mildread

I'm baaack! -- White Horse Pub, August 16, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:51:00 +0000

Okay folks! So I know it's been an eternity plus three since I last updated. I'm so sorry that I've fallen so behind; my camera cord broke (when it was in my camera bag...?) so after searching for an eternity for a USB cord for my poor little Nikon coolpix, I finally had to resort to getting a card reader. In addition, I have returned to Richmond for my second year at Virginia Commonwealth University. Now, after finally getting moved in, starting classes, and getting pictures uploaded, sorted, and organized, I finally have two seconds to breathe (read: blog) before all hell breaks loose again.

About two weeks ago, I had the fortune of attending an awesome, awesome, awesome bill at Virginia Beach's White Horse Pub. Richmond's Myotis and Virginia Beach's Mpiredwn and Hindu Pez presented a high-energy, entertaining show for an impressively sized crowd. All of the local music scene unification and promotion efforts must be doing something right; a crowd of at least 40 people filled the space nicely and gave it a great energy for the performers. The fact that there was no cover for those 21+ might have had something to do with it, although as a nineteen-year-old I was the only person in the entire group of people I was with that had to shell out $10 for the evening. That's a shame, because there are plenty of supportive and talented underage people who would have totally dug that event.

First up for the night were talented gothic dance-rockers Myotis of Richmond. The cool thing about Myotis is that they rotate on vocals, presenting a little something for everyone by the time they're through. My favorite songs were fronted by Yancy, supported by the absolutely gorgeous Melissa on keyboards and Jason on guitar. Yancy's voice is raw and unique, pushing through the pounding chords to reverberate with a dark fury out of the speakers. I only wish I could have heard them a bit more clearly; their sound was a bit flat coming out of the speakers, making the vocals slightly fuzzy and jamming the keyboard and guitar sounds together. Still, their show was fun to dance to and to watch.

Next up were the sublimely kick-ass Mpiredwn, who rocked so hard that I craved a Red Bull afterwards. They are great performers who aren't scared of interacting with the crowd and want to make sure that people feel, not just hear their music. Their energetic frontman kept the crowd laughing in between songs and they played a well-arranged set, alternating the hard stuff with danceable songs and then tearing the place up all over again. I can't wait to see what these guys come up with in the future.

For the first time as part of Hindu Pez' live show, performer Gabriel Perry introduced a video mash-up of the bizarrely erotic and the curiously unsettling to accompany his intense industrial. With this impressive addition, the entire dynamic of his live show has changed completely, turning his show into a multimedia performance that had the crowd in attendance in awe. I don't want to spoil it for anyone interested in seeing his show, but as a crowd of monkeys dressed as children rode their bikes across the screen, I took a moment to myself and thought, "Holy shit, this is AWESOME." Deserving of a special shout-out is his gorgeous fiancee k@t, who collaborated on the footage. I can't wait to see him tighten it up (the duration of the film was over an hour, a long time for Hindu Pez to perform and a long time for a drunken audience to stay interested) and expand upon the idea of beat-matching video work. It was seriously one of the coolest things I have seen from the Virginia Beach goth/industrial music scene.

On a side note, you would think that venues supporting bands who can bring in an enthusiastic, well-behaved crowd that drinks generously and respects the music would take care of their clientele. I'm not asking for a personal attendant with miniature bottles of mouthwash and hand cream but White Horse Pub's bathrooms could use a little work. And that's putting it mildly.

In conclusion, kudos to the bands, the venue, and the super-supportive crowd for making this a kick-ass show. Hopefully this is just the beginning in what will become an awesome underground industrial/gothic rock/synthpop/et cetera component to the local music scene. Make sure to stay in touch with these fabulous musicians and thanks, as always, for supporting the hard work of these awesome people.

And since I know all you camwhores wanna see 'em... PICTURES!

Hey... I'm actually in one of the pictures this time...
(Reneé and the lovely Marilen)

Seeing Double: The Last Deviant and k@t

Hindu Pez Strikes Back

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:11:00 +0000

CollegeHumor: I love it.

Now that that's out of the way, it's time for the second round of none other than the absolutely amazing Hindu Pez. This time, you can see him with Mpiredwn and Myotis at White Horse Pub this Saturday, August 16th.

Mpiredwn of Virginia Beach is a downtempo gothic rock band. Their music has a darkly seductive quality, good for... well, seducing people. They remind me of Paralysed Age, but with a sexy kind of guitar-heavy undercurrent reminiscent of She Wants Revenge. You can find them on MySpace at www.myspace.com/mpiredwn.

Electronic Goth Pop band Myotis hails from Richmond. Composed of Jason Beeken, ultra-cutie Melissa Richardson, and Yancy Lambert, their music is surprising and interesting. Each band member rotates on vocals, allowing them to produce new and unique music. Fans of Ego Likeness and De/Vision will appreciate their electronic, danceable sound. Pursue them at www.myspace.com/myotismusic for great justice.

And considering the praise I heaped upon him in this and earlier posts, I cannot wait to see Hindu Pez again. His live show is energetic and noisy, but in the good, 'THIS-BASSLINE-WILL
KICK-YOUR-ASS" kind of way. His industrial powernoise set is sure to please those who like Skinny Puppy and Modulate. He's easily stalkable at www.myspace.com/hindupez.

So now you're pretty much obligated to go. Right? I'll be there. Come meet me!

I'll be there! So don't miss it.

More Spooky Home Décor!

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:22:00 +0000

So the process of getting my first apartment is an exciting one because I finally get to play interior decorator. My budget being as limited as it is, I have stumbled upon many things that unfortunately will never claim a place in my space. However, I will share them with you here so we can lament together. (How Goth.)

Raven on a Skull
by Dapper Cadaver
$5.00

Because of its place on the lower end of the cost spectrum, I can't imagine that this product would be too well made (plastic and pigeon feathers) but how cool would this be sitting on a bookshelf or a window ledge? This is one of those things that make you jump when you're stumbling around at 2 in the morning to go to the bathroom and look at it unexpectedly.

