On May 30th, I had the delight of finally seeing The Damned perform in Austin as part of the Chaos in Tejas punk festival at 11E5. Let me just say, it was well worth the wait!
The Damned! The Damned! Photo credit to Brooklyn Vegan.
Back in 2011, The Damned were set to play Fun Fun Fun Fest. It was going to be my first time going to Fun Fun Fun Fest and I was super excited. I'd finally get to see The Damned! There were several other bands I was excited to see, but The Damned! They basically only play festivals these days and even then they're a bit choose-y about which festivals to play. THE DAMNED!!!
So, I had my three day passes for a long time and was excited. Then, about a month or so before Fun Fun Fun Fest, guess who else decides they want to play a show in Austin? And who decided to put that same show the same night as The Damned!? That's right - Peter Murphy. Okay, I guess he technically didn't have a say in the matter, but point being, I could either see The Damned for the first time or Peter Murphy for the fourth time. I wavered back and forth for a day before conceding that my ass needed to see Peter Murphy yet again. This is a decision I do not regret and would have made a million times over again (this is another story for another time, but the show came right after I lost a family member to cancer and I ended up crying during a couple of the songs...and Peter Murphy...with bronchitis, no less...was ever delightful and kind the entire night, sounding great even with the terrible illness...much respect).
I know, I know, this review is about The Damned. But, this is a photo of Peter Murphy at the very concert I just talked about, so deal with it. Such a therapeutic night and one that won't be forgot anytime soon. Photo credit to Rebecca Chulew.
But, I thought I had blown perhaps my one and only chance to ever see The Damned. So, you can imagine my absolute delight when I started seeing the band announcements for this year's Chaos in Tejas festival and The Damned made that list. THE DAMNED!!!
The Damned formed in London in 1976 when punk rock was in full swing and post-punk wouldn't be realized for another couple years. The band's formation is rather magical, in a sense. The Damned were started by Rat Scabies and Brian James (both having been in other punk rock acts which later spurned other bands such as Generation X and The Clash). Together they invited Dave Vanian and Sid Vicious to audition for vocals. As the story would have it, only Dave Vanian showed up, becoming singer for The Damned.
The Damned were met with early success, opening for acts like the Sex Pistols. Their first single "New Rose" was often viewed positively despite the somewhat gloomy lyrics. The Damned went into territories not explored yet by British punk bands, such as being the first to release a single, then to be the first to release an album, and even being the first to tour the US. It was their first tour in the US that is often cited as being the inspiration to the emergence of hardcore music as The Damned favored faster tempos than most of their contemporary punk bands did.
Tragically for The Damned, their sophomore album was a flop. It is thought the flop was generally due to a lack of interest from the producer of the album (Pink Floyd's Nick mason) and the subsequent quitting from the band of Rat Scabies. Following a tour to support 1977's Music for Pleasure, the band broke up.
Captain Sensible! You just have to love the guy. I think the camera viewpoint on this shot was right above my head, haha. Photo credit to the Austin Chronicle.
After a brief stint exploring other interests, The Damned would reform again (though not with the original lineup) in 1979 and begin working under the name of The Damned (they had technically reconvened in 1978, but used a different name to avoid possible trademark issues with the original name). The reformation of the group also saw a shift in Vanian's vocals to more of a crooning style and the music oscillate between fast tempos, as they were previously, and now slower tunes with dominating keyboards. 1979 also saw the release of the third album from The Damned, Machine Gun Etiquette, which is perhaps one of the most favorite albums for fans.
By 1985, the band had undergone major changes once more. Captain Sensible, who had been with the band essentially from the beginning, had left temporarily. Dave Vanian began dressing more formally and adopting a persona reminiscent of a vampire. The Damned had also signed to a major record label, MCA, to release their album Phantasmagoria, perhaps heralded as the most gothic album the group had produced, and cementing The Damned as a staple of the goth music diet (whether they liked it or not).
1988 saw the return of Captain Sensible, but only in time for the band to call it quits again. A handful of singles were released by the band over the years, but the band did not officially come back together (with yet another major lineup change, Vanian and Scabies being the only returning members) in 1993. However, it was around this time that two important covers of songs from The Damned were recorded and released - Guns N' Roses cover of "New Rose" and The Offspring's cover of "Smash It Up." Both covers were highly praised and well distributed, bringing new audiences to The Damned and leading to a new interest in the band.
1995 saw another album released which led to the temporary dissolution of the band once more (Vanian and Sensible felt Scabies had released 1995's Not of This Earth without proper authorization, resulting in a legal battle). By the next year, Sensible teamed up with Vanian on yet another rendition of The Damned, now bringing Patricia Morrison (you know, former bassist and backing vocalist of the Sisters of Mercy) into the lineup.
