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‘GOTH — A History’ by Lol Tolhurst
Founding member of The Cure explores the convergence of literature, architecture, music, and the ever-present gloom of 1970s England.
Tolhurst published his first book, Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys, in 2016. A fantastic account of the perpetual rise of The Cure from their inception in 1976 to his departure in 1988. Centred around his destructive drinking, which was the catalyst for his split from the band he founded, the mirage of redemption inevitably comes into view, his phoenix moment realised.
His 2023 tome considers the quintessentially British phenomenon of Goth, drawing from literary and architectural sources, as well as the perpetual grey of the English skyline. His attention is primarily given to the music that blossomed, first in the late 1970s and early 80s, before cementing the affectations at least as one of the best-known and persistent subculture styles.
Tolhurst is a great writer.
I’ve read a lot of memoirs penned by musicians, and Tolhurst’s reflections vacillate between humility and torment, presenting him as authentic and relatable. He doesn’t seek pity, and I wouldn’t position these stories as intentionally cathartic, but there’s definitely a therapeutic current that isn’t exclusively for his…
