You could only ever see out of one eye, and your blue-black hair usually smelt burnt. Your digital camera selfies, nearly always taken from a high angle, drew attention to your kohl eyeliner and incredible fringe.
Your stud-covered chokers, belts and bracelets were worn harmoniously with your checkered black and white Vans.
And it didn’t matter that your super skinny jeans made it uncomfortable to sit down: you were too busy perfecting your MySpace page, concocting a cool MSN status (and nudging your friends) and listening to Enter Shikari, My Chemical Romance, Avril Lavigne and Green Day to be remotely bothered.
This was the sublime perfection of life as an Emo girl and boy in the Noughties. And now the subculture is getting its moment in London: the Museum of Youth Culture, which celebrates teenage life in Britain over the last century, is putting on an Emo exhibition at the Barbican Music Library, opening at the end of the month.
And it gets even better: the museum has put out a call out for content, and wants your old photos. Yep, all those ones from your time as a misunderstood teen.
“We need your Emo content for a new exhibition launching next month at the Barbican Music Library!” wrote the museum on its Instagram. “If you have mobile phone selfies, digital camera backups, myspace screenshots or collages, we want to see them!”
So if you have some exquisite photos that you feel moved to share, always low-key believing them to be pretty museum-worthy, now is your chance.
The selected submissions will be featured at the Barbican Music Library, the City of London public library which houses sheet music and scores, music books and magazines, hundreds of CDs and listening booths.