Dave Vanian!!! And sporting a Vincent Price look. Very nice, good sir! Photo credit, obviously, to AP.
In 2000, the lineup had gone on to include Monty Oxy Moron on keyboards and Pinch on drums. Patricia Morrison eventually retired from performing, married Dave Vanian, and became the band's manager. Stu West would take over on bass. The band have continued to release new albums and singles since, mixing in the occasional touring and keeping to a consistent lineup.
Now that we're all caught up on some of the major events in the band's history, time for the concert review itself!
Before The Damned took the stage, everyone was crowding in as close as they could. Fans were yelling out "Love Song!" hoping that it would be played. The Damned take the stage and burst into "Love Song," setting the crowd on fire immediately. The band were in good spirits (I was standing in front of Captain Sensible and he would often smile and make faces at us). All of us in the audience were simply going crazy. And this was just a preview of what was to come.
The set included many other great favorites such as my personal favorite "I Just Can't be Happy Today," "New Rose," "Neat Neat Neat," and "Eloise." The band sounded wonderful and carried a strong energy throughout the entire set. Captain Sensible carried out most of the stage antics by making faces at people and sticking his tongue out at others. A few technical issues with Monty Oxy Moron's keyboards led to some banter among the band where (if I remember correctly) Dave Vanian suggested they play a song that didn't need Monty Oxy Moron (everyone laughed and waited patiently for the issues to be resolved). The one thing that struck me as a little odd was that for being the one consistent member over the years and frontman, Dave Vanian didn't actually say much to the crowd. Most of the talking was done by Captain Sensible.
Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible. I'd post my photos, but they did not come out well at all. Photo credit to the Austin Chronicle
The group returned for their first encore and performed several more great songs. At one point, we were given a choice between one song and "Smash It Up." Those of us in the front were crying for them to play both (yes, we're greedy). They ended up playing the other song, which was great, but left us a little sad because, well...who doesn't love "Smash It Up?" And in a great flourish of trickery, The Damned immediately launched into "Smash It Up" anyways after that other song. The crowd went absolutely crazy, screaming at the top of our lungs. It was beautiful.
A final encore wrapped up the night. The band were very thankful for all of us coming and said things like "You know, we aren't the Sex Pistols. True punk began with The Ramones! And we're better than all of them." They were all really great and as they departed the stage for the final time, Captain Sensible threw his hat to the crowd.
I was not lucky enough to get a setlist (which I really wanted), but this person was kind enough to let me snap a photo of the complete setlist that she got.
All in all, this show was great. I personally am not built for punk shows anymore (there's something to be said about being surrounded by sweaty, smelly bodies...not really my preference). But, it was a grand experience. After all these years, The Damned still sound marvelous and can still put on a great show. While I forfeited my chance to see them a couple years ago (and as I said, I'd still make that same decision every time), I am so glad to have finally seen them. If you haven't seen The Damned, you are missing out.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (the crowd was a bit rough for my taste, but The Damned were just amazing, plain and simple)
For today's Music Review, we look at the newest work from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away.
Album cover to Push the Sky Away, coincidentally from Wikipedia. The cover features Nick Cave on the left opening a shutter to reveal his nude wife, Susie Bick. The photo was apparently taken in their bedroom, too.
I'm a fan of everything Nick Cave does. The Birthday Party. Ginderman. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It's all really great stuff, and all very different from each other. I will admit, in true fashion, that I have not listened to all his work and of the stuff I have listened to, I have not listened to it nearly enough. So, this review will be limited in scope in that I don't feel I can accurately compare this newest album to the previous fourteen (yes, fourteen!).
Nick Cave had been involved with music from a very young age, originally participating in church choir in the small town he was born in (Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia). From a young age, Cave also often found himself in trouble. This resulted in his being sent to boarding school at Melbourne's Caulfield Grammar School. Here, too, he became involved in the choir. Tragedy struck the young Cave when he was aged 19. His mother was bailing him out of jail for burglary and had the difficulty of telling the young Cave that his father had been killed in a car accident as well. This culmination of events led to Cave starting to express his thoughts and feelings through music.
While at the Caulfield Grammar School, Cave had become friends with Mick Harvey, Phill Calvert, John Cochivera, Brett Purcell, and Chris Coyne. Together, the six would form the first major band Cave was in, The Birthday Party. The group initially played proto-punk covers of songs by musicians like Lou Reed and David Bowie. By 1977, The Birthday Party had become very integral in Australia's post-punk scene. Some changes to the lineup brought in Rowland Howard who became a major player in the writing of the music and lyrics for the band. In 1980, the group relocated to London then West Berlin. Cave became known for his provocative stage antics. His lyrics often concerned topics like sin, curses, and damnation, often revolving around horror stories. As such, Cave was often labeled as a goth (which he, like so many of his contemporaries, absolutely hated). The song "Release the Bats" was supposed to poke fun at the goth scene that The Birthday Party had been so regularly attributed to, but instead provided yet another anthem for the scene. However, by 1984, The Birthday Party had disbanded due to differences between Cave and Howard.
Nick Cave when he was in The Birthday Party. This appears to be a press promo photo, but I'm unsure who took it.
In 1983, Cave and Harvey teamed up with Blixa Bargeld to form Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Where The Birthday Party tended to have noise rock roots, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds became known for being highly experimental, ranging from punk rock, to goth rock, to no wave, and even incorporating blues elements. The first few albums carried a more traditional post-punk sound before evolving into different experimental permutations.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have recorded and released fifteen albums over the years. The majority have been met with critical acclaim even as the group's style has steadily changed over time. Members came and went with Cave remaining the only constant member of the group. The mid-90s found Cave marrying current wife, Susie Bick (who, as a fun factoid, was the model featured on The Damned's cover art for Phantasmagoria and is also the woman on the album cover of Push the Sky Away). 2006 saw Cave and members of The Bad Seeds forming a new side project, Grinderman, which showcased Cave on guitar in addition to his usual role as vocalist.
In 2007, Cave was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame for his work over the years (at the same time, he essentially inducted The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds during his acceptance speech as he felt none of this would have been possible without everyone else). 2008 saw the release of the fourteenth studio album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! and was followed in early 2009 with the departure of Mick Harvey, who had worked with Cave for the last 36 years.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 2013. Not sure who took this photo, but I found it while perusing Brooklyn Vegan's site
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds became inactive once again as Grinderman resurfaced to produce a second album in 2011. The group would disband by the end of 2011 with no current plans to reconvene again in the future for a third album. 2013's Push the Sky Away marks the first Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album since their 2008 release.
Additionally, Nick Cave, being a jack-of-all-trades kind of person, has also written original film scores for a number of movies, wrote music to a handful of theatre productions, written a few novels, acted in a few movies, and wrote the script for a couple films.
Push the Sky Away could be summed up as the complete anti-thesis of everything The Birthday Party was. This album is very quiet, gloomy, and thoughtful. A review from NME calls this album a "majestic and desolate masterpiece" and dub Nick Cave "the grand lord of gothic lushness" (http://www.nme.com/reviews/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds/14083#6mWxcBmKK4eyCeDd.99). (Careful Peter Murphy, you may have a contest with Nick Cave for being the "Godfather of Goth," a title neither of you care for or really want, but will get regardless, haha)
As Nick Cave puts it, he and the band entered the studio with "unformed and pupal" ideas for the songs and the band "[transformed] them into things of wonder" (http://thequietus.com/articles/10819-nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-new-album). Cave has also mentioned how random perusals on Google and Wikipedia figured largely into the lyrical content, suggesting in general how the Internet has played a role in shaping what we as a society view as important and detailing certain events, fads, rumors, etc.
Push the Sky Away opens with "We No Who U R," which is coincidentally the first single from the album. The song opens with a soft drum beat, some bass guitar, and what sounds like a keyboard. Lyrically, I'm not sure what this song gets at. But the lyrics and music mesh in a delicate harmony, purposely complementing each other (i.e. the music is soft and mellow while the lyrics mention things like harmony of nature: "We go down with the dew in the morning light/The tree don't know what the little bird brings/We go down with the dew in the morning/And we breathe, it in/There is no need to forgive"). This song is great for setting the overall tone and mood for the rest of the album.
The second track is "Wide Lovely Eyes" which opens with a faster paced guitar strumming and some ambient background sounds. The lyrics of this song could suggest meeting someone special and sharing good times and memories with them, but that a time comes in which the two must say goodbye. Additionally, the time together the two spent will be regarded as make believe ("All among the myths and legends we create/And all the laughing stories we tell our friends"). The song also contains references to mermaids (which is the title of a song found later on the album), which could have been something Cave spent time researching for fun and learning more about.
Next is "Water's Edge" which is one of my favorite off the album. The song starts with a dark, pressing bass part before Nick Cave's brooding vocals start in, accompanied by moody string arrangements. I don't really know what the lyrics are about. On the surface, it's easy to read the lyrics as some statement of prostitution, but the lyrics at the end speak more to the coming of love ("It's the will of love/It's the thrill of love/Ah, but the chill of love is coming on"). Additionally, there is mention often of a "speech" that the boys and girls are reaching for. What exactly is this speech Cave writes about? Cave has been known to write about biblical things in the past, so is this a nod towards finding a certain speech in the Bible? Regardless, I much enjoy the darker nature this song carries.