Gargoyle Bookends
by Halloween Town
$29.00

I always think that an interesting way to get to know someone is to examine their bookshelf. (This works great for first dates; Huck Finn? Lolita? Sure, they'd be cool to hang out with again; Mein Kampf? Not so much!) I love Gargoyles because I think they're classy enough to take a place among muted decor, while lending an old-world flair to an environment of unique furnishings. And these are bookends, so they're dead useful!

Big LED Tier Chandelier
by Kikkerland
$31.00

Oh my Goth, do I love great design. The team at Kikkerland has an array of absolutely amazing products in their catalogue and I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this gem through Amazon. It's an 8" chandelier with built-in, battery-powered LEDs. Imagine the options for transportability! You could hang this from a tree in your backyard if you wanted to. And it's so pretty!

Clock and Gears Wall Art
by Overstock.com
$99.99

And the Steampunk-gasm starts... now. The colors, the angles, and the sexy black-on-white roman numeral clock--this is gorgeous. This piece alone has so much character that all you need to do is add it to a blank wall and you're pretty much set.

Iron & Tole Gothic Shape Desk Caddy with Wood Finial
by Bellacor
$131.00

Ahhh, the possibilities. The top of this actually looks like the canopy that I plan on installing over the top of my bed. I love the idea of putting picture frames in here, but this would be the perfect place to unite all of your odds-n-ends: a dish for your car keys, a resting place for your day planner, a cup for the pins to your voodoo doll and a shrine to your pet fetus-in-a-jar... Well, you get the picture. I just like the antique feel of this. A lot. A lot a lot.

(Photo credits: Dapper Cadaver, Halloween Town, Kikkerland, Overstock.com, Bellacor)

Mildread: Part of the Larger Blog Community!

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:20:00 +0000

Just a quick little update to let everyone know that Mildread's internet presence has expanded:

Technorati Profile

and

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

I am the MINDFREAK....

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:50:00 +0000

So anyone who has known me for any significant length of time knows how much I love circus arts and Cirque du Soleil. I will confess that my guilty pleasure of late has been recording episodes of Criss Angel's Mindfreak on my DVR. I am excited to share that Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil are now teaming up for a resident show at the Luxor titled Criss Angel: Believe. Despite Criss' most recent 'Escape-From-A-Building' (But not really!) stunt--which left me a little disappointed. I'm sure that some of the illusions Criss presents in this show will be breathtaking. Not to mention the preview photos, which are gorgeous. There is a kind of Victorian-Gothic-Alice-in-Wonderland thing going on here that I find fascinating and I'm sure that Cirque's team of amazing artists will do it justice. I've posted some preview photographs below recently released on Cirque du Soleil's official website, along with a YouTube sneak peek. Oh, if only I had the money to go to Vegas in two months!

And a sneak peek:

(Photographs taken from www.cirquedusoleil.com and remain the sole property of Cirque du Soleil, believed to be used fairly under US Copyright Law. If you are the owner of the photographs and would like them removed, please e-mail reneehand13@gmail.com. Thank you.)

mildreadLOCK: Nicotine

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:03:00 +0000

The absolutely stunning Nicotine is a glamor and fetish model based out of Washington, D.C. In addition to her extensive portfolio of alternative, fetish, retro/pin-up, glamor, and fine art photographs, she has been featured as a go-go dancer and a runway model across the east coast. We sat down with Nicotine to talk about her career, fetish work, and the irresistible allure of eight-tentacled sea creatures.

Mildread: So really, if you had to tell someone you didn't know about who you are, what would you say?

Nicotine: It really depends on the scene. If I run into someone on the street that I don't know and they ask me what I do, I usually stick to "I model" and try to change the subject. A lot of people don't really understand the fetish scene, so I try to avoid the subject around people whom I perceive as "normal".

M: When did you start getting into fetish work?

N: I first started going to play parties when I was 19. One of my old university friends introduced me to it when I was living in Austin a few years ago. As I started to get further into alternative fashion, I started to make connections between the clothes I liked as a Goth kid in high school and my growing interest in latex and fetish fashion.

M: Very cool. What was your first impression of the fetish scene from the play parties you went to? Or rather, what drew you towards it?

N: I didn't really know what to expect at the first party, to be honest. I was probably the youngest person there, except for a few other twenty-somethings but we were definitely in the minority. I've always been very interested in sexual psychology, so it was interesting to me to talk to the people who went to the parties. It's kind of an unspoken rule that people don't give out a lot of personal information but every now and then you'll hear that someone's a doctor or someone's a lawyer or someone works for the government and that's always fun from a subversive point of view.

M: It certainly gives you a different perspective on things.

N: Definitely.

M: So when did you do your first shoot, then?

N: I think my first shoot was a couple weeks before I turned 20. I got into it a lot later than most of my friends who model but I think that was partially because I had issues with body image and self esteem and I didn't really see modeling as an option before then.

M: Has your perception of beauty changed since you started modeling?

N: I think so. When one talks about modeling and standards of beauty, I think you really have to differentiate between whether you're referring to mainstream glamour, commercial, editorial modeling and whether you mean alternative fashion, glamour, fetish modeling, etc. Each category has its own niche market, so the sort of "beauty" that may be popular in Playboy or Elle or Vogue is not necessarily the look that might be popular in Marquis or Gothic Beauty or Skin Two, for example.

Beauty, in my opinion, is knowing what works well and what doesn't for your face and your complexion and your body type and being able to combine that with your own personal style

M: Well said. What has been your favorite shoot to do?

N: That's a tough one.

M: Name some of your favorites, maybe? Ones that stick out in your mind.

N: Well, I think the one that sticks out in everyone's mind is the Bride of Cthulhu set with the octopus. Aside from that, some of my favorite shoots have been with people I was dating at the time.

M: Are those photos on MySpace?

N: A few of them were on MySpace for a while but they got deleted. You can still see them on deviantART, fleshbot, io9, ModelMayhem, and my personal website.

M: OH WOW. Is that ink all over you?

N: Believe it or not, that's actually two cans of Hershey's syrup.

M: Haha! Very nice. How did the octopus taste?

N: It was pretty fresh, so it didn't really taste like anything. It was just really wet and slippery. The chocolate helped, though. Honestly, I felt pretty guilty about using the octopi.

