Encyclopedia Gothica (13 page)

GUYLINER
EYELINER
as worn by males. Goth Boys are experts at this.

HAGEN, NINA
German singer (née Catharina Hagen, b. March 11, 1955). Original punk rock queen, leader of the Nina Hagen Band who went on to a solo career in America highlighted by the early ’80s club singles “New York New York” (a disco/reggae/rap/opera fusion!) and “Smack Jack” (cabaret/funk/speed/metal?) An outrageous performer and personality whose bold hairstyles careened from shocking pink
BACKCOMBS
or platinum mohawks to dominatrix jet black
BETTIE PAGE
’dos, with provocative outfits and language to match. Her distinct operatic vocal talents and proclivity for unpredictable media stunts (demonstrating masturbation techniques on Austrian live TV in 1979, for a start) enshrined her as a female music icon early in the 1980s; in later years she voiced the character Sally in the German dub of
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
and guested on recordings by KMFDM and Apocalyptica.
AMANDA PALMER
fans would be wise to seek her out.

HAIRPOLICE
Not what you think. Rather, a hair salon in Minneapolis founded by the late Sonia Peterson, who developed a technique for dread perms back in 1986 that has become a preferred method of achieving that perfect
CYBERLOX
look.

HALLOWEEN
October 31. Goth Christmas. Please buy us presents, preferably in the shape of
BAT
s.

HAMMER HORROR
1. Style of Gothic horror film produced by the British studio Hammer in the 1950s to 1970s. In particular, Goths swoon for the 1958 version of
DRACULA
starring Christopher Lee as the Count and 1970’s lesbian-themed
The Vampire Lovers
, starring Scream Queen Ingrid Pitt. While its newer ventures (such as the 2008
VAMPIRE
web serial
Beyond the Rave
) have failed to excite much interest, the classic Hammer, those atmospheric period pictures full of heaving bosoms,
CANDELABRA
s and
CLOAKS
, set the template for what Gothic cinema looked like in the pre–
TIM BURTON
universe. 2. A 1978 pop song by British singer
KATE BUSH
from her album
Lionheart
, which pays tribute to the studio.

HAND.STAPLE.FOREHEAD
Phrase used online expressing (sarcastically) drama or tragedy is afoot and someone, somewhere has his/her hand raised up to the brow as in a grand, silent filmstar–like gesture, planted so firmly on the head it’s as if it’s stapled there. Abbreviated as HSF.

HARKER, MINA
Fictional character in
BRAM STOKER
’s
DRACULA
— virginal, heroic fiancée of the doomed Jonathan Harker. In the novel, she suffers at the hands, and
FANGS
, of the Count. In Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 cinematic adaptation, she suffers from being portrayed, horribly, by Winona Ryder.

HASKINS, KEVIN
British drummer (b. July 19, 1960), founding member of
BAUHAUS
and its spinoffs
TONES ON TAIL
and
LOVE AND ROCKETS
. The least recognizable of his bandmates, Haskins nevertheless managed to leave his mark — he does, afterall, kickstart L&R’s cover version of “Ball of Confusion” with the most distinctive snare sequence in all of Gothdom.

HAUNTED MANSION
Haunted house ride created by Disney in the 1960s and featured at most of its amusement parks ever since. The Rolls-Royce of haunted houses, it welcomes spooked guests into an elaborate replica of a Gothic manor tricked out with special effects ghosts and other treats laid out in various rooms, which one travels through in motorized “Doom Buggies.” It has its own theme song (“Grim Grinning Ghosts”), is rumoured to have been the origin of the band name
SKINNY PUPPY
(apparently, the band members became enamoured with a dog character on the ride) and, since 2001, gets even further gothified each fall as the “Haunted Mansion Holiday,” decorated in the theme of
TIM BURTON
’s
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
. No wonder it’s spawned its own legion of fans. The most popular attraction at
BATS DAY
.

HAUTE GOTH
What happens when top fashion designers put girls in all-black and extreme
EYELINER
on the runway, spiking editorial coverage in magazines about how black is the new black. Goths drool at the photos then pin them to their bedroom walls where they wish their $10,000 Alexander McQueen dress was hanging.

HEARTAGRAM
Logo for Finnish Goth metal band
HIM
, a combination of a heart and a pentagram. The kind of music fans who get heartagram
TATTOOS
(of which there are plenty) are quick to explain it was created by band leader Ville Valo to represent his ying/yang philosophy of “love metal,” and not by the skateboarding jackass Bam Margera, who has since adopted it to sell shoes and such. Available on a bewildering amount of merch at a
HOT TOPIC
near you.

HELLRAISER
Horror film released in 1987, directed by
CLIVE BARKER
and based on Barker’s novella
The Hellbound Heart
, about a man who opens the doors to hell through a Chinese puzzle box (called the Lament Configuration) and the pleasure/pain unleashed upon Earth as a result. While the plot is ostensibly about the sometimes-cruel consequences of carnal delights, it’s also about how cool self-mutilation and fetish wear looks: the heavily pierced angel/demons called
CENOBITES
did much to popularize
s/m
with the club kids. Dialogue lines such as “Jesus wept” and “I’ll tear your soul apart” have become well-worn catchphrases and sampled regularly by many an
INDUSTRIAL
band, most notably
SKINNY PUPPY
. Replicas of the Lament Configuration also make fine stocking stuffers.
See also:
Pinhead

HELTER SKELTER
1. Goth/
INDUSTRIAL
club night operating in Los Angeles from 1989 to 2002, featuring DJs and live bands, including early club shows for
NINE INCH NAILS
. Founded by Michael Stewart and Bruce Perdew, who also ran the club
SCREAM
, its original location was the Stardust Ballroom on Sunset Strip before relocating to the Probe in Hollywood. 2. Cover of the 1968 Beatles song by
SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES
on their 1978 debut album
The Scream
.

