see bands would be a bonus.

I would NOT, however, be camping. No.

[marc17.livejournal.com]

Remember to shop before or after Sunday and Monday because everything except for the train station stores and Agra hall will be closed.

With 30k+ goths running around, there's more than enough people watching to be done. All those photos seemed like they were taken out in front of Agra hall which is pretty much the choke point for the entire festival.

Don't be afraid to check out bands you haven't heard before. Like I said, they tend to group like genres so if you like one band, you'll probably like the bands before and after them too. I always show up two bands early for a show just to check those bands out (and make sure I get into the smaller venues in time for the band I want to see).

[bork.livejournal.com]

I went a few years ago, and had a blast.

This is when they still had Black Metal bands scheduled, so there'd be a running contest between the Goths and the BMers to see who could look more disaffected and put out by life. Neither really liked the Rivetheads who were all jazzed because OMG LAIBACH!!!!!!1

[spitecandy.livejournal.com]

We are going next year, and spending another week because I have always wanted to go Germany. I am sorta glad to hear there will be a lot of bands I dont like. Seems like I would have so much trouble picking which ones to see if they were all swirly and favorite.

[poh.livejournal.com]

OOO MOHICANS!

[domichan.livejournal.com]

Ooh, some of those outfits and hairstyles are simply spectacular.

[smu.livejournal.com]

::tries to look surprised::

...well... I gave it an attempt

Not Tuesday, so not goth...

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

On a side note-- I spent way too much time singing "Worst Pies" with my friend on the way up to the Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball last weekend...

(I believe you know said friend-- epictangent?)

Re: Not Tuesday, so not goth...

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Yes, epictangent! (Cripes, did I not add you when you added me a few weeks ago? That was silly of me.)

Oh, the Labyrinth Of Jareth Masquerade Ball. That's another event I'd love to go to. Tell me about it! Did you have a lovely time?

Re: Not Tuesday, so not goth...

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

This was my fourth year, and it is sheer awesome. Apart from getting to dance for six solid hours, the pageantry is amazing. Also, I had he pleasure of introducing my husband and my best friend to it this year, so that was fun.

The dress code is formal wear and mask, or magical creatures in their natural forms, so the costumes get completely outrageous. I spotted Triton, Lakshmi, Max from Where the Wild Things Are, steampunk ghostbusters, more dryads and greenmen than would fit in Yosemite... you name it, they had it.

They also have a few different stageshows each that that are worth watching. Desert Sin does a story-in-dance performance each year, and lately a band called Brother has been playing-- they consist of digeridoos, drums, pennywhistle, electric guitar, vocals and bagpipes.

The music was trancy-er than usual this year, which was fine by me-- it usually leans more to '80s. (Dead Man's Party may be required by law there). I think the last few years they've been trying to expand their repertoire. And of course a few songs from the movie always get played.

My best friend posted some pictures, but she got more of us getting ready than of the ball, I'm afraid: here (http://picasaweb.google.com/screwtapeandwormwood/MasqueradeLabyrinthOfJareth2008). I'm in the sunburst mask, and epictangent's in the sari. The official website won't have their photos up for a few months, but they have archives of the last few years.

[mahariel.livejournal.com]

looking at all of these after finding out I'm losing out on my month of dress up is even more depressing ..... sigh

[water-of-fire.livejournal.com]

I love veils.

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

Darn you! Darn you to heck! My fave: #270. I love how styles from nearly historical to Burneresque are there.

I am now filled with the urge to dress up even MORE elaborately.

I'm filled with the urge to dress up, well, period.

If you ever make it to WGT, it better be the year that I go. It makes me wonder what temperatures are like in May there.

[marc17.livejournal.com]

What I find funny is all the color. When were were there in 2001, black and only black was in vogue. In the states, you could always see a token goth in white but not in Germany that year. In the main hall that held 4 or 5 thousand, Eric stated that he could find our group in the middle of the hall from the edge by the beer stand because I was wearing a black and white cammo jacket and stood out because I was the only bit of white in the room. I looked around and it was true.

So now it's interesting to see how the fashions have changed in the last 7 years.

[riani1.livejournal.com]

It's odd to see them out in daylight. Not quite . . . proper.

[ozitonaranjo.livejournal.com]

Makes me want to dig through my closet and dress up more.

[javagoth.livejournal.com]

Damn. It's enough to make me feel barely goth. I do have a couple of goth outfits in mind - one of which is half done but it's hard to get things made when one doesn't sew and the only folks available to do outfits for them are terminally busy...

I *can* however see about working on that project I have where I'm going to be sewing a bunch of mother of pearl bats onto a lacy parasol...

[schmi.livejournal.com]

I love her outfit: http://lh3.ggpht.com/sebastianlor/SCtM_TK-UxI/AAAAAAAAC9A/-JzKhf5PNlU/DSC_1013.JPG?imgmax=640

[icarusfell.livejournal.com]

Oh my, all of those pretty people. So nice to see some folks make an effort to dress up!

[nimue-obscure.livejournal.com]

have you been to a Whitby gothic weekend yet? Lots of the same crowd, but even more goff! I honestly saw WGT and thought WGW until i read the responses :)

[nimue-obscure.livejournal.com]

And...wow. Goffs in daylight! Craziness! All the better for seeing all the details on the pretty pretty outfits. I love the matched pairs, and most of the gorgeous dresses topped with lovely parasols. Delicious. But what is up with the masks? are biohazard masks a new steampunk accesssory? I haven't been out in so very long that i've lost all sense of fashion :(

mmmmmm pretty

[maiaarts.livejournal.com]

I love love love that color is back!!!!!!

Your cupcake pink would still stand WAY out! Be proud!

OMG I want to go and paint and draw EVERYONE wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee