In the long historic line that "gothic" rock has endured for decades, one thing is certain: the originators, the masters and the architects of the genre are the English band, Bauhaus. Dating back to its creation in the late 1970s, the band undoubtedly created the blueprint for the eerie, dark genre. Their brief existence is marked by a handful of now legendary studio albums and a few astonishing live concert albums. While often imitated, no other subsequent followers were ever able to tap into the magnetism of the quartet and, most notably, its wiry, charismatic, brooding lead singer, Peter Murphy. [Text by Gabe, photo by Chris Spires/DKG.]
Although tensions have hampered recent reunion attempts, Bauhaus members have all been more successful and productive in their solo jaunts. The other three members (Daniel Ash, David J. and his brother, Kevin Haskins) have surpassed any Bauhaus record sale milestones as Love & Rockets, one of the most successful bands of the 1980s/90s alternative era.
In a bold move, however, Murphy decided he didn't need the other three-fourths of the equation in order to go out on the road and recreate the dark majesty of his former band. Instead, Murphy has recently embarked on a solo worldwide trek he's dubbed "The Mr. Moonlight Tour: Peter Murphy celebrates 35 years of Bauhaus – performing solely Bauhaus material," and is successfully bringing back to life the Bauhaus catalog with the help of a new, youthful trio backing him. And the results are pretty impressive, if last Wednesday's show at Orpheum in Ybor is any indication.
Taking the stage in typical dramatic fashion, Murphy's slim, lanky figure slowly emerged clad all in black as the opening stains of "King Volcano" filled the jam-packed nightclub. Mostly comprised of a who's who of longtime Tampa clubgoers, audience members reacted and responded to Murphy's still powerful croon with the same enthusiasm they displayed all those years ago on the dance floors of DNA, Empire or 911.
As promised, the entire set list was comprised of nothing but Bauhaus tunes. Ranging from better-known singles, to deep album cuts and obscure b-sides, Murphy delivered the material (much of which he hasn't delved into performing in decades) with far more passion than he'd displayed while on the short-lived 2005 Bauhaus reunion tour. Whether he was shimmying, striking statuesque poses or contorting himself, Murphy more closely resembled the wicked front man who steals the show in the brilliant 1982 concert film, Shadows of Light.
Murphy's deep, booming voice sounded as fresh and youthful as ever as he effortlessly worked his way through material that helped define and shape the adolescence of those who were lucky enough to witness this spectacle. Murphy even pulled out and played a melodica to fully and faithfully recreate "She's In Parties," undeniably one of the greatest and most memorable songs from the Bauhaus canon.
And even though the 85-minute set stretched as far as to touch on some selections from Go Away White, the band's 2008 reunion album, there were still some material sadly omitted from the performance. Sure, it would have been nice to hear personal favorites like "Terror Couple Kill Colonel" or "Sanity Assasin" but, overall, the performance itself was enough to make any Bauhaus diehard more than content.
Nods to the unmistakable influence of David Bowie were paid as Murphy threw in a verse from Bowie's "Be My Wife" at the tail-end of "Adrenalin" and chose to close the evening with a cover of "Ziggy Stardust," which was also a smash hit single for Bauhaus in their native England.
The showstopper, however, was indeed the chilly reading of the Bauhaus magnum opus, "Bela Lugosi's Dead." This one song helped to define an entire genre and to this day hasn't lost any of it's uniqueness or flair. Still a bizarre mix of horror, dub bass, fragmented guitar work and cryptic lyrics, the song sounds as freakishly engaging as it did the first time you heard it. Hard to believe this, the "Stairway to Heaven" of gothic rock is now almost 35 years old. It's still as forward and futuristic sounding as ever, not an easy feat to accomplish.
While some may have been disappointed with the realization that Murphy wouldn't touch on his lengthy catalog of solo material, it was clear from the response and the reaction the crowd unanimously responded with that this foray into the past was more than welcomed.
As the smoke cleared and Murphy and his band left the stage, the club's DJ immediately launched into a non-stop barrage of gothic/industrial staples and the main floor was again filled with a voracious crowd of dancers who weren't ready to go home just yet and were still reveling in their brief trip back in time.
Set List:
King Volcano
Kingdom's Coming
Double Dare
In the Flat Field
God in an Alcove
Boys
Silent Hedges
All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
Bela Lugosi's Dead
Too Much 21st Century
Adrenalin
The Passion of Lovers
She's in Parties
Hollow Hills
Stigmata Martyr
Encore:
Burning From the Inside
Ziggy Stardust
This article appears in May 2-8, 2013.