This internet-based store has beautiful Virgin Prunes T-shirts and great (although a bit slow) service. I bought myself a great "...if I die, I die" T-shirt. Thought I'd share this information.

Hey Hib, I happen to love that store! Fantastic selection of hard to find bands from the 80's in lots of categories like punk, post punk, goth, rock, metal etc. Of course the best one is the Virgin Prunes. They are not easy to find till I found this. I got the If I Die, I Die as well in black. It did take forever to arrive but it came in perfect condition. The cotton seems to be good quality. I loved it so much I am going to get the white Over the Rainbow one with Gavin's & Guggi's picture on it. Oh and I thought it was interesting they put the VP's in the post punk category. They are always put in goth. I think post punk is more accurate even though I still believe they are so unique and can't be categorized.

Gav was interviewed for Simon Reynold's influential post punk book (Rip It Up and Start Again) and I think he mentioned there that he felt the VPs were more post punk (rather than goth)... but i'll have to look it up again! I don't really know what "goth" means these days anyway, haha....

Yeah, lynshroom, I agree with you. I'm not sure what it means nowadays. I myself could never really understand why they are always put in that category (goth). From what I think I know about goth going back to the 80's, they don't really belong there. I always thought they defied any category but post punk would probably be the best one (in my humble opinion).

Quite a lot of old goths (including myself) name the darker postpunk (, batcave or however you want to call it) the gothic rock of the first generation. (The second generation started with the Fields Of The Nephilim.)
Other people call these bands the godfathers of gothic because they have influenced a whole generation of goths. It was the beginning of a new aera, that's it. Listen to Play Dead and Alien Sex Fiend, for instance! Would you call them classic gothic rock? Some people even say that the gothic rock died the "day" the Virgin Prunes (and other bands) splitted.
Well, most young goths do not even know one of the bands I mentioned above. The times have changed and the music has changed.
However, many bands don't fit into drawers, anyway. The main thing is that you like the music.

Thanks a lot for the link, Hibernia!

You're so welcome, and hon, how great to see you here!!!! *HUGS*