The sixth track is another favorite of mine, "We Real Cool." It, similar to "Water's Edge" begins with a pressing bass part and intermittent dark string arrangements. The song, to me, seems to be a statement against things like Wikipedia being so prevalent. The argument here is similar to a specific argument from Peter Murphy on the goth subculture. There is a quote floating around the Internet (but I can't find the interview it is from, so it may very well be fake) in which Murphy talks about being able to at least identify with the goths that were the early fans of Bauhaus (though, remember, Murphy is not goth, nor was Bauhaus, and it's just all the media gone wild...which is true, actually). But, Murphy has a hard time identifying with what is often called "goth" today for what he sees are youth following something blindly, without thought or knowledge. They find something dark and call it goth without understanding that well before the media began dubbing bands like Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees as goth, there was a well-defined meaning for what goth was. Goth was an architectural style, a particular art form, a certain piece of renaissance, a form of literature (and it is perhaps the horror and brooding mood of the music that somewhat resembles the dreary gothic romance writing that led to these bands receiving their unwanted classification). But, point being (and yes, I am getting to a point...eventually) is that the goth of today is mostly a cheap imitation of what it once was. It's not to say none of today's younger goth members have it right (I'd like to think I'm a bit more in tune with what goth originally was, though I'm sure there's plenty of things I flummox repeatedly...maybe I should strive to dissociate from the title entirely and simply be myself, whatever that may be), but there's a certain blindness involved nowadays. So, getting back to this song, I feel lyrically Cave is trying to say something similar, but on a larger scale. You wear clothes, but you don't know who designed them or who made them. You have a book that someone wrote, but you've never read it. Who measured the distance between the planets? Wikipedia is so great because it has all these answers and you don't have to remember them. But as a result, it's so easy to simply follow when someone says something is real cool, but not know why or what it is. Even the title adds to the tone, "we real cool." As if to say, "Yeah, we real cool! Look at us, we so cool, we listen to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds!" "Yeah, but who are Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds?" "Uhh..." A long point to make, but this song, to me anyways, is absolutely beautiful, musically, and lyrically carries a strong message that I identify with.
The last song I want to talk about is the final song on the album and the album's namesake, "Push the Sky Away." The song opens with very moody, ambient sounds, with light accenting bass and drum beats. I don't know what the lyrics are getting at, exactly. On the one hand, they suggest that a person should continue to be themselves and push to discover new things about their world and themselves. Just keep on pushing the sky away. Even if you think you have everything you ever wanted, there's still more out there for you, just keep pushing the sky away and find it. I just absolutely love this one, musically and lyrically.
On the whole, Push the Sky Away is a moody, often dark, yet thoughtful album. As I said earlier, I haven't actually listened too much to the rest of the catalog from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, so I'm not entirely sure how this album stacks against the previous fourteen. Most reviews I glanced through find this to be a much slower piece than the prior albums, more contemplative, and more moody. Even if it is vastly different from the previous albums, this one has inspired me to really sit down and start listening to more from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, something I've been intending for years but just hadn't gotten around to. Fantastic work to everyone involved on this one!
Sound Off! What is your favorite track from this album? How does this album stack up to the previous fourteen from The Bad Seeds? What do you think of Cave's approach to writing the lyrics for this album?
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I don't know how this stacks to other Bad Seeds albums, but as a standalone album, this is just amazing stuff)
Today's Music Review will be of Peter Murphy's 2002 solo album, Dust. This album is incredibly different from anything Murphy has ever done and possibly may ever do and as a fan of his work, you either really love this album or really hate it (as also evinced from reviews which give the album either very high or very low marks). Let's take a closer look.
Album cover for 2002's Dust
Dust was the first major release from Murphy since 1995's Cascade. There are, I'm sure, many reasons for this. First, Murphy probably spent a couple years after the release of Cascade touring and supporting that album. Second, I believe I've read before that around this time Murphy took a bit of a break from music to do something utterly domestic - be a father. His two kids were growing up, so that was a good time to just simply be a family man. Good on you, sir! Though he did manage to put out the Recall EP in 1997. (And of course, as I try to find an older interview that may shed some light on this, I'm unable to find one, so this could very well be me making things up) Third, 1998 saw the reunion of Bauhaus with some touring and the thought (though it did not pan out) of recording new music together again. Fourth, 2000 saw the Live Just for Love Tour, which was probably done to raise funds for the Dust album and spurned the live album Alive Just for Love. And then 2002 finally rolls around and Dust is released to the world.
