Valiant Ra

I am a male over 45 !!!!!!!, born in New Orleans at the age of 0, or 9 months if you count the human incubation period. I have green eyes, shoulder length hair dark brown/black (when I feel like dyeing it), I’m 5ft. 6in. tall or short if you prefer. My favorite colors are black and deep burgundy, I like too many bands to list and my taste in music is eclectic. I am a teacher with degrees in Business, Community Mental Health, Elementary and Special Education with a graduate degree in Special Education.

My very early years where rather non-descript so we will skip them in their entirety.

Educated in catholic schools from 5 years old I learned early to take abuse and I became rather good at it. Like a hound trouble always seemed to sniff me out. I fell in love with the girl next door in my high school years, only she lived behind me and not next door. I got into difficulty with her parents, again better not discussed, and we where forcibly parted. I attended The University of New Orleans in, where else, New Orleans, Louisiana entering as a science major, I had thoughts of becoming a doctor. Actually I majored in party; needless to say my stay at The University of New Orleans was brief. I then tried Louisiana State University but found the bible thumpers in more Northern areas of Louisiana difficult to deal with, to say the least. I ran away to California to escape my life and, sadly, found that it followed me there. Living in San Francisco was a trip in the 60’s; I met Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the CooCoo’s Nest and Sometimes a Great Notion) and was talked into taking the acid test. I got to party with people like Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix (note: they are all dead and I am not) although I’m sure they had no idea I was there. I left the bay area upon learning that Jimi had overdosed at the party where I was introduced to him; I took this as an omen of ill. The next 14 months where a haze of sex, drugs and rock and roll, a highly over used phrase but apropos in this case, through which I wandered bravely in a stupor. Then having nothing to do and no immediate prospects I was thrilled to receive an invitation from a favourite uncle to join his company and was gratified to know that I was wanted. My Uncle Sam was the kind of guy you could not refuse, really pushy, you know the type, and you might even have an uncle like him. Now if I had lived closer to Canada, but they sent you back from Mexico so going there was no option. Two years and a bullet later I returned to New Orleans, somewhat less than triumphant, where I attended Delgado Jr. College. There I finally obtained a degree in Business, for all the good it did me, met a beautiful girl got married and found out that she was a hopeless alcoholic who died of a brain tumour at the age of 37, no joke truth. We had a son who is almost 30 now and has his own life and problems. He always seems to find ways to make his life more difficult. I figure what can you expect having to deal with parents like he had. I moved to Syracuse, NY and attended the university but found it too competitive a situation for my taste at the time. Instead of continuing my studies there I bought a motorcycle, a chopped triumph, and hung out with biker types for the next few years while working with developmentally disabled people at the developmental centre in Syracuse. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. I eventually went back to school attending classes at the local community college majoring in Community Mental Health. I believed that my education should mirror my experience and since so many of my friends where mentally ill, need I say more. About this time I met another beauty. She was working in a summer program at the center. We began dating, it got hot and heavy, we moved in together, then she went off to college. I drove 259 miles each weekend to visit but this was rough so once my degree program was completed I followed her to Buffalo, NY and went back to school in the Special Education program at Buffalo State College. This was one of the best experiences I ever had, both in life with Rochelle and in school. We where together for 3 years when she decided that she wanted to master Spanish, went to school in Mexico and I never saw her again, we did maintain contact for a number of years after that but no longer.

It was during this period that I began to find my way into punk/Goth at The Continental in Buffalo and at school where I joined the student union board. Our organization was responsible for producing concerts and events at the school. We had cutting edge bands, for their time, such as The Thompson Twins, Violent Femmes, Shriekback, Circle Jerks, Generation X, Wendy-O and The Ramones to name only a few. The punk scene in Toronto was also hoppin at this time but their bars closed early so they would drive down to Buffalo where the bars are open until 4 am to party thus exposing me to a crowd of hard core punks and their music. As I have indicated, I was a punk rocker with spiked hair and doing the make-up thing, slamming to the Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks and the like. I wandered from punk to Goth when I began to listen to the Sisters of Mercy thanks to a fellow student and probably the first real Goth I ever knew, Mary. Then I saw Bauhaus perform, the rest is history, well actually this is all history but, hell, who cares anyway. The point is (if one exists) I’ve been around the punk/gothic scene for a longggg time now, Goth since the 80/90 period (I guess this makes me an Elder Goth) and began my net experiences about 5 years ago. I really started to meet other Goths/netGoths outside of the Buffalo/Toronto area at *CONVERGENCE 4 (C4). I have attended Gothcon 2002, C4 briefly, C5, and C7, C9 and C10. I would have been at C8 but have border issues with the Canadian government and it was, after all, in Montreal which whether or not they like it, is still part of Canada. I attended C 9 in Las Vegas last month and it rocked. I lurk on a number of regional lists but never seem to find the time to post anymore.

