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The reason for which music is so important to goth as a subculture is that, before the advent of the world wide web and such virtual meccas for individuals of the 'dark' persuasion as gnet, people who maintained an avid interest in the literature of Poe, James, and Bronte, in horror cinema, or the macabre as a whole, would often meet at concerts featuring bands who, in their lyrics, melodic atmosphere, or aesthetic, related to these subjects, or, increasingly later on, at clubs which played their music. The bands were the epicenter of the coalescing subculture, the adhesive that united it, and therefore the idea of a 'goth' who isn't into goth rock is a strange one even now.
While I believe that 'goth' is definable and not an abstraction which 'means different things to different people', I do share Kontan's view that to be a goth isn't any more a source of entitlement or empowerment than membership in the official Star Trek fan club. 'Goth' is not a social or political movement. 'Goths' as a population haven't accomplished any ends of consequence from which we should derive pride. Certainly, you're either a goth or you're not, but whichever is true of you makes no more difference than your favorite color.
BRK, you seem to think otherwise, so know that I meant you no offense in saying what I've said (except possibly my expression of dissapointment that you'd resort to calling people mindless sheep in an effort to advance your argument), as I was merely trying to clarify the meaning of 'goth', in my own opinion as well as that of Renatus, Green.Lady, and many other members of not only gnet but the goth scene in general. I wasn't condemning you, as I personally don't really care if you like goth rock or not.
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