Hugh Marsh on violin and Peter Murphy. From 2002, most likely on tour supporting Dust. Photo credit to Barry Brecheisen
Murphy has called Turkey a primary residence since at least the early 90s (this due probably in large part for the fact that his wife is originally Turkish, though the two met in England sometime before Murphy's first solo album was released). He is also a follower of Sufism (perhaps more in the spiritual sense of Sufism and not so much the truly religious side...another story for another time, but Murphy and I share somewhat similar views on religion which is a mix of neat and eerie...the sharing of those ideas, not the ideas themselves). Much of Murphy's solo work has been characterized by varying religious undertones (and thought to be part of why his first two solo albums were largely overlooked). Even early on you could catch glimpses of the Turkish influence in his songs. However, Dust is where all this comes together and assaults you head on. There is no question about where the influences from this album come from.
Each song averages around seven minutes in length and focuses more on the music itself rather than lyrics. The lyrics tend to be fairly repetitious (which I believe is done purposely to allude to zikirs that are most likely sung on the streets in Istanbul often, providing influence and inspiration for Murphy for this body of work). The music features familiar instruments like guitars and violin, but also brings into the mix more traditional instruments of the Middle East and Turkey and the skillful talents of Mercan Dede (a fellow Turkish musician known for playing a modernized style of Sufi music) - ouds (or lutes, depending where you're from and how you wish to call them), bendirs (a type of drum), neys (a type of flute), and plenty others (I can't find a listing of what instruments are actually used, so I'm going based off of what I can hear and know the names of).
Mercan Dede playing a ney. May I say this guy is awesome and we should be friends pronto? Image found randomly on the Internet.
Dust opens with "Things to Remember." As the track opens, it is very eerie, which is perhaps reminiscent of prior works Murphy has done. He speaks the lyrics in a low, almost whispered voice. "The power of poetry comes from the ability to defy logic/defy logic often/use a metaphor and tell us that your lover is the sky." This song has a growing anticipation, picking up in volume and urgency as the song progresses. I don't truly know what the lyrics are about, but they have the feel of a religious undertone, as is typical of several of Murphy's songs. In Islam, recitation of the Qur'an is done in more of a singsong manner than simply reading the words on the page. It's a bit of poetry, in of itself, and much of it defies logic in the sense that so many of the stories comprising religions defy logic (ex. parting a sea so people can walk on the bottom and not drown. That is an act that defies all possible logic, yet in Christianity/Islam/Judaism, we are told it is the truth). The story surrounding the revelation of the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammed is even something that defies logic. How could a man formulate this religion if he had limited contact with other religious ideas and couldn't read or write? It defies all logic, yet it exists. There are several places where Murphy repeats "love anything," which ties into his belief that Islam is a religion of love and peace. He mentions prostration to the ground, which is part of the manner in which Muslims pray. The repetitious manner of some of the lyrics and the drum beats remind me of the style of zikirs (religious chants, really, to praise Allah, often repetitious in nature and accompanied by a drum), which just ties in more with the overall theme of the song and the album. Maybe I'm reading way too far into this one, but if nothing else, this is certainly one gorgeous piece of work.
The next song is "Fake Sparkle or Golden Dust?" It opens with some oud and electric violin. Again, similar to "Things to Remember," the opening is a bit slow and dark. This has often been one of my favorites from this album, but I cannot begin to tell you what the lyrics mean. The music is a mix of beauty and allure and I simply love it. Cop out, sure, but it's all I have.
The sixth track is "Your Face." I skip to this one because in all honesty, many of the tracks sound similar. Do not take this as a bad thing. Each has their intricacies and emotion, but if you're just going to give this album a one-time listen, you won't necessarily pick up on all those subtle nuances. I skip to this song because it is the one Murphy is most proud of from the album. It begins with ambient music as do most of the tracks and some electric violin. At some point, drums (maybe bass or a synthesizer?) kick in and sound much like the beat of a heart. Again, I am unsure the meaning to the lyrics, but I almost get the sense that this song was written to his wife ("I trace your feet like transparent thrones/I dream of your clinging, I am not alone/I glide with you, I draw you in coal/You paint the river, I am not alone"). This is certainly a beautiful song and just feels deeply personal somehow, even if it isn't written from him to his wife, but just some storyteller perspective saying the lyrics.
