Goths in Tuscaloosa

If someone ever tells you they were at Druid City Brewing Company on April 13, 2025, you’re talking to an attendee of the goth prom.

John Paul Oliver, a sophomore majoring in chemical engineering at The University of Alabama, hosted a “goth picnic” at a gravesite on Oct. 17, 2024. He advertised the social gathering during his first semester at UA by scattering flyers across campus with the message “goth fetishists unwelcome.”

Oliver also posted about the event on his Instagram account, Bamagoth, which became the name of his organization. After the first event, he had a vision for Tuscaloosa’s goth community that involved far more than picnics.

“I started it because there was no local goth scene, so I decided to make one and see if there was any demand,” he said. “I did, and there was.”

Merriam-Webster defines goth as “rock music marked by dark and morbid lyrics” and “a person who wears mostly black clothing, uses dark dramatic makeup, and often has dyed black hair.” Oliver described the goth presence in Tuscaloosa as “nonexistent.”

“The hardcore punk scene does exist, but for anything goth you’d have to go to Birmingham,” he said. “Goths on campus are also pretty low-key due to the unwanted sexualization of our subculture, the current weather and the fact that we’re in ala-fuckin’-Bama.”

Following the picnic, which involved dozens of people meeting under a full moon in goth attire, Oliver continued to grow the club. The organization’s second event was a listening party for The Cure’s 2024 album, “Songs Of A Lost World.”

“Goth is a music-based subculture centered around the U.K. post-punk scenes of the late ‘70s and ‘80s,” Oliver said. “Bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure are big draws.”

Bamagoth continued to host events, including a “Celtic Punk Christmas” event atop the Student Center parking deck and a “goth night” event at Druid City Brewing Company. At this point, the group had gained additional recognition from Gothic Alabama, a group promoting the goth community across the state, which began promoting Tuscaloosa events on their Instagram.

“Some people have come all the way from Birmingham to our shows,” Oliver said. “Goths are out there, but the scene is sparse and there’s not a lot of good music coming out.”

Bamagoth has no schedule, structure or official members aside from Oliver himself. Without warning, he announces an event, and people come.

At the peak of its popularity in April, Bamagoth held a goth prom at Druid City Brewing Company as its final event of the school year for “a night of dark romance.” The Instagram post advertising the event was shared by 120 people.

“I spent a lot of money on prep for goth prom and I charged admission,” he said. “It all went wonderfully, and I made a $10 profit.”

Though he mentioned seeing increased engagement from the goth community, Oliver said he has no plans to register his club with the University. Still, he said he wants to make Bamagoth bigger and “might get university-sanctioned events” through collaboration with some student groups.

“This club has brought life to a scene I wanted to see. I wanted it, so I went out and made it as a literal freshman,” he said. “It worked great.”