M: Aww. Why?

N: Well, I'm a vegetarian. They're highly intelligent creatures, too. A few of my photographers and I have a bit of an octopus fetish.

M: Yay for vegetarians! So, what do you enjoy most about modeling?

N: It's a very glamorous job. You get to dress up and go to parties and travel and meet cool people. It's a wonderful creative outlet.

M: It sounds awesome. Where would you like to see your modeling career headed--both in the short and long term?

N: Short term, it's mainly scraping the money together to travel as much as I want to. I commit myself to so many events and then I have to sit back and say "Okay, smart one. You've committed yourself, now how are you going to afford it?" Long term, I would definitely like to have more print credits and more publications under my belt. I don't want to only be known as an internet model. That's one reason why I try to get involved in so many parties and fashion shows. I also definitely want to try to bridge the gap between lifestyle bdsm and the more glamorous fetish nightlife. I'd like to see a more affordable, commercial latex clothing line that looks like something you'd see at the mall (only latex). There needs to be more latex pret-a-porter clothing.

M: I have to admit, I'm a little curious about latex clothing, actually. I've never worn latex before. What's that like?

N: Latex is definitely one of my fetishes, on a tactile as well as a visual level. On the visual level, I like it because it skirts the line between being fully clothed and being completely nude. You can show everything and nothing at the same time and that appeals to my fun, subversive punk rock side. On the other hand, latex is extremely sensual. It's like a million hands stroking your body all at once. It hugs your body in a very comforting way. It's also tremendous fun wearing latex in the pool, the shower, hot tubs, etc.

M: I bet. Do you have any other fetishes? (I swear, that question isn't half as creepy as it sounds.)

N: Haha, no worries. I love corsets, very high heels, steel, leather, any article of clothing that's shiny and black with lots of metal bits. I'm a masochist, too, and I love sensations, so I'm a big fan of anything related to massage, spanking, hair pulling, biting, piercing, and things of that nature. I like anything that causes an endorphin rush.

M: A little bit of pain every now and then is wonderful...

N: There's a quote about how we can never truly understand and appreciate pleasure until we have understood pain, or something like that. In the end, it's all about sensation.

M: Oh trust me, I definitely agree. So that segues into another question: what do *you* find ultimately sexy?

N: At the risk of sounding cliche, I like confidence, I like humor, I think knowing you you are and being true to yourself is sexy. Artistic talent is sexy, nerds are sexy, strength is sexy. There are physical charactertistics that I also think are sexy but even if I think you're the hottest person alive but I meet you and think you're an asshole, you don't stand a chance. Compassion and caring about your health and what you put into your body is sexy, hence my preference for other vegetarians.

M: I think I read somewhere that vegetarians... ahem... taste better.

N: I've heard that, as well. I haven't dated enough vegetarians to really conduct a serious experiment on that but if I kiss somebody and I can taste the meat that they ate that day, that's a definite turn-off.

M: Oooh, yeah, I agree with you on that one.

N: Yeah, it's gross.

M: It's about time for my last question. I'll make it easy. What would be the biggest compliment that someone could give you about you or your work?

N: That's an easy question? Boo.

M: Um. Sorry, I tried.

N: Compliments make me really self-conscious.

M: Would it be easier if I asked you what motivates you to continue to do what you do?

N: I was talking with someone about that the other day. I think what it really boils down to is that a lot of the things that I do and that my friends do you can really only do while you're young. Personally, I'm young, I'm not tied down to any one partner, and I don't have kids or pets or dependents of any kind. In this business, just like in life in general, you only have a small window of opportunity and if you don't take advantage of your opportunity and your freedom now while you still can, one of these days you're going to be eighty, ninety years old, looking back on your life and kicking yourself for playing it safe and wondering what the hell happened. That's the way I see it.

Want to see more? Check out her website at ModelNicotine.com.

(Photo credits from top: T. Jerrod Sharpe; mmk60; WDR Photography; Richard Kadrey; Scott Church, Tsubasa, Studio-X, Vance)

Hindu Fishnet Mafia in the Lab... (what?!)

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:11:00 +0000

So a major bouquet of black roses and awesomeness to my friend Gabe a.k.a. Hindu Pez and the other headliners at Thursday night's Stepping Out show. hERETICS iN tHE lAB, the Fishnet Mafia Cabaret, and Hindu Pez all presented an evening of kick-ass song and dance for the alternative crowd.

First up was Hindu Pez, who deserves the seal of kick-assness alone for performing despite having been hit by a car a couple days prior.

Despite his impaired mobility, he still delivered a high-energy performance. His music is darkly danceable and pumps with intense beats and noise. His set flowed nicely from one song to the next, arranged in such a way that songs went from slow[er] to fast without getting boring.

Later in the evening, hERETICS iN tHE lAB dominated the stage with their expected brew of pulsating industrial madness. Their light show is always a sight to see. I will say that, having learned from past shows at Steppin' Out, I was glad that I brought earplugs. The sound system ensures that everyone in the club can hear all nuances of the music being played. And that's putting it nicely.

Having heard very little about the Fishnet Mafia Cabaret, I was excited to see something cute, fun, and a little spooky. The local scene is desperately lacking in female talent. Unfortunately, I got the fishnets, alright, but the term 'cabaret' was used very loosely. The girls were obviously aware of their flexibility, but underneath the black-hot-pants-clad spread eagles there was not much else (literally and figuratively). When I think cabaret, I anticipate song, stand-up comedy, and cute, flirty striptease. Their set's musical choices of solely Nine Inch Nails and Portishead was for the most part repetitive. I'd be interested to see if they could step it up a notch, because I think their concept has a lot of potential.

A big thanks to my friends k@t, Gabe, Miko, and Shaun for all of the work and effort they put towards the scene. They all really want to ensure that the alternative crowd can get together and host their own kick-ass events. You guys rock!

As a side note, there was a ridiculous amount of photographers at this show. I'm not sure if hERETICS has an imagery entourage or something, but at one point in the show I counted eight cameras within ten feet of the stage. I'm curious to know where all of the pictures that were taken are going to end up. It makes me a little paranoid imagining how many digital and filmic likenesses of my face and body exist in the world without my knowledge. Not to mention that many had really fancy, expensive looking cameras, making me sad with my little Nikon Point-'N-Shoot. Hope you all got some good photos!

