Goths in Cologne 1992: Indiependent Treffen

[dropcap]If [/dropcap]you were like me and had the unfortunate luck of allowing yet another year to slip by without attending Wave Gotik Treffen, then you were forced to hide your jealousy as you clicked ‘like’ on images of absinthe, beautifully dressed goths and your favorite industrial bands on stage (DAF, Clock DVA anyone?) as you scrolled through your news feed. It almost seems bearable when watching this video of glorious gruftis at play in this video:

https://youtu.be/b9-WnWI1EHM

Shot in 1991 in Cologne, Germany at the suitably gothic Domplatte cathedral, this was where the goth/wave/independent “treffen” (meeting, gathering) was held around the same time that the first official Wave Gotik was established in Leipzig.

I could probably play this on repeat for the rest of my life and never tire of it — the hairstyles, the clothes, the makeup, and not to forget the industrial sounds of the Klinik!

Andi Harriman

Andi Harriman is the author of "Some Wear Leather, Some Wear Lace: The Worldwide Compendium of Postpunk and Goth in the 1980s." She resides in Brooklyn, New York where she writes, DJs and lectures on all things dark and gloomy.