Welcome to one of Manchester’s newest Goth nights: Zeitgeist

A turn on a Ouija board led to one the city’s rapidly growing Goth-inspired nights. Zeitgeist has a haunted history and is a monthly event at the Princess Street venue Night People– featuring a wild mix of alternative, rock, electro and 80s tunes. And 'Scary-oke' is coming soon too!

Previous events have included fire performers, Gothic clothes stalls and tarot readers. The format typically involves eclectic elements like this – including film screenings and themed dress-up in amongst the mix. A unique evening for sure, and an antidote to bland clubnights of repetitive tracks and little else.  

Zeitgeist audiences can enjoy an array of activities, as well as music from the likes of The Cramps, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Jesus and Mary Chain, Sugarcubes, The Cure and many more.

It is operated by clubnight-creator Grant Orino who started on the Manchester scene in 2002, with a night called ‘Warszawa’ named after the Bowie track from the album ‘Low’. Then, in the mid 2000s, he started another: Scary Monsters. Diamonds Are Forever and Zeitgeist are his latest creations.

HAUNT Manchester talked to Grant to find out more about the weird and wonderful world of Gothic-inspired clubnights:

“I started doing a club night called Scary Monsters years ago because I literally had more records than I knew what to do with. That was my passion, collecting records. It occurred to me that there were no nights in Manchester that played decent 80's music and I thought it would be novel idea to put on a night of British synth-pop, New Wave, New Romantic music. I decided to call it Scary Monsters after the Bowie song. Seemed appropriate. The night was successful and I prided myself on the fact that I did something that was, at the time, original.

“So I decided to branch out and do a 70s Glam Rock night called Diamonds Are Forever. Again, completely original and a lot of fun. And then, Zeitgeist.”

Anything else that you have lined up?

 “Very soon, we're going to be doing an alternative karaoke night called 'Scary-oke' where people can sing the likes of Joy Division and Scott Walker and so on. I've got a real thing about my nights being original. I don't want to do things the way everyone else does things!

“I've got a real thing about making our posters striking too. I want to make the kind of posters and flyers that people want to keep. People are always telling me how much they love my posters. It can be a nuisance when people rip them off the walls and steal them though.”

 What was the inspiration behind Zeitgeist?

“Many moons ago, my friend Tim and I were using a Ouija board. It told us in clear sentences that we should put on a night of music featuring the likes of Siouxsie, Sisters of Mercy, Echo and the Bunnymen. At one point, it spelt out the word, 'orange crush'. When we said that we had never heard of such a band, it spelt out, 'R', 'E' and 'M'! Of course! That was really cool because I found Orange Crush on 12 inch vinyl the next day. When we asked the board what the night should be called, it spelt out the word, 'ZEITGEIST'. I wish I could take the credit for coming up with the night but, alas, it was the spirit world!

Do you believe there is still an appetite for underground music in Manchester - in particular, goth?

“It's not that I believe that there is an appetite for such music, I know there is. My nights have proved to be very successful and dare I say it, I could put them on more regularly. I think the night will get bigger and bigger.”

Why did you choose the Night People venue?

“We were looking for a venue that had two rooms so that we could have different DJs or genres of music for punters to enjoy. Not only does Night People fit the bill, the owner, Chris, has a love for the kind of music that we are playing.”

What is the biggest challenge on putting on a night like this?

“I guess it's about coming up with new ideas to keep the night fresh. I suppose we could use the same formula every time and people would like that, but it's more interesting to shake things up a bit and do themed nights every so often. We have a Lost Boys Special coming up soon where we'll be showing the film followed by music from and inspired by the soundtrack. After that, we'll be hosting a Comic Con Special. We did a whole night dedicated to the music of the Cure not long ago. So many things we can do!”

And the most rewarding thing?

“The smiles on Goth’s faces!”

Are you keen to get a greater cross-section of people enjoying music from 'the other side' - and how do you think this can be encouraged?

“All age groups and all demographics are welcome to Zeitgeist, whether they be students, LGBT, alternative, the office crowd. I don't actively target individual groups of people. If you're into the music we play, then you're welcome!”

There is an upcoming Lost Boys Special and a Comic Con Special soon – stay updated with Zeitgeist on social media for more details.

Introduction and interview by Emily Oldfield