The album ends with two re-worked versions of past songs: Love Hysteria's "My Last Two Weeks" and Cascade's "Subway." "My Last Two Weeks" takes on this almost whimsical feel (in a good way). It also incorporates a background sound that reminds me of the scratching of a needle on a record (yes, as a record enthusiast, I notice silly things like this). I don't know the meaning behind these lyrics either and won't venture to try and analyze them as they seem very complex to me for some reason, but I really enjoy the re-worked version of this song. Again, like so many of the other songs on this album, it feels deeply personal. The re-work of "Subway" is perhaps even better than the original (and the original is probably one of my favorites of Murphy's solo works). It begins with some oud playing and some background sounds before drums come in. As with many of Murphy's songs, I haven't exactly ventured to determine what the lyrics of this song mean. I know that for whatever reason they speak to me more so than other lyrics and are ones I've known longer than many others. There's just something captivating and deeply personal/emotional about this song and this re-work is simply beautiful (though I feel the instrumentation on the re-worked version does change the feel of the song ever so slightly for me...the range of feelings and emotions I go through listening to the two versions are different...not saying this is a bad thing, just pointing out that the two versions have very different vibes about them, to me anyways).
On the whole, this album is more than just a concept album, a collection of songs, or an art album. It is a masterpiece. It is easily the most mature and emotional work Murphy has ever done. It was a complete re-invention and a glimpse of who Murphy was at the time. It was the mark of doing things his way and not wavering to the demands of fans or record labels. It was pure genius. This is an album where listening is simply not enough. If all you want to do is listen to it, you will miss the true meaning and it will simply feel like seven minute long opuses that are all similar in scope and sound. To truly connect with this piece and understand the subtleties, you have to feel this album. It has to course through you, making your heart beat in time to the rhythms, you have to feel the lyrics course through your mind, and simply submit yourself to this piece, much as Muslims submit to Allah in prayer. Dust is the perfect emotional embodiment of a country's culture, a set of religious ideologies, and the talents of an artist unafraid to re-invent himself and go in a bold new direction.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I'd rather be obscene and rate it something ridiculous like 12856187345 out of 5. Yeah, wrap your mind around that one)
Today's Music Review looks at the new album from English singer Alison Moyet, The Minutes.
Album cover to The Minutes
Allow me to begin by saying that before today, I hadn't really listened to Alison Moyet. I know, I know. As a self-professed child of the 80s (I was born in 1989 and I will take full advantage of dubbing myself an 80s child, thank you very much!), I should know of Alison Moyet's work. I did listen to The Vandals off and on when I was in high school and I listen to Yazoo (also known as Yaz in the United States) off and on nowadays. Yet, I never knew much about those bands and didn't explore them further.
Big mistake.
Moyet grew up in the small Essex town of Billericay. By age 16 she had left school to work a number of random jobs, the most notable of which, perhaps, was a stint at tuning pianos (and could possibly hint at her more musical side). In the 70s and 80s she had played with a number of punk bands, including The Vandals.
At age 21, Moyet teamed up with the former singer of Depeche Mode, Vince Clarke, to form the synthpop band Yazoo. While short-lived (Yazoo would breakup after only two albums in 1983), Yazoo served as the spring board for Moyet to launch her solo career from (and things weren't so bad for Vince Clarke, either, as he went on to form The Assembly and Erasure, both groups meeting moderate success).
Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke - Yazoo! Image taken from the Yazoo Last.fm artist page
Moyet released her first solo album in 1984 on CBS Records entitled Alf. The album was a success, earning a number one spot on UK album charts and producing several internationally acclaimed singles, including "Invisible."
The next three albums would prove a bit of a challenge for Moyet - on the one hand, she wanted the freedom to choose what kind of music she produced and didn't want to necessarily make something "radio friendly" just to produce more chart toppers and make loads of money. But, on the other hand, she was under incredible pressure from her record label to make "radio friendly" music, often demanding she re-write and re-record various songs. Due to legal battles with Sony, Moyet did not produce an album for several years following 1994's Essex.
In 2002, Moyet was finally released from contractual obligations with Sony and signed to a new label, Sanctuary Records. This resulted in her first solo album in eight years. The album was, as expected, a commercial success. Additional albums were recorded and released in 2004 and 2007.
The Minutes was released back on May 3rd on London label Cooking Vinyl (who, as a fun fact, were the label Bauhaus used to release their final album, Go Away White, on. Small world). The album debuted at the number five spot on UK album charts, her highest debut since her first solo album in 1984.
Alison Moyet. Image taken from safeconcerts.com
On the whole, The Minutes reminds me of so much of what was good about your more mainstream 80s pop groups. While it has, to me, a throwback to the 80s feel, musically, this album also contains a great mix of modern sound. While I am not very well versed in her prior albums, this doesn't feel like an attempt to simply reproduce Moyet's previous albums and prior successes.