And on that note... pictures!

And for kicks:

BEFORE
AFTER

Look what you crazy people do to me.

What You're Doing Thursday Night

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:33:00 +0000

Okay so it's been four months and I still haven't gotten used to the new Youtube homepage. Guys, you run GOOGLE. People don't even need to bother spelling shit correctly using your search engine and they still get legitimate results. How the hell do you think anyone is going to want to put forth the effort to customize their home page? Just change it back. Seriously, guys. WTF.

Now that that's out of the way.

GUYS, seriously, if you are in the Hampton Roads area, I have already determined what you are doing on Thursday night.

Some of you may remember that I previously attended Big Daddy Productions' Masquerade Ball, where I won second place in the costume contest. The show last time was great, and this year's lineup is absolutely amazing. For one thing, two of my most favorite spooky DJs of all time, DJ Figurehead and DJ Miko Lestrange will be spinning. You know them from DOOMgloom.

The featured act is hERETICS iN tHE lAB, whose hardline industrial live show is intense. Not to mention the amazing Hindu Pez, who will also be bringing his rocking experimental Industrial to the mix. And since I've never even seen or heard anything about the Fishnet Mafia Cabaret, I'm excitedly curious. (Come on. Who's not excited by the possibility of attractive women in stockings?)

Want a preview? Hindu Pez was nice enough to send me one of his tracks for you all to listen to. Go put it on your iTunes and select 'Repeat,' because it is infectiously fantastic. On a serious note, Big Daddy Productions has put on some really cool stuff in the past but they're only going to continue to do it so long as there is support in the community. The success of these events may inspire other clubs and booking people to put on more stuff for our scene. Please come out and show your support. Goth knows the scene needs you!

"hate from above" by Hindu Pez from the EP Porno Music to Kill To
hate from above - Hindu Pez

Photo Credits:
http://www.myspace.com/hereticsinthelab
http://www.myspace.com/hindupez; Photo by Kat Marsh

Why so serious?

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:33:00 +0000

So I'm just going to say it simply: The Dark Knight is as amazing as everyone is saying it is. I've seen it twice since it opened on Friday morning. (Midnight showing, baby!) Aaron Eckhart is solid. Michael Caine is riveting. Heath Ledger is sublime. Christian Bale is sexy. (I'm just being honest!) The movie is beautiful to watch and well-paced despite its 2 hours, 30 minutes length.

I think one of my favorite things about this movie is the fact that some of its best, most beautifully composed shots look like comic book panels--but in a great way. The dialogue also ranks high on my list; this movie is hilarious. There are even a few scary, "jump-out-of-your-seat" moments that got me. It is a dark movie but it is well-balanced and that's what made it powerful for me. All in all, it is a fun way to spend an evening and well worth the ticket price. Go see it.

EDIT: I fixed my RSS feed link! Yay Feedburner! If any of you use GoogleReader or want to add me to your blogroll, you can find my feed URL using the link at the top; here it is for your convenience:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/mildread

(Picture Copyright Warner Brothers 2008 is and believed to qualify as fair use under United States copyright law.)

DOOMgloom, July the 15th

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:01:00 +0000

So after a four-week absence, I finally made it out to DOOMgloom again, the resident goth/spooky night at the Wave in Norfolk, VA. It seems that the crowd has changed, a lot. Now, I can't claim to be a regular or anything, but I'm wondering if there's an influx of new high school graduates who can finally go out without having to show up tired as fuck to school the next day. I think it's great that there are always new people coming into the scene here (Goth knows we need it) but I just want to say, for everyone's benefit, that DOOMgloom is a dance night, not a rub-your-private-parts-against-other-people exhibition.

But hey, who am I to judge? Do whatever the hell you want. Just don't get in my way when This S'it Will Fcuk You Up comes on. Okie dokie?

That said, here are some pictures from last night! Enjoy!

We can live like Jack and Sally if we want... and we'll have Halloween on Christmas...

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:14:00 +0000

Okay maybe there's some psychoanalytical reason that someone smarter than me can explain the topic of this post away with, but my recent break-up has left me reevaluating what I'm looking for in a relationship. So a couple of months ago, I was browsing the internet image board 4chan.org (I swear to Goth this is not a regular thing, my ex was a /b/tard). I learned quickly that there is no shortage of lonely people lurking on the internet. The original message read:

Femanon here, maybe some guys could give me insight on this. Are there actually guys out there who want a real relationship and a girl who's good-looking but someone they can also carry on a conversation with, someone who's funny, etc.? I'm scared to get involved in relationships because I feel like those guys do not exist or they put up a front for sex, but I've had heart-to-heart conversations with guys who claim that all they want is a chick who's down-to-earth and will love them and be there for them, etc. etc. I really don't fucking know.

And in between the expected "TITS OR GTFO" responses, I found one that I consider to be the best, wisest, but most overlooked philosophy in and about relationships.

I don't want a relationship, I want to meet girls and have fun. I'll CONSIDER a relationship with a girl who's interesting, funny, good-looking, etc. I think if you're looking for "a relationship," then you're actually looking to fill a little hole in your life, and the first peg that fits will do. That's greedy, self-centered, and dumb, and off-putting to people who sense the intention. The sad thing is, most people don't even realize they're doing that. When you just want to meet people whose company you enjoy, you can meet someone who's worth a relationship. Look for people first, relationship second. That way you're interacting with another human, and not just wanting anybody who can make you not lonely.

Now I'm curious about how this applies to the alternative scene at large. If you're looking to meet someone whose company you enjoy--and someone that you would consider having a relationship with--does it matter if that person falls into the same subculture as you? Does it make it easier?

There are certain lifestyle aspects, I think, that might be more easily understood by someone who has similar inclinations. At face value, there is the appearance factor. Tattoos, piercings, clothing styles outside of the mainstream-- these are things that would be a lot easier to accept between partners if one didn't have to explain (read: give excuses for) to the other. While I understand that one doesn't have to be "Goth" or "alternative" to necessarily listen to Industrial or watch horror movies, many people in the subculture like those things and thus are less likely to judge them. And for all of the creative types, work that might be called morbid or dark is presumably less likely to be criticized by a partner who isn't shocked or disgusted by something deemed too dark at face value.

