I was reminded of this pair of songs recently by a discussion of goth taking place elsewhere. The Danse Society were goths from Barnsley but their music often veered off into other parts of the 80s post- punk/ indie diaspora. Between 1980 and 1987 they made three albums before the original line up splintered. They've reformed in different incarnations since 2011.
Their second, 1983's Heaven Is Waiting, is well worth a spin. The title track marries rapid machine drums and synth pop with their Yorkshire goth roots, like a less poppy Depeche Mode maybe- the sort of thing that got played at midweek alternative nights to punters careering round empty dancefloors, white sleeves flapping, ciggies flicking embers everywhere, hairspray mingling with the smoke machine.
This one from 1986's Looking Through is a keeper too, echo guitar, cavernous drums, intense vocals. They'd become Danse Society International by this point for reasons I'm unclear about.
Good post and great tunes that take me back! Must have met you on a midweek alt night apologies for covering you in ciggy ash and whacking you with my flappy white sleeves😉 That aside, Bradford, Barnsley Leeds etc were a powerhouse of gothic sounds back in the day, for myself I lived in a town nearby Depeche Mode's stomping ground. Tried to cover some of the bands of the day on my own site https://www.akickindienutz.com/cruel-light-in-goth-city/
ReplyDeleteThanks Adam, this is completely new to me. Your blog often brings up unheard/unearthed music. Greetings from abroad!
ReplyDeleteNo need to apologise, I threw myself around dance floors with cigarettes burning plenty of times AKIN. Thanks for the link to your blog too.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it Mr H. Bringing lost and forgotten stuff back to light is a big part of what music blogs are for I think.
😂 Cheers SA. Keep posting those good sounds👍
DeleteDanse Society seemed like they could have rode their sound into the charts by the time their second album came out, but at that point the Goth scene seems to really coalesce and the went from being interesting and unique to having to put their elbow out to vie for attention. Their almost too obvious grab for chart attention by marrying their sound to the PWL juggernaut on the song Say It Again, just ended up making the band the focus of derision as second string Dead Or Alive copyists.
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