HIGHGATE CEMETERY
Graveyard in North London,
ENGLAND
, famed as home of imaginary
VAMPIRES
, including the (cleverly named) Highgate Vampire. In 1970, several locals reported seeing ghosts in the cemetery, with one claiming he believed a “King Vampire of the Undead” lurked there. Media hype built to the point of an actual Vampire Hunt on Friday, March 13 of that year. Highgate also appears in
BRAM STOKER
’s
DRACULA
novel as the site where
LUCY WESTENRA
is buried and comes to life to stalk children. Visiting Goths may not find any evidence of the undead but can pay respects to many dead icons, including communist thinker Karl Marx, romantic poet Christina Rossetti and punk rock manager Malcolm McLaren.

HIM
Finnish “love metal” band formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo, originally called His Infernal Majesty. With an indie debut titled
666 Ways to Love: A Prologue
, some people had the idea the band was Satanic. The 1997 major label debut
Greatest Love Songs, Volume 666
, at 66:06 running time and 66 tracks, surely cleared that up. Like
CRADLE OF FILTH
,
TYPE O NEGATIVE
and even
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
before them, HIM has found commercial success mixing dark romantic lyrics with heavy guitar riffs and a hunky frontman, mostly in Europe (only 2005’s “Wings of a Butterfly” ever hit in America). But with its rockist ambitions and
BABYBAT
fanbase, HIM caught the
MARILYN MANSON
curse (i.e., generally considered Not Goth Enough by most people over thirty). But I disagree: if you can find me a more Goth song title than “Buried Alive By Love” I’d like to hear it.
See also:
Heartagram

HOBBLESKIRT
An extremely narrow skirt, usually below the knee or floor-length, that restricts freedom of movement in the wearer. Its popularity peaked in general North American populace in the 1910s but was resurrected for Goths and fetish markets thanks to
MORTICIA ADDAMS
of the
ADDAMS FAMILY
’s hobble-style gowns in the 1960s TV series. Today, those
PVC
and
LATEX
ones are not so practical for dancing, but a well-tailored hobbleskirt remains a sassy, sexy
CORP GOTH
choice.

HORROR PUNK
Style of punk rock music attributed to
THE MISFITS
and practiced by their clones in which almost every song is about a monster or other creepy character from a horror film or comic and features a spirited chorus of “whoah-oh-ohs!”
HORROR PUNK
rockers look quite a bit like
DEATH ROCKER
s (i.e., one can never have too many skull T-shirts), but the music is quite a bit goofier.

HOT TOPIC
If half of your high school population dresses like wannabe
VAMPIRES
, blame/thank this American chain of suburban mall clothing stores. Founded in 1988 as a one-stop subculture shop “all about the music,” its more than 600 stores sell an extensive selection of metal, punk and Goth band T-shirts plus popular streetwear brands like
LIP SERVICE
and
TRIPP NYC
, essentially kickstarting, or at least facilitating, the
MALL GOTH
phenomenon. A target of much disdain from
TRAD GOTH
s who ripped their own
FISHNET
stockings into shirts, thank you very much, and guilty of pushing misguided trends (see: tutus). Hot Topic is hardly the worst thing that ever happened to Goth fashion. In fact, giving broke teens in far-flung places a chance to buy cheap
PVC
CORSET
s and skull
BUCKLE BOOTS
(not to mention opening a chain of plus-sized stores, called Torrid) could be considered a community service.

HUNGER, THE
1983
VAMPIRE
film directed by Tony Scott and based on a 1981 novel by Whitley Strieber. The most Goth of all contemporary vampire movies (sorry,
ANNE RICE
) starring
DAVID BOWIE
and Catherine Deneuve as a vamp couple and Susan Sarandon as the sexy doctor. Hardly Oscar material and no box office smash, but we love it so for its opening sequence featuring
BAUHAUS
performing “
BELA LUGOSI’S DEAD
” in a cage, for the special
ANKH
knife pendant used to slice into the necks of their prey and for having beautiful
NOSFERATU
who do not glitter.

HUSSEY, WAYNE
British singer and guitarist (b. May 26, 1958), co-founder and lead vocalist of
GOTHIC ROCK
superstars
THE MISSION
, formed after acrimonious split from
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
. (Which he joined after leaving Dead or Alive.) Distinguished by his dark sunglasses and bolero hat, and his ability to take generic lyrics about darkness and dancing to the top of the charts. In 2008, released the solo album
Bare
, a mix of Mission tracks and cover tunes. Now lives in Brazil.

HYPERIUM RECORDS
German independent record label operating in the 1990s, specialized in
ETHEREAL
and
DARKWAVE
and beloved for its
Heavenly Voices
compilations featuring female-fronted bands such as Chandeen, Love Is Colder Than Death,
FAITH AND THE MUSE
and soon-to-be headbangers
LACUNA COIL
.