Vampyre lifestyle and club scene

The Vampyre club scene revolves around "the Vampyre aesthetic": music with a vampire theme, dressing up like fictional vampires (or the general cultivation of a "Vampyric" appearance), etc. It is an outgrowth of but by no means identical to the Goth/Industrial scene, and is also heavily influenced by role-playing games such as Vampire: the Masquerade.

"Vampyre lifestylers" are people who have adopted the "Vampyre esthetic" not just as something to do at clubs but as part of their total lifestyle, and who form alternative extended families modeled on the "covens," "clans," etc. found in some vampire fiction and role-playing games. Vampyre lifestylers may or may not also be "real vampires" in the sense of people with a felt need to consume blood and/or psychic energy. Conversely, not all "real vampires" are Vampyre lifestylers, and some are downright uncomfortable with Vampyre lifestylers, dismissing them as "posers and wannabees." (I personally would reserve the word "poser" for someone who is actually lying, e.g. about one's age and powers. As for "wannabees," it should be noted that not even "real vampires" are "vampires" in the classic folkloric sense of that term.) Not all "real vampires" have an interest in vampire fiction or imagery. Also, there has been some tension within the vampiric community between "real vampires" (in the sense defined above) and those Vampyre lifestylers who consume blood or energy not out of bodily need but as part of a voluntarily chosen lifestyle.

Also on this page I will list sites dealing with "real vampires" as part of the goth scene. Not all "real vampires" are part of the goth scene, by any means.

Here is the beginning of a list of links (still very much under construction):


1. Sites with articles about the Vampyre lifestyle


2. Clubs, event listings, music, etc.


3. Public message boards


See also Real-life blood-drinkers and energy hungerers.

Typically, the Vampyre club scene spells "Vampyre" with a "y," whereas the blood-drinkers and psychic vampires typically spell "vampire" with an "i." However, these conventions are not uniformly followed; there are plenty of exceptions. It should also be noted that both of these groups are distinct from vampire fiction fandom, which likewise may use either spelling. For example, the alt.vampyres newsgroup pre-dates the Vampyre club scene.

To recommend other relevant links, please write to Amy Krieytaz, akrieytaz@hotmail.com. Thank you.

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