On June 13th, 2009 I finally attended Dracula’s Daughter, the NC Triangle’s longest running Goth/Industrial night,, which was held at Mansion 462 in downtown Chapel Hill, NC. This was my first opportunity to attend Dracula’s Daughter since my return to NC late last fall. Hosted by DJ’s Mouse, Mephi, and Poe, Dracula’s Daughter features “an eclectic mix of goth, industrial, ebm, synthpop, new wave, dark wave, ethereal, punk, psychobilly, 80′s and other related musical genres.”

I have already remarked upon the fantastic décor of Mansion 462, so I will not go into detail here. If I had to sum up Dracula’s Daughter in two words, I would say, with no hesitation, “friendly” and “fun”. This is the essence of Dracula’s Daughter. In this respect I am very much reminded of clubs which I attended back in the ‘80s. Like them, Dracula’s Daughter has a variety of music. There is a little bit of everything, a much wider mix than you usually hear at Goth/Industrial events. The usual fare at nights billed as “Goth/Industrial” is a scattering of classic Goth songs early in the evening, followed by hours of mind-numbing Industrial Dance, each song with an identical “doosh-doosh-doosh” beat. This is not what I remember in Ye Olde Days at all. I remember a variety of music catering to all the various sub-genres in the “dark” scene, with things like New Wave and Psychobilly thrown in. You could dance to your favorites, and socialize during the rest. No one was uptight about “packing the dance floor” from dusk ‘til dawn. Dracula’s Daughter brought back quite a few memories.

A very striking feature of Dracula’s Daughter is the sheer unpretentiousness of it all. Especially since the turn of the Millennium, the “Cult of the DJ” dominates. The DJ is publicized and promoted, but not the music. The DJ rules the booth with an iron hand, and woe be to the poor soul who is impudent enough to actually request something different. In many clubs I have been astonished by the little coteries of sycophants and scenesters waiting snobbily in the wings to genuflect to the mighty DJ when they descend from their lofty throne to mingle with a few select mortals.

Refreshingly, this is not what you’ll see at Dracula’s Daughter. I had not met DJ Poe before, yet when he finished his set I introduced my self and we had a delightful conversation about music and the culture in general. (I contrast this with a certain South Florida club which I patronized for years, without getting so much as a nod of recognition from the owner/DJ.) DJ’s Mouse and Mephi are just as approachable as Poe. It is obvious that for all these DJ’s, it is truly about the music, not about egos. The same holds true for their other event, The Clockwork Ball.   DJ Mephi led the conga line through the club after her set! 

More importantly, the patrons were just as friendly. There was none of the usual local Goth “aristocracy” sizing you up when you walk in the door and then waiting to see who you spoke with before either A) gracing you with a kind word or two, or B) snobbing you off. Everyone at Dracula’s Daughter seemed to be there to have fun, which is the whole point of a club night. In this respect, it reminded me of the famous Release the Bats in California, which I was fortunate enough to attend a number of years ago. (I spoke with Dave Bats for 45 minutes before I realized who he was!)

At Dracula’s Daughter, it was a delight to see so many people elegantly dressed, but this was not a prerequisite, as everyone mingled regardless of attire. I even wore my infamous top hat, for the first time in ages. (Thereby hangs a tale, as Long John Silver would have said.) And there were several more toppers in attendance as well. The whole point to dressing up has never been about elitism, as some critics maintain, but of putting yourself outside your day-to-day world and giving rein to your creativity and imagination. Yet, it’s your choice. Whatever you may wear, if you appreciate the music we have something in common vastly more important than fashion. Last but not least, parking is easily available. In addition to the parking along Franklin Street, there are number of places close by to park.

In summary, Dracula’s Daughter is a fine event in keeping with the original spirit of the original days of our subculture. If you are in the area, by all means come out. If you are just passing through, it is well worth a stopover. DJ’s Mouse, Mephi, and Poe amply demonstrate that they have the right combination for a most enjoyable foray into the Dark Side.