Concert Review: Peter Murphy and David J.– The Ruby Celebration: 40 Years of Bauhaus at The Paramount in Austin TX: goth icons bring dark atmosphere to Austin (Photo Credit: Judy Lyon).
One cursory glance at The Paramount Theatre and you can see why it was the venue of choice for Peter Murphy and David J. to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bauhaus. It’s arched ceilings and ornate trappings proved the perfect environment to play their inimitable noir sonics during their stop in Austin.
The duo (augmented by guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite and drummer Marc Slutsky) were there to perform Bauhaus’ debut album In the Flat Field in its entirety, along with other select cuts, and from J’s distorted opening bassline of Double Dare, it was clear they meant business.
Murphy was in fine form throughout the show, ripping into classics like the title track, Stigmata Martyr (my personal favorite), and A God in A Alcove with feral intensity, striking bat-like poses along with his patented spinning and gazing at the lights.
J. was also at the top of his game, his crucial thud the heartbeat of their catalogue, including their enduring classic Bela Lugosi’s Dead, where Murphy manipulated Thwaite’s guitar with delay effects to approximate the Echoplex atmospherics original guitarist Daniel Ash conjured decades ago.
Click here for my recent podcast interview with Bauhaus’ drummer Kevin Haskins
The band made little time for chitchat with the audience, save Murphy’s spoken intro to St. Vitus Dance and a playful, mutual dig by J. and Murphy equating Austin to Dallas.
While hardcore Murphy fans may have been left wanting for his solo material, the selections proved Bauhaus were a far more versatile act than their somber reputation suggested, from the skronky funk of Burning From The Inside to the punchy dance rhythms of Kick in The Eye.
They closed out the set with several deep cuts, including King Volcano and Kingdom’s Coming. But for those who’ve been studying recent set-lists, the final selection was a true surprise. Instead of their standby cover of Ziggy Stardust, Murphy and co. opted for a stirring and moving cover of Dead Can Dance’s Severance.
All told it was a triumphant set, and took aging goths like myself back into time. Music is unique in its power to rejuvenate to such effect, and Bauhaus’s legacy remains enduringly potent. Undead, undead, undead, indeed.
Setlist:
Double Dare
In the Flat Field
A God in an Alcove
Dive
Spy in the Cab
Small Talk Stinks
St. Vitus Dance
Stigmata Martyr
Nerves
Encore:
Burning from the Inside
Silent Hedges
Bela Lugosi’s Dead
She’s in Parties
Kick in the Eye
Encore 2:
King Volcano
Kingdom’s Coming
Severance
(Dead Can Dance cover)