In the Goth community alone, there are several dating websites which seem to be legit places for Goths to meet each other. The website www.gothicmatch.com was featured on Tyra Banks' daytime television show (okay, so it doesn't automatically make it credible, but at least it's gotten some attention) and www.gothscene.com reminds me of a match.com, but for Goths. I don't have a profile on either of them, so admittedly I haven't tried them, but I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has.

So now I'm curious. For all of my readers, I ask you, if you consider your tastes and/or lifestyle in any way to be "alternative," does your current partner fall into that same category? Do you share similar tastes? If your partner doesn't share the same lifestyle as you, then how does your relationship work? What brings you together? And if you're not with someone right now, how does living an alternative lifestyle affect what you look for in a partner? This isn't limited to exclusively Goths, by the way. Anyone indie, punk, artsy, etc. is welcome to chime in.

Please leave your comments on the blog using the link right underneath this post. Thanks so much, and I look forward to you all giving me something to think about that I can use in a future post.

Neon Raine Photography Picshursss

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:18:00 +0000

So the ultra-fabulous Brynna at Neon Raine Photography took some awesome awesome pictures of me. And in the vein of shameless self-promotion, I share them with you now. Hooray! Please tell me what you think!

In other news, in between dealing with my car accident and work and school and whatnot, I have had NO TIME. At all. And it sucks because for all of you who were used to seeing me at DG, I haven't seen you guys in four weeks. Yeah, tell me about it.

But there's some very cool stuff coming up in the next few weeks. For those of you who remember k@t, she's got a new blog up on hamptonroads.com chronicling lots of events going down in the scene. I know I've said this before, but MC7C is super awesome in the fact that they're working extremely hard to push the local music and culture scene. Keep checking back on her blog:

What I'm seriously plugging right now is next Thursday's heretics in the lab show at Steppin' Out. I saw these guys last year around Halloween (when I won second place for my sexy A ClockWork Orange getup) and their show was great (albeit a little loud). Not to mention that everyone's favorite spooky DJs, DJs Miko Lestrange and Figurehead will be spinning. Forgo the Starbucks and buy a ticket here instead--it's $10 and you won't consume as many calories besides.

More info? Check out hereticsinthelab.com.

What else would you expect?

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:00:00 +0000

So on my way to model for Keepsake Photography, I got into a car accident on the interstate. It's very encouraging for my future as an alternative model. Thus, I've been busy with that.

I want these. It'll be my own spin on Virginia Beach culture (aka flip flops YEAR ROUND). Someone wanna buy me 'em? I'll be your best friend!

Oh! Oh Oh Oh OH! I made this myself today. I feel proud. Please take one and put it up on your blog/MySpace/Facebook/whatever with a link back to www.mildread.info. (Let me know if you're interested in a link or banner exchange!)

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(The photo came from a picture I took at Goth Prom. I never actually got the name of my model. If these are your boobs, please contact me at reneehand13 [at] gmail [dot] com so I can give you credit!)

Make Me Fries!

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Need a laugh?

Man, I wish I could make as much money as Eddie Vedder has for NEVER OPENING HIS MOUTH. (Chris Cornell, anyone?)

Also in the realm of music world, I'm totally thrilled that an entire generation of alternative culturati have paved the way for their own take on all stages of life: steampunk weddings, gothic cruises, and of course, raising your kids without sacrificing your coolness. One of the strangest things I guess I have come upon in my perusal regarding such things is Rockabye Baby!. Rockabye Baby is an award-winning concept that takes well-known rock songs and converts them into lullabies. Now before you dismiss it as yuppie slop, let me say that I am actually a little impressed. You have the ones that are pretty much a given: Coldplay's "Trouble," Smashing Pumpkins' "Disarm," and maybe U2's "Sunday Bloody Sund ay." (The last song is my personal favorite U2 song, EVER.) But I was very surprised by certain ones like Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like A Hole." They're actually good.

You can preview all of Rockabye Baby's albums on their website, www.rockabyeb abymusic.com. They have sample mp3s posted of each track from each of their albums, all of which can be purchased online. Kudos to parenting with a touch of individuality, I guess!

mildreadLOCK: Joseph Benton Parker

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:05:00 +0000

Joseph Benton Parker is an interdisciplinary artist with ties to acting, sculpture, and photography. As the result of this intriguing blend, his work is powerful, intense, and full of emotion. A Fine Arts major at Virginia Commonwealth University, his photography displays a skillfully deliberate use of light and shadow. When I asked him if he'd be interested in doing an interview for Mildread, he was a little confused but eventually conceded.

Mildread: So I figure the best way to start off is with a really ridiculous question. Fortunately, I'm not bad at concocting those. How would you describe yourself as an artist?

Joseph Benton Parker: I'm an actor who fell into photography and sculpture purely by chance.

M: That's some chance. How'd that happen?

JBP: Well, my high school offered four levels of theatre classes, and I completed them all and even was a teacher's aid for one, but then there was nothing else to do in that department, so I used a prerequisite I had gotten in freshman year to enter into a ceramics and sculpture class. The next year, I moved on to photography.

M: Do you think of yourself as more of a sculptor or a photographer?

JBP: I consider myself more of a photographer simply because I do it more, and have developed an eye for things. Sadly, when I see those things, I generally don't have my camera on
hand. Such is life.

M: Yeah, really.

JBP: When your camera weighs 5 lbs., you don't carry it around constantly.

M: Your camera weighs 5 pounds?

JBP: I haven't actually weighed it, but after a while it sure seems like it.

M: Nice. So who's crazier: actors or artists?

JBP: They're equally crazy, and I love them both. Artists seem to have more varieties of crazy though.

M: How so?

JBP: Well, when's the last time you saw an introspective brooding actor who just couldn't find the right way to express himself with only 2 colors of paint and a massive canvas?

M: I think finding an actor who couldn't express himself would be an issue in the first place.

