When Galaxies Collide

Or, If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Get Out of The Kitchen

Seems we may lose our front row seat to a collision of galaxies, unless we can create some thermonuclear-averse body suits. Or maybe a planetary exo-bubble.

Nope, I’m not talking about global warming!

The problem is that our Sun – giver of all life on planet Earth – will go into some death throes in a few years (1.5 billion) and, unless we can protect ourselves, we’ll miss out on our favourite galaxy “merging” with our close neighbour – and slightly bigger – Andromeda.

So, the plan is:

• develop aforementioned protective mechanisms
• buy the Early Bird front row seats (cos they’re gonna go like wild fire – literally)
• take along a packed lunch while waiting for the opening act (about 3.75 billion years)
• enjoy the show!

Disclaimer: Goth Style accepts no responsibility for any ticket-holders receiving sun burn or other bodily disintegration!

Eye-catching tidal tails and “young blue star clusters” likely triggered by the merger and accretion of a supermassive black hole! (Photo courtesy NASA)

Noomi Rapace could become the new Toast of Hollywood

Directors, producers and other Hollywood A-listers have been talking to Noomi Rapace after her startling performance as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish film version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. There is even talk of an Academy Award nomination.

But Hollywood is also very much about “the next big thing” and it seems Rapace has been surprising many with her abilities. It has been quoted that the Hollywood elite go into meetings with her, expecting to find a perfect villain, and come out wondering if they have much more – “a great female lead”.

There is informed gossip that Music Box Films, responsible for the release of the Swedish TGWTDT in America is about to hire an Oscar publicist. It sounds like one major job will be to promote Noomi for a Best Actress nomination. Rapace has already won the Swedish equivalent of an Oscar for the film.

So the future looks very bright if the whispered roles for Rapace include Sherlock Holmes 2 and  Mission Impossible 4. However Rapace is very different to Lisbeth Salander and is described as a beautiful and sexy fresh-faced actress with a wonderful sense of humor.

She could be laughing all the way to even more international acclaim.

Taylor Momsen rocks out – in gothic splendour

Another new star on the Goth/Punk bandwagon is Taylor Momsen, who uses her knowledge and abilities as a model and actress to create striking looks.

Taylor (photo, left) rocks out with her band The Pretty Reckless when they performed a set at the PUMA Social Club in New York to celebrate the World Cup tournament. Taylor is the lead singer of the band and, perhaps no surprise with modern drama school influences, also a guitarist.

The 16-year-old Gossip Girl actress and her band hit the road in June with the Vans Warped Tour – one of the best summer music events. More details are availabe at the Pretty Reckless website.

Taylor (photo, right) decided to kick off the Warped Tour in white, a stark contrast to her usual dark clothing. The heavy black eye makeup and black accessories remain, however.

The band performed three tracks from their self-titled EP, which was released earlier this month. Taylor and the band also rocked out on two new songs, Since You’re Gone and Miss Nothing.

Taylor Momsen’s musical career began when her father took her to a White Stripes show. She explains, “Before that, the only concert I’d been to was Britney Spears. But once I saw Jack White onstage, that was it. I grew up as a dancer and I thought you had to dance to be a girl in the music industry. Then I saw the White Stripes and I was like, ‘No, you don’t. I can do that.’”

From then on, at age 9, the singer, songwriter and guitarist kept her dream alive. Taylor started writing songs at the age of five after falling in love with The Beatles. “I was obsessed with them. I also loved Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, Audioslave, Soundgarden, Oasis, and Nirvana. That’s what I listened to. My rock idols are all men.”

Not surprisingly, then, the music is strong – rock and almost-metal – with three chaps sharing the stage: Ben Phillips on guitar, Mark Damon on bass and Jamie Perkins on drums.

Fashion Update – and testing from Ping

We admit to being waylaid by Twitter – a lot – recently. So here’s a quick update and, purely in the interests of science, we’re testing Ping.

