Kevin

City of residence: Salt Lake City, UT

Age: 31

Length of time "in the scene": 15 years

Occupation: Radio Shack employee

Education: "I graduated from Cottonwood High School in 1987. I attended Utah State University for two years and Salt Lake Community College for a semester. I became disillusioned with the college system for various reasons and left to pursue my own agenda of self-education. I believe that learning is essential and I have a great curiosity about everything. The library is my favorite haunt and I try to read at least three books a week."

Musical taste: "Old-school goth, new-school Goth, some industrial, 80's new wave, old school punk, The Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, New Model Army, Jacques Brel, Marc Almond, Marlene Dietrich, The Shroud, Rosetta Stone, Death in June, Lords of the New Church, and too many others to mention. Music is not only my job but it seems to rule my life."

Distinctions in appearance: "My nose is pierced but I rarely wear a ring in it. I indulge in a wide variety of looks from 19th century Victorian decadent, to David Sylvian/Duran Duran new wave, to leather and vinyl fetish-wear, to Fields of the Nephilim-esque cowboy Goth, to sci-fi space pirate, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I usually design my outfits around some kind of theme or concept." He also had caps bonded to his incisors to make them look like fangs. It's something that he doesn't take too seriously. He said that he does not think he is a vampire or want to become one. He's thought the idea of fangs was interesting since he was a kid. He had it done when the opportunity arose and a friend offered to pay for it. He views it as something like a tattoo, a visible indication of dedication to a lifestyle.

Hobbies, activities, interests: "History, political science, bizarre magic, surrealism, reading and writing of all sorts, theater and film. The majority of my time is spent creating music and noise for my band Domiana. I have many interests and obsessions and I am always looking for anything that stimulates the imagination and the creative impulse." He plays keyboards and sings and he was also a member of The Midnight Dreary, formerly a local Goth band. He was the vocalist and used the stage name Dredd. He also likes to create clothing, jewelry and knick knacks. He writes all kinds of things, often about people reconciling themselves with inevitable darkness.

Spiritual, philosophical, religious affiliation: "I am a Christian and a member of the LDS church. While this is my chosen religion I have tried to learn as much as I can about other faiths and philosophies. I have a great respect for all other belief systems whether I agree with them or not. I believe in absolute freedom of expression, choice and personal responsibility. I also believe in charity, kindness, hope and love."

Goal, dreams: "I would like to lead an aesthetic lifestyle and live my life as a work of art like my idols Oscar Wilde and Salvador Dali. I hope to always stand by my beliefs and ideals. I want to live a life of grace, elegance, humor and imagination. It would also be nice to achieve some small measure of success in the music industry." He'd like to be an all around Renaissance man: to write, compose music, do film work, and perhaps get into magazine publishing in some way.

Do you consider yourself gothic?: "Absolutely. I do consider myself a gothic and I don't feel there is any kind of stigma attached. I don't feel that calling myself a Goth is limiting or restricting. I've always thought that the term gothic is rather meaningless and it is up to each individual to define it for themselves. For me it is an act of continuing self-invention that includes a love of all things dramatic, macabre and bizarre. Goth should be a launching point for exploration and creation not a cubbyhole for comfort or acceptance. Goth to me is based on ideas and philosophy and not just music and fashion." He views gothic as a lifestyle that encompasses all extremes of emotion, both positive and negative. He's attracted to the passion, the way it embraces and encourages creativity, and the melodrama and theatrics.

5/13/97 last updated 8/5/00

You can also read an article featuring Kevin that appeared in The Event