Context: The beginning of the Swiss dark scene dates back to the late 70’s. After a marked presence of the Punk movement, it evolved and gave way to styles like Wave, Post-Punk and Goth.

The year was 1979 and some people felt saturated with the protest punk and opted to seek a new musical identity with more depth and introspection. By that time some began to dress in black and listen to new bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, PIL, The Cure, Joy Division…

One year later, on September 26, in 1980, the first Swiss Wave-Post-Punk song was released: Grauzone’s “Eisbär” – this song can be considered as the cornerstone that triggered the start of the Swiss dark scene. From that moment on the local scene had its first own soundtrack, and began to develop slowly. Grauzone’s first concerts took place in Bern, in locations like Club Spex, Gasskessel and Reitschule.

From then until the mid 80’s, diverse concerts, discos and parties were held in places like Rote Fabrik (Zürich), Totentanz (Basel), AJZ (Biel), Big Apple (Zürich), L’Association Post Tenebras Rock at Le Bouffon (Genève), Fri-Son (Fribourg), Sedel (Luzern), Grabenhalle (St. Gallen), Dolce Vita (Lausanne) and L’association État d’Urgences – L’Usine (Genève).

Watch below some videos that capture the spirit of the local scene in some events through the years.