Gossips (formerly Billys) was a basement club at 69 Dean Street known for its influential goth nights, most famously The Batcave, which opened in July 1982. The Batcave was the "birthplace of the Southern English goth subculture". It featured a dark, cobweb-strewn decor, a coffin-shaped entrance, and played new wave, glam rock, and then increasingly gothic rock. The club operated seven nights a week with different subcultures each night.
The Batcave was foundational to goth fashion and music, with regulars including Nick Cave, Robert Smith (The Cure), Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin, and members of Bauhaus and Marc Almond. Bands like Specimen (the house band), Alien Sex Fiend, and Sex Gang Children were central to its scene. The Batcave itself had a relatively short lifespan at its original Dean Street location (around five months), later moving to various venues. Gossips club itself operated for over two decades, hosting various club nights including Gaz's Rockin' Blues, and finally closed in 2009.
We're collecting stories from musicians who performed at Gossips