The album opens with "Horizon Flame." In an email sent to fans from Moyet's promotional team, this track is described as "all panoramic strings and icy electronics." The song begins with low electronic backing music that rises before introducing Moyet's vocals. The strings kick in, and for all intents and purposes, do sound a bit panoramic. I would say the description the team gave the song is rather fitting. For a new listener of Moyet's work, the first song is absolutely vital. If it's strong and hooks you, you will naturally want to explore the rest of the album. If it is dull and uneventful, you put the album down and walk away. As you can perhaps tell, I was drawn in. This song, in some regards, reminds me a bit of Depeche Mode, some elements of Peter Murphy's solo works (perhaps a tiny hint of Dust comes through on this one), and something else I can't quite put my finger on. Regardless, I really enjoy this track and find it a great way to open the album.
The third track is the first single from the album, "When I was Your Girl." I'm not entirely sure what the lyrics mean, but they have a dark element to them. The song begins happily enough with a light piano intro. The lyrics are relatively positive ("I didn't know that I would/End where you begin/More beautiful in your skin/No matter of regret"). The song adds in some rock elements and sounds very upbeat, but lyrically, the song seems to take on a darker side ("And then today/I'll be keeping out your way/Every debt they owe I pay/They were never satisfied"). It is possible, given that the music video features Moyet and one of her daughters, that the song is written from the perspective of a mother watching her daughter grow up, wanting to stay out of her way, but thinking back to the days when the daughter was a child and remembering those beautiful moments in time.
The seventh track, "Love Reign Supreme," is slated to be the second single from The Minutes. The track opens with some vocals ("bopping"...literally) and electronic music that reminds me greatly of music from the 80s. The lyrics are fairly poetic and I'm not totally sure what they are getting at, but I can say I like them. The song is rather playful, going from a relatively simplistic electronic sound with a nice beat to cutting out when Moyet sings "When love...reign supreme...in your heart..." before picking up into a dance beat during the chorus. I absolutely love the dynamics and shifts in the music. This is pretty brilliant, honestly.
On the whole, The Minutes is a great mix of synthpop (giving that glorious 80s feel), R&B, pop rock, and even house music. Each track is very strong musically and shows the diversity of power and emotion Moyet can convey through her voice. It's rare for me to find something released more modern that I enjoy, but this album is a clear winner. As they say, better late than never to discover the talent Moyet possesses. Now, can we just get a US tour? Please?
Sound Off! What do you guys think of The Minutes? What is your favorite song from the new album? For those in Europe who live in areas where she will be touring, are you going to see Moyet in concert? What songs are you hoping to hear?
Rating: 5 out of 5 (It's a solid album! I can't really find any faults with it)
This edition of Music Review takes an odd twist. Instead of reviewing a full-length album as I usually do, this time I will review the newest single from Nine Inch Nails, "Came Back Haunted," from their upcoming release Hesitation Marks.
Cover artwork to the upcoming Hesitation Marks album
Nine Inch Nails was the first concert I went to. It was just a couple days before my 20th birthday. I had tickets in the nose bleed, but I was still excited nonetheless. And equally saddened because at the time, Trent Reznor referred to that tour as basically a goodbye tour - the end of Nine Inch Nails, at least from a touring perspective. In the back of my mind, as in the minds of probably many NIN fans, I knew it'd only be time before Reznor felt the need to make sweet beautiful music again. We just somehow had to be patient while Reznor pursued other interests.
And we were right. Fellow NIN fans, the wait is over! Reznor is back with the first single off of the forthcoming Nine inch Nails album, Hesitation Marks. And if you thought this might just be a victory lap for the veteran musician...well, you had better think again.
"Came Back Haunted" is a good mix of sounds reminiscent of 2005's With Teeth, 1994's The Downward Spiral, and even 1989's Pretty Hate Machine. The song, however, is not simply a Gilgamesh of sounds once used to comprise the "new NIN." It still has a uniqueness and difference that plays into the constant evolution of sound and feeling Nine Inch Nails undertakes.
Trent Reznor, mastermind behind Nine Inch Nails. Photo found randomly on the Internet.
As is true of most Nine Inch Nails songs, synthesizers play key roles and drum beats have a precise timing to them. There is always a particular balance to each sound played and how they mesh with the vocals. And as always, Reznor's vocals are strong as ever and figure well into the song. It's fairly catchy after the first couple of listens and, in a peculiar sense, haunts you.