JBP: Exactly. I think that's where I have an issue though. The need to express myself like an actor at times makes it so that I need to express myself with a physical visual piece.

M: You mean like Performance Art?

JBP: Not really. I still just have urges to perform. I miss acting. I personally find most

performance art pretentious.

M: So you don't necessarily think that just because someone says that something is art, that makes it art.

JBP: Correct. Art should have some thought behind it, provoke thought, or both. A balled up paper towel with dramatic lighting is not art... at least the paper towel isn't. I'm all for dramatic lighting.

M: Speaking of which! There are some really striking pictures in your Flickr set, not the least of which is your shadowy self-portrait in the bathtub. Tell me about that one.

JBP: Really, I just was randomly inspired one day to take some pictures in that setting... The two pictures there have not been heavily manipulated either; I just had an idea and went with it. I personally prefer the less shadowy and more wet version.

M: Do you do a lot of self-portraiture?

JBP: When the mood strikes me, yes. It's hard to find people who understand subtle direction when modeling. I know what I need, so I take some shots on a timer, review them, and tweak. It's amazing how many photos people never see.

M: Self-portraiture seems to have become all-the-rage these days, what with us living in the 'MySpace generation.' Do you ever feel like you have to work hard to establish your self-portraiture as art?

JBP: At times. I generally avoid any shot where it's obvious I'm holding the camera at arm's length, like most. I like to actually be able to analyze my own photos to a degree.

M: So no angle shots for you, then?

JBP: Angles, yes, but good ones. I'm heavily drawn to severe angles, stark contrast, and repeating geometric patterns. What can I say?

M: Understandable! I think it goes back to what you said about having a purpose behind what you do. You also have a portrait series working with your model, Abigail Larson. You know the ones I'm talking about?

JBP: The "Rainy Day" sequence?

M: Yes! They have kind of a dark feel to them. Were you going for a gothic aesthetic?

JBP: I am a bit of a German Expressionist at times. That piece as a whole was remarked upon multiple times as being "too Tim Burton-esque", but frankly, I took it as a compliment. Tim Burton is an artistic genius.

M: I love "Vincent" with all my heart.

JBP: As well you should. Speaking of Vincent, Vincent Price was an amazing actor. I look up to him.

M: Agreed. So one more nonsense question. How much of the artist is his art and how much of his art is the artist?

JBP: I feel that the two things are one and the same. The art is merely an extension of the artist.

For more of Joseph Benton Parker's work, check out his Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anubicsquire

(Credits, from top: "Art Book," "Untitled (Gothic Arch)," "La Muerte," "Untitled (Sunset)," "Untitled (Self-Portrait)" Copyright Joseph Benton Parker, 2008)

"Is your cigarette in backwards? LOL!"

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:38:00 +0000

morP was GREAT SUCCESS! Here are a couple of my favorite photos, the rest are available on my MySpace under a relatively self-explanatory photo album title.

I backed my car into a cop car the other day...

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:46:00 +0000

So my new car has a digital readout for the songs that are playing on the radio. Where I used to frantically enter a few lines from the song into my phone and save for download-age (whilst driving, I might add), now I can just put in the title and artist and bingo! On the way home from Wal-Mart the other night, 96x had me totally rocking out to Modest Mouse's Float On. I changed my facebook status to the first line of the song and next thing I know, I get a barrage of comments and messages. ("zOMG! you backed ur car into a cop care?!?!?! LOLz!!!!111!!11! r u ok?!?!") I figure I'll leave it up for a little while, give my ex-boyfriend something to laugh about.

So ModelMayhem denied my profile submission. It made me sad. I'm still trying to build my alternative modeling portfolio up, but two awesome ladies have separately agreed to shoot me. Once I get those, hopefully I'll have more to work with. In the mean time, if anyone is a photographer or knows of a photographer who is looking for models willing to do TFCD, drop me a line on MySpace or e-mail me at reneehand13 [at] gmail [dot] com. (Gotta avoid the spambots, you know.)

A big bouquet of awesomeness to DJ's k@t and Who? for taking it up a notch at Vital dance night at Chicho's in Virginia Beach. They have cleared a dance space and brought in some very cool mood lighting. Unfortunately, DJ k@t informed me last night that this coming Saturday (June the 21st) Vital will not be taking place. I'm hoping for the best because Virginia Beach could really use a night for locals who don't want to shake their humps to P-Diddy. I mean, I'm all for hump-shaking, but who's gonna give me my She Wants Revenge fix? Stay tuned.

That said, the following pictures are from last Saturday's Vital, June the 14th. You can check out DJ k@t's set list at her blog on the bottom of the page. Bon appetit!

With a high heel against the wall, kind of dancing, but not at all...

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:16:00 +0000

Pandora.com has got to be one of the coolest sites ever coded. I came across it a couple of years ago when I was looking for places where I could find new music. (Because, heaven forbid, someone have heard of the bands I was listening to in high school.) At the site, you can enter either an artist or a song and it will confirm what you're looking for, then create a personalized radio station that contains artists with similar qualitites. All of the stuff identified in my music makes perfect sense, but it's never I had never even given a thought to (then again, I'm not a musician). For instance, much of my favorite music shares the qualitites of extensive vamping and basic rock song structure. And if the radio plays a song you don't like, you just press a little 'thumbs down' button and you'll skip to another song. If you like it, press the 'thumbs up' and you'll get more similar to it. You can also bookmark songs or artists that you like so you can go look them up and illegally download them later. (Well, I mean, really...!) It's pretty much awesome.

I was listening to my new 'She Wants Revenge' station and came across another great song by them. It's not as iconic as "Tear You Apart," but it still makes me want to hump something.

"Out of Control" by She Wants Revenge, video credit dprogrammers

For all of you on the continuous hunt for great alternative shoes, I recommend dimoutshoes.com. They are well-respected dealers of unique shoes and heels for all kinds of customers (including exotic dancers) and my personal experience with them was really pleasant about a year ago when I ordered a pair of Mary Jane high heels for my Harry Potter costume. Some of my favorites:

Concord Punk Boots

D'Orsay T-Strap Pumps

Canvas Calf Sneaker Boots

Banners!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:26:00 +0000

A big thank-you to DJ Figurehead for these delicious banners. Please feel free to take one so you can promote Mildread on your site! Be sure to link back to mildread.info. Thanks!

