Peter Murphy at The O2 Indigo 11th October 2009

I have to confess to being something of a fan of Mr Murphy, the silken-voiced ex-frontman of seminal British post punk band Bauhaus, so I’ll apologise in advance if this review becomes a little lyrical. His voice has provided the soundtrack to my life since I first became aware of the band in my pre-teen years, and after one rather surreal encounter with the man himself back in 2007 involving four dolls, one van, two other band members and the phrase “Oh Kevin at last” (a story best left for another day) he would probably have to bomb my house before my opinion of him was significantly lowered (although discovering that he’s due to have a cameo appearance in one of the “Twilight” films very almost had the same effect!) That being said I’m willing to admit that some of his more recent output has been far from perfect: 2004’s “Unshattered” was decidedly lacklustre; the final Bauhaus album, “Go Away White”, was hardly in the same realm as the band’s earlier work; while a series of cover songs performed on American radio while touring with Nine Inch Nails ranged from the sublime to the downright silly.

Waiting in the small, intimate and sadly almost empty Indigo venue within the O2, clutching an over-priced drink and watching a pair of rather unimpressive support acts did little to enhance the mood but any misgivings evaporated as Murphy and his fine four piece band took the stage. A mammoth two hour set featured everything from classic Bauhaus tracks and old favourites from his solo repertoire to brand new pieces and a plethora of cover songs (the tour isn’t called “Secret Cover” for nothing) including a rousing version of John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” and a simply extraordinary take on David Bowie’s classic “Space Oddity” performed with the entire band lying on their backs on the floor. A heartbreaking version of Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt”, a song that Murphy had previously performed on American radio with Trent Reznor, literally reduced me to tears. Other highlights included a suitably haunting rendition of “Your Face” from the eastern-influenced album “Dust” and a charming mash up of the romantic “Strange Kind of Love” and Bauhaus’ seminal Goth epic “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” which was both deliciously ironic and, quite frankly, lovely. As for the new tracks, they certainly sound promising on a first listen, reminiscent of some of Murphy’s most successful work from the mid nineties, though of course they may sound very different on record. There were also plenty of opportunities for light hearted banter. Murphy’s chatter has to be a highlight of any show he performs: conversation at this particular show covered spiritualism and the relationship between humans and angels; chat with fans and rebukes of hecklers; some informative insights into the meanings behind some of his songs; how exhausting life is, and a wealth of that particular goofy humour that has been with him since the early days, or “Goth stand-up” as he put it. It’s a turn that seems slightly incongruous when one considers this is the man the music journos have dubbed the “Godfather of Goth”!

As always, he’s in fine voice despite complaining of a cold and often coughing between songs, commenting “how can someone come on looking so legendary and then cough?” And he did indeed look “legendary”: resplendent in feather trimmed jackets, pointy shoes and a number of hats, with those unmistakable piercing eyes and angular cheekbones ensuring he looks just as otherworldly in his fifties as he did in his twenties. The backing band (a rather unflattering title for such skilled musicians to be fair) are just as solid and versatile as the singer himself, though I have to say it’s a bizarre experience seeing another band playing Bauhaus’ songs with Bauhaus’ singer.

Overall it was quite a show and though I have to say I’m more a fan of Bauhaus than of Murphy’s solo material this was a gig that was certainly just as enjoyable as their comeback tours were; in turns funny, thought-provoking and delightful. Or to put it in a more pithy but considerably more inane way: the king is undead, long live the king!

For more on Bauhaus, you might want to read my biography and review of their last album, for more info on Peter’s current tour, upcoming album and downloads of some of his cover versions check out his official site

And to give this article a bit of context, here’s Mr Murphy performing “Strange Kind of Love/Bela’s Dead” from earlier in the tour.