If this all works we should be able to update blogs and Twitter and all sorts – easily – and, we hope, more regularly.

Taylor Momsen started acting alongside Jim Carrey in The Grinch (as baby-faced Cindy-Lou Who). At 14 she joined the modelling agency that represents Kate Moss and Gisele Bundchen.

Now, in addition to starring in Gossip Girl, Taylor also fronts a rock band, The Pretty Reckless.

Now all we need to do is work out how to post a pic too.

Twilight came out of the blue and leads to gothic black

In a recent, extensive interview in Interview magazine, Ashley Greene explained her rags to riches audition for the Twilight movies.

“It was just another audition. My managers were like, ‘You’re going into a great casting office. They cast great projects. They’re sticklers. If you suck, they won’t call you back in.’ So I was like, Okay, I’ll pay extra attention. Then I figured out there wasn’t a script or a breakdown, but there was a book.

“So I got the series and fell in love with it. Then that determination kicked in and I was like, Okay, I’m going to book this part … I worked my butt off for it.”

There’s the answer, then. Hard work. No overnight success. No doors already open. But we do like the photoshoot with Ashley appearing rather goth in black leather and black leather bracelet and black sheer bra and black gag and …

Gold medals for 17 femme-metal bands/projects

Female Fronted Fan – end of year review here – and those awards include Delain gaining a Gold for their excellent album.

Modern Amazons – Metal Maidens- Femme Metal 4

Floor Jansen, formerly of After Forever, at Masters of Rock in 2007.

After Forever Studio albums

• 2000 Prison Of Desire
• 2001 Decipher
• 2004 Invisible Circles
• 2005 Remagine
• 2007 After Forever

On October 17, 2009, Floor Jansen announced via her MySpace blog that the name of her new band is ReVamp. The musicians include former After Forever keyboardist Joost van den Broek, plus guitarist Waldemar Sorychta of Grip Inc. and Voodoocult fame as songwriters and producers.

Modern Amazons – Metal Maidens- Femme Metal 3

Sharon Den Adel of Within Temptation at Arras 2008.

Studio Albums

• 1997 Enter
• 2000 Mother Earth
• 2004 The Silent Force
• 2007 The Heart of Everything
• 2008 Black Symphony (DVD and CD)
• 2009 An Acoustic Night At The Theatre

The Black Symphony concert features the band accompanied by The Metropole Orchestra, the Pa’dam Choir, and special guests including George Oosthoek (ex-Orphanage), Anneke van Giersbergen of Agua de Annique and Keith Caputo of Life of Agony. It was filmed by 14 HD cameras on February 7, 2008 at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam.

Modern Amazons – Metal Maidens- Femme Metal 2

Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro share vocals in Lacuna Coil.

Studio Albums

• 1999 In a Reverie
• 2001 Unleashed Memories
• 2002 Comalies
• 2006 Karmacode
• 2009 Shallow Life

Cristina Scabbia has explained the backgorund to Shallow Life:

“The album feels more rock and that it is the perfect mixture between our old European sound and something more modern … some of its very heavy. The most amazing this is, we’ve been able to improve everything about Lacuna Coil without taking away anything good or doing something that doesn’t belong.”

Modern Amazons – Metal Maidens – Femme Metal 1

Simone Simons, lead vocalist with Epica, with Mark Jansen, guitar and vocals, at Hellfest 2007.

Studio albums

• 2003: The Phantom Agony
• 2005: Consign to Oblivion
• 2007: The Divine Conspiracy
• 2009: Design Your Universe

Mark Jansen has explained the concept behind the latest album:

“The album title, Design Your Universe, deals with new breakthroughs in quantum physics. It proves that we are all connected to each other on subatomic level. Also, it shows that we can create or at least influence matter with our thoughts … a very interesting fact. Because it changes everything for us, our whole worldview collapses once you accept these facts and integrate them in your lives. So this had to become the new album title.”