Also, don't forget:

DOOMgloom presents GOTH PROM

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:14:00 +0000

So as most of you know, Goth Prom went down this past Tuesday at DOOMgloom. I swear to Goth, I have never seen that many people at DOOMgloom. It was packed. There were beautiful people EVERYWHERE. It was amazing. I know I haven't put forth any information about DOOMgloom for all you non-Hampton Roads folk, so let me go ahead and brief you.

DOOMgloom is the premiere Gothic dance night in the Hampton Roads area. Hosted at the Wave near Downtown Norfolk, it averages about 250 people each Tuesday night. They draw a diverse crowd, both in sex, race, and personal subculture identification--it's not unusual to see people dressed in regular streetclothes dancing right along with those in head-to-toe fishnet. The music spans from goth to EBM (electronic body music) to industrial, with some wild cards thrown in for good measure. The Wave has one large main room that houses the dance floor and a bar, then a smaller room with a bar that opens onto the patio, followed by four pool tables and a room in the back opening up onto that same second bar with tables and booths to chill at. As far as DOOMgloom goes, they charge a $5 cover for those 18 and up and a $3 cover for those 21 and up. The club opens around 10 PM and closes at 2 AM.

Luckily for me, as I am a relatively shy person, toting a camera around and sticking it in people's faces becomes a great excuse for social interaction. I didn't get everyone's name who's in my pictures, so if you're up here, leave me a blog comment or hit me up on MySpace. Cheers!

Vital Dance @ Chicho's, May the 24th

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:35:00 +0000

So I'm playing catch-up with all of the things I've been going to recently. School is putting up a fight in terms of vying for my free time, but I wanted to get this stuff up here before I fall way behind. In addition, I'm in the middle of a browser switch and am still trying to get all of my favorites and saved pages in order; Firefox is getting the boot as I move on to Opera, which I've heard some good things about. I'm a Mac OS X user and I'm sick to death of my Firefox closing down in the middle of my browser session. I know from the deal I'm making about it it sounds like I'm physically relocating but trust me, this is serious business.

First order of business is Vital, the MC7C-sponsored multi-genre dance night. Represented by DJs k@t and Who?, it made its world premiere last Saturday May the 24th. Despite my somewhat basic familiarity with the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, I had virtually no trouble locating Chicho's, the venue that hosts the dance night. The nicest thing about Chicho's is that there is free parking right behind the building. No long walks on sketchy-side streets or worries about an unsafe parking lot; take a few steps and you're right inside the building.

Once you enter through the front door, you pass through the take-out side of Chicho's to enter their dining room and bar. The place is flooded with soft, gold light, illuminating the room while not being too harsh on the eyes. There are plenty of tables for people to sit and chat at inside if they don't want to sit at the bar. Saturday was nice and cool, so people floated back and forth. Smoking is relegated to the well-ventilated patio, making it a nice place to sit, smoke, drink, or eat.

As promised, the DJs played all kinds of music, from Radiohead to Blaqk Audio to a personal favorite of mine, Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge. They were super-nice about playing requests, too. The music was at a good volume, not so loud that you couldn't hold a conversation but loud enough that you could still listen from the patio.

k@t wasn't lying about the tastiness of the pizza, either. I had a slice of cheese while I was there and it was delicious. A little on the spicy side, Chicho's uses a decent amount of red pepper in their seasoning, but it went perfect with a coke (or some other beverage, I imagine). The staff was really attentive and courteous and the place was clean. In terms of future Vital nights, k@t has got the management to agree to push back some of the tables to make for more space to dance in.

It was a really cool place with a great atmosphere. As most people know, I'm just getting back into the local scene after being away at school in Richmond, VA for most of the year and I'm still acquainted with most people. Vital was a good opportunity to actually get the chance to have a conversation with the other patrons, allowing me to meet some cool people from the Hampton Roads area. If you like to chill, dance, drink, or eat good pizza, definitely check out Vital every Saturday night at Chicho's, 2820 Pacific Ave, 757-425-5656. And there's no cover, either!

k@t and Gabe, DJs Extraordinaire

What I've Been Up To

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:15:00 +0000

Been a little bit lazy on adding all of my pictures. First off, a big nod to the gothic ravers that frequent DOOMgloom at the Wave. They bring so much life to the dance floor and they're generally kick ass to watch. The photographs below were taken on May the 20th at DOOMgloom's all request night. See the bottom of this entry for more info on Goth Prom, happening this Tuesday.

DOOMgloom presents Goth Prom, tomorrow, Tuesday the 27th at the Wave in downtown Norfolk off of Colley Ave. 3$ for 21+ and $5 for 18-20. Open until 2 AM. Dress to impress! (Or depress, for all of you goth prom kings and queens.)

It's VITAL.

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:17:00 +0000

The abso-f!cking-loutely gorgeous Kat Marsh is a Virginia Beach-based artist, model, and DJ who will be premiering, with her fiance Gabe, a brand spanking new dance night for cool people everywhere, with open arms to an alternative crowd. As a project of MC7C, a local grassroots organization hoping to bridge the gap between artists, venues, promoters, and fans in the 757, it is sure to have something for everyone. k@t hooked up with Mildread to tell us a little bit more about the event, happening for this first time this Saturday. (See the flyer below!)