Lyrically, the song plays on the notion of coming back haunted. The lyrics are fairly repetitious and include a lot of "stuttering" (I'm sure there's a proper musical term for this, describing how Reznor often sings "hau-hau-haunted," as an example). What the meaning behind the lyrics is, I am not entirely sure (as usual). It could be a challenge, in a sense, to critics. NIN essentially disappeared four years ago and the last two albums put out (Ghosts I-IV and The Slip) are largely overlooked. Most people seem to long for NIN to return to the sound and feel of The Downward Spiral and may even question if Reznor still has it in him ("Everywhere now reminding me/I am not who I used to be/I'm afraid this has just begun/Consequences for what I've done"). So, the song, lyrically, can represent his answer to critics to say that yes he went off to work on other projects, but here he is, back, but feeling haunted by his past and how everyone wants him to be that past instead of evolving into something new.
Regardless, if this is a good sampler of what we can expect out of Hesitation Marks, I think the new album is going to be great. My only concern as we move closer to the album's September 3rd release date and a gauntlet of touring is how two members of the newly reformed NIN have already left the group. Certainly Reznor can find other musicians to fill the void, but does this perhaps hint at some deeper troubles that come simply with working with Reznor? Time will tell, but let's hope this is only a small bump in the road.
Sound Off! What do you think of the new Nine Inch Nails single? Do you think Reznor still has it in him or should he have thrown in the towel for good as he originally said he would? Are you planning to see NIN on the upcoming tour?
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I especially like the music to the chorus when it mellows out slightly and sounds a bit ethereal...it's very...dare I say it?...haunting? haha. Okay, I had to)
On May 30th, I saw The Casualties in Austin as part of the Chaos in Tejas punk festival at 11E5. Admittedly, I was at this show really to see The Damned, but I figured seeing The Casualties would be neat as I had tried to get into them earlier in my life while I was still more into punk music.
The Casualties in 2007. Left to right: Jake Kolatis, Jorge Herrera, Marc Eggers, and Rick Lopez
The Casualties formed in 1990 in New York City in an effort to return punk music to what it was more or less originally (perhaps what some see as the second wave of punk rock that was characterized by faster and more aggressive music, i.e., the hardcore and oi! scenes). They drew heavy influences at the time from great hardcore bands like Charged GBH and The Exploited.
The lineup has remained fairly constant over the years with early founders having left, well...early, and others coming and going in the 90s. The current lineup has been together since the early to mid 90s (okay, Rick Lopez joined up in 1998, but semantics and details and so forth) and consists of Jorge Herrera on vocals, Rick Lopez on bass guitar and backing vocals, Jake Kolatis on guitar and vocals, and Marc Eggers on drums.
Allow me to admit that my like of punk music has both waned and become a bit selective over the years. Even back about eight years ago when I was first getting into punk, I had a hard time getting into this band. And sadly, this performance did little to change my mind on the matter. Now, mind you, this isn't to say they were bad. I'll get to the review in a bit. But, as the post-punk gothy type I am, the chances of me suddenly becoming a fan of this band were already low. It just isn't my type of music anymore.
A photo I took of Jake Kolatis, Jorge Herrera, and Marc Eggers
Why did I never get into The Casualties? I don't know. I like other bands of the genre (The Exploited, Charged GBH, Discharge, FEAR, and Rancid, to name a few). Certainly The Casualties sound similar. I think in part, I just didn't care so much for Jorge's style of vocals. Not saying they're bad, just not for me. But, enough on all this. To the review!
The Casualties took to the stage and started with "My Blood, My Life." Immediately the crowd began to get rowdy, crowd surfing and stage diving. There was a lot of energy to the show, but I was quickly reminded, while standing near a stack of speakers, why I don't care too much for Herrera's vocals (the screams cut through the music a bit harshly at times and feel like knife blades in your eardrums when you get too close to speakers).
Their set continued with several other fast paced songs, many having lyrics related to politics and varying social injustices. Somewhere around the point when they played "Underground Army," Herrera threw a Casualties Army scarf into the crowd and things seemed to pick up even more than before. Fans were going crazy and singing at the top of their lungs.
Jake Kolatis
Afterwards, Herrera encouraged some fans to have a cock fight, basically, where a girl would get on a guy's shoulders and the two would bash into other groups in a mosh pit with the winner getting free beer. At first, audience members were hesitant to participate (I know, punks hesitant to bash into each other? I swear I'm not making this part up), but after a bit some did participate. I kept worrying someone would fall off and bash their head open on the concrete (fortunately, this did not happen).
The Casualties ended with "We Are All We Have" which was met with much energy from the crowd. As they left the stage, fans demanded more, but sadly with other bands left