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"The Godfather of Goth" still delivers
with delightful darkness

Peter Murphy
Metro
Chicago, IL
November 26, 2011
Peter Murphy Peter Murphy Peter Murphy

Story and photos by Andy Argyrakis

Without Peter Murphy and Bauhaus, there probably wouldn't be a Nine Inch Nails, let alone its slew of gothic offspring. Though the 54-year-old front man is now exclusively solo after 2008's final studio CD with the band, his visibility and influence continues, thanks in part to a cameo in the blockbuster flick "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" and the recently released studio CD Ninth (Nettwerk).

At a fairly full Metro, the veteran and his searing band plowed through plenty from the past and present, affirming his status as the reigning "Godfather of Goth," while demonstrating a certain sense of timelessness across all eras. When it came to new tunes, the entrancing "Memory Go" sputtered with haunting vocals and bass lines, "I Spit Roses" served as the quintessential brooding alt-rocker, while the dark and moody "Gaslit" found Murphy growling fiercely,

When it came to older tunes, he alternated between a smattering of Bauhaus classics and individual material that fell in the like-minded tradition (thankfully skipping out on his Middle Eastern musings this round). Faithful were treated to a short tease of the classic "Bela Lugosi's Dead" in all its ghostly glory within the acoustic framework of "A Strange Kind of Love," alongside a partially unplugged and eventually industrialized take on "Silent Hedges," plus the jittery "In the Flat Field."

Along with his own new wave breakthrough "Cuts You Up" and Bauhaus' metallic arrangement of David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust," Murphy astounded with nearly two hours of icy experiments. Despite being around the block for over three decades, the underground legend showed little signs of wear, simultaneously appealing to longtime listeners and younger onlookers who finally got to see the inspiration for many of today's gothic forerunners.

Related articles:

Peter Murphy - Concert review - Chicago, IL June 2008
Peter Murphy - Concert review - Chicago, IL May 2002
Peter Murphy - Dust - Album review
Bauhaus (Summerfest 2006) - Photo gallery - Milwaukee, WIL July 2006
Bauhaus - Concert review - Chicago, IL August 1998
Bauhaus - Go Away White Album review

Peter Murphy Peter Murphy Peter Murphy

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