Renée: Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to talk with you. I guess my first question would be, what is the Vital Dance night?

k@t:

Vital: adj.1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of life:
2. Necessary to the continuation of life; life-sustaining: a vital organ; vital nutrients.
3. Full of life; animated
4. Imparting life or animation; invigorating
5. Necessary to continued existence or effectiveness; essential
6. Concerned with or recording data pertinent to lives

Just like everything else I "invent", the name Vital was kinda a joke. Gabe and I had just met with the owner Jeff at Chicho's about starting a new Club / Dance Night. We needed a name. We toyed around with other names but we didn't want anything that sounded too harsh or too "cool". I wanted it to be something that would inspire and evoke emotion in everyone....so Vital was born! For years, Virginia Beach's Oceanfront has been a barren wasteland for locals, where there aren't many club nights or venues there just for them to enjoy. With the lack of free parking and hospitality, many locals have been driving out to Norfolk to enjoy their weekends or just staying home. Things have gotten stagnant at the beach unless you like to venture the "Block" and deal with drunken idiots, police harassment, high priced drinks, and unsafe conditions. I should know, I used to do it. We are continually inspired by the popular Norfolk dance night by our friends named Substance. We wanted to do something with the same spirit and design that would be a haven for locals and to welcome our DJ friends to spin. We are very very fortunate to have been given this opportunity by Jeff and Chicho's and also the chance to provide a place for locals (and their friends / tourists) a safe, clean, FREE, creative, and fun night in their own backyard!

Renée: What kind of music are you going to be spinning?

k@t: I learned to spin in early February 2008 and immersed myself into the task. I found underground music blogs, asked friends for new artists to listen to, dug out old albums and revisited my past, and listened to Last. fm. It was like I was training for a music marathon! (ha!) My playlists will include but will not be limited to: Bitter Sweet, Flobots, Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service, Goldfrapp, I AM X, Letters to Cleo, Ednaswap, Kylie Minogue, The Smashing Pumpkins, Dido, Vast, The Faint, Gorillaz, Gwen Stefani, VnV Nation, UNKLE, Snake River Conspiracy, Car 44, The Bird and The Bee, Peaches, MIA, Frou Frou, Imogen Heap, Temposhark, Fiona Apple, Fans of Jimmy Century, Joy Division, London Suede, Sneaker Pimps, Madonna, Scissor Sisters, AFI, Placebo, Cyndi Lauper, and so many more that I can't recall right now.

Renée: What kind of people are you hoping will show?

k@t: Quiet honestly, I would love the crowd from our first art show, Joan of Art to come! There was every age group & every background and I wish every event and crowd could be that open. Everyone is welcome. Single moms, parents who want a night out, new to the area, military, freaks, geeks, punks, indies, emo, goth, rockers, metalheads, and loners. That is the best thing about our multi-genre music, it appeals to everyone and everyone is welcome. With having guest DJ's coming it, it will not only expose us to different music but also different people.

Renée: Where is it located?

k@t: If you know where the Brew-Thru was at the Oceanfront, it's where that used to be. Jeff has taken it over, made it back into the original Rock-n-Roll Chicho's type bar. For those who haven't been here long, it's on the corner of Pacific and 29th in Virginia Beach. Google map it. It's easy to find and there's plenty of FREE on-site parking. In fact, there is no cover to get in either.

Shake shake shake shake SHAKE IT

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:45:00 +0000

So I'm listening to my favorite "modern rock alternative" station here in Norfolk and I hear the new single "Shake It" by a band calling themselves Metro Station. Does anyone else in the world think that this tune is probably the gayest song in the world?* Maybe it's the lyrics combined with the breathy vocals, multiplied by the abundance of tight pants and hair gel when we're also considering the music video. And the lead singer is Miley Cyrus' stepbrother. Go figure.

I'll take you home if you don't leave me at the front door
Your body's cold but girl, we're gettin' so warm
And I was thinking of ways that I could get inside (get inside)
So now you're falling in love (let me go now!)
The feeling's stirring me (here we go now!)

Cheapasses at Sony don't want people posting their band's official video all over the internet, so you can listen to the song below on this fan video (which I consider a vast improvement over the original):

*No offense to any homosexuals. You know I love you.

A Glimpse at Goth Across the US

noreply@blogger.com (Renée Hand) — Sat, 17 May 2008 02:14:00 +0000

So out of morbid curiosity, I decided to Google different local pages. If you're headed to any relatively metropolitan area, you're guaranteed to find yourself a freak or two. And since it's all about being seen (scene?), there's a host of great club nights across this beautiful country.

NYC Goth & Industrial Central
www.nycgoth.com

New York City's Goth & Industrial Central is a relatively easy-to-navigate guide to the dark side of the Big Apple. Under their 'Introduction' section, you'll find some thoughtful treatises on living Goth in Gotham. Each page also features a great photo of a beautiful woman or two--never a bad thing--in addition to their lists of clubs, shows, and shops. However, most sections of the site haven't been updated until 2000, so if you're visiting it might do you good to give the place you want to go to a call to see if they still exist.

LADEAD
www.ladead.com

Judging by their website, the scene is alive and well in the City of Angels. Of course, Los Angeles was voted the 2006 best city for Goths by Gothic Beauty magazine. Two local club nights, Ruin and Malediction Society, are listed right at the bottom of the home page, outfitted attractively in red and violet. Visitors are immediately met with the event flyers and an opportunity to join the mailing list. In the forums, both gamers and artists can unite as well as sell a collection of 200-250 Playboy magazines for just $50! (Apparently he isn't sure how many he has.) All in all, the site is very well-maintained... and I'm pissed that I can't attend the Aristocracy Ball.

GothicChicago
www.gothicchicago.com

GothicChicago is a frequently updated hub of information for local Goths. Not only do they provide information on club nights, but they also seek to unite people for movies and conventions. The site is extremely helpful for visitors with both their guide to the city (including lodging and places to see) and their dining section, titled 'The Hunger', which provides a range of eateries for all budgets and several vegetarian options. And for all you camwhores, they're got a Flickr scrapbook where you can browse pictures from many different events.

SFGOTHdotCOM
www.sfgoth.com

San Francisco's goth site also serves as a database of mostly local goth events. If anything hasn't changed since they updated their website (but that was 2006, so i wouldn't bet against that proposition) you can find a club night where the dark dwell six out of seven nights during the week. They have a detailed Resources section where you can find several links to local pages I haven't profiled here.

NorVaGoth.Net
www.norvagoth.net

Recently revived by popular request (man, I am killing it with the alliteration today), NorVaGoth features a convenient listing of events around between Hampton Roads and Richmond in one place. The website is still under a revamping of sorts, but anyone can add to their events section so their calendar is detailed and most provide links where you can go to order tickets or get more information. Related to NorVaGoth is The Goth Club, which is geared towards club nights and events in Richmond, VA.