LOS ANGELES, CA- Bauhaus, the iconic Post-Punk, Godfathers of Goth, reunited for the first time in 13 years. All original members, vocalist Peter Murphy, drummer Kevin Haskins, guitarist Daniel Ash and bassist David J., reunited on the heels of Peter Murphy’s heart attack back in August of this year. Night 1 and 2 of the scheduled 3 night reunion shows have been one of the most highly anticipated concerts in recent memory. The first show sold out within minutes of it going on sale. The second night within an hour.
Fans from all over the world converged upon the Hollywood Palladium. People of almost all age groups. It is well known that the band broke up in 1983, breaking off into incredibly successful careers, post Bauhaus. Murphy had Dali’s Car and his vast solo career. Ash and Haskins had huge success with Tones on Tail and more recently, Poptone, which features Kevin’s eldest daughter, Diva Dompe, on bass. David J. recorded with the Jazz Butcher and has also had a solo career. He teamed up with Ash and his brother Kevin to form Love & Rockets in the late 80’s. Most of these projects were successful and garnered as much praise as the Mother Ship.
The year 1998 saw the first reunion, called the Resurrection tour. I was lucky enough to be at the show that took place at the UCI Bren Center in Irvine, California. This was to serve as my then 6-year-old son’s first show. They disbanded again and continued on with their individual endeavors. They reunited again in 2006 for another tour which subsequently saw the release of the album, “Go Away White.”
Recently, As I mentioned earlier, Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins formed Poptone, which focused mainly upon the work they created with Tones on Tail and some Love & Rockets material. Peter Murphy and David J. embarked on the 40 year anniversary tour, the Ruby Celebration. In my opinion, these Palladium reunion shows just made it under the wire for a proper 40-year celebration, and the fans were rabid to celebrate with their heroes all together on the same stage. I was able to witness the first two nights … and WHOA!!!!
Automatic, a post-punk trio which features, Lola Dompe (Kevin Haskins’ daughter) opened the show as direct and only support. Rounded out by Izzy Glaudini on synth and vocals and bassist, Halle Saxon Gaines, the band delivered a solid set whilst bathed in red light.
During the turn over, the venue was still flooded in red lights and smoke. The scene invoked the lyrics in my head, “the bats have left the bell tower. The victims have been bled, red velvet lines the black box,” from Bauhaus’ signature song, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” As the sea of concert goers crowded into their spaces, most as close to the stage as possible, waiting for The Godfathers of Goth to take the stage and take us on a reminiscent journey of the music and culture we’ve had a love affair with over the years.
The sound of Daniel Ash’s droning, distorted guitar filled the air. It was time. They took their places on the stage. Opening with their cover of John Cale’s, “Rose Garden Funeral of Sores.” I personally was filled with so much excitement hearing it, I almost forgot what I was supposed to be doing. They followed up with, “Double Dare” and “In the Flat Field.” Their 19 song set was filled with so many classics and their infamous covers. The debut of Iggy Pop’s, “Sister Midnight,” was a welcomed addition to the fold. They closed with Marc Bolan’s “Telegram Sam” and Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust.”
They included 3 gems in the set that haven’t been played by the band in a long time. “The Man With The X-Ray Eyes,” which they haven’t played since 1982, and Three Shadows, Part II” and “Spy in the Cab,” which haven’t been played since 1983. The setlist included staples like the aforementioned, “Bela,” “Kick in the Eye,” “She’s in Parties and “Stigmata Martyr.” I should mention that they also played “Swing the Heartache,” for which I don’t know the stats of the live performance of the song, but it was a welcomed surprise during the set. Night 2 they played The Passion of Lovers which was left off the set list on Night 1.
There are no Bauhaus performances scheduled following the December 1st date, but after two incredible shows, they proved rock a room like they always have. I’m hoping they tour a little more extensively for the fans who could not make it out to these 3 dates.
The band is tight and looking like they’ve never been apart. Inasmuch as I love Peter Murphy’s voice (which was in top form), I especially loved watching Kevin Haskins’ wild drumming. Daniel Ash is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated guitarists ever and hearing him play to perfection the parts he created since the inception of the band, was a huge treat, and getting hypnotized by the deep and groovy/dub bass lines of David J -and his fretless P-bass was a blessing. Seeing the 4 of them back together again was truly a dream come true. So many incredible highlights in their 2 hour show.
LONG LIVE BAUHAUS!!! FOREVER MAY THEY REIGN!!!!
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