I used to travel to London each summer which habit I owed to another beautiful woman, Noelle, who lives somewhere in London now but I haven't been back since 9/11 and I understand the clubs there have changeda lot. It seems I owe most of my experiences in life to women doesn’t it, well after all we all do, our mothers, yes.

I have traveled extensively in Europe both Eastern and Western from Amsterdam to Roma and from Paris to Prague, Budapest, and Vienna, since I teach school in Buffalo, New York I have the time to travel.

Here are places I go, as well as authors I read

Included are links to interesting sites.

Club’s and Club Nights that I recommend

While in London, usually in August, I go to Slimelight for Saturday nights, the longest running gothic/industrial club in London, of which I have been a member for 8 years now and running. If you are not a member there are always members who will get you in on their card (each member is allowed 2 guests), simply wait at the door and ask someone. The cover is £5 for members and £7 for guests. Membership is £5 per year and two present members must sponsor you, again just ask someone for their signature. To get there take the Tube to Angel Station and follow the fish, the Goth Crowd, to the left. If you arrive early check out The York Pub, exit Angel Station and head to the right and its maybe 40 yards or so. The times I have been there I found it to be Goth friendly.
I used to go to the Electric Ballroom Full Tilt on Fridays, however Full Tilt has ceased to exist and its replacement doesn't seem to be very goth interesting.

On the last Friday of the month at Gossip’s there is Cult Tenebrae Tarrentella from 10.00pm until 3.30am, don't go if you are not into Goth music, or if you do no not like black, there is a dress code ;), that's where you'll find me.

On Sunday the gathering place is the Devonshire Arms, I have never been there since Sunday I am usually recuperating from Friday and Saturday nights, I am told that it is brilliant.

For more about Gothic London go to

In Buffalo, I go to The Continental the oldest alternative bar in Western New York, est. 1978 where I drink Screwdrivers and party with DJs Adrian and Jeff. Old pictures of the Continental....Ahhhhh memories. Cover varies depending on the bands playing downstairs. The dance club is upstairs and they play a mix of older and newer goth/new wave/ alternative dance music. On a given night you might hear Marilyn Manson, Depache Mode, New Order, Specimen, Das Ich etc.

In Cleveland I go to The Chamber , although I don't get there very often. I know there is a cover but check to find out how much. Dress is Gothic/Fetish. On Friday they host Visual Purple, the music is Dark Wave/Dark-Electro; Saturday is called Neural Agony since I’ve never been there on Saturday I can’t tell you the kind of music played but the name might give you some idea; Sunday is called Dominion, Music played is Gothic, Darkwave and Ethereal. As with many clubs this is a very general idea of types of music played and has, I am told, been known to vary.

In my hometown of New Orleans there are two locations I frequent when visiting; one is One Eyed Jacks (once Shim Sham Club) 615 Toulouse St., French Quarter, this club offers hard core punk/industrial as well as Goth on different nights. There is a cover on some nights none on others. You must be 18 to enter and 21 to drink. Then there is The Whirling Dervish, the current incarnation of the venue formerly known as; The Crow Bar, The Crystal and The Blue Crystal 1135 Decatur Street, French Quarter.

Then there is New York City. I haven't been to the city since summer of 2001 before September 11th, however I have always liked Albion-Batcave, for more info go to NYC Goth. Clubs in New York, tend to be rather pricey. Every inch of these clubs can be packed with people on any given night so be prepared. The Downtime hosts the Batcave on Saturdays from 11pm until 4am at a cost of $10 with a pass or $15 without.
There are many other places to go such as C.B.G.B.’s, a rather famous club from the Punk era, and The Spiral so investigate a little.

For a list of other clubs around the world, as well as other interesting links-

Literature and Films

I have been known to write poetry, none recently. I read Brian Lumley, Richard Laymon, F. Paul Wilson, H.P.Lovecraft, Greg Bear, and Terry Pratchett at the moment. I guess I would have to say these are NOW my favorite writers. I have included links to sites about each author for those who might not know them and might want to learn more about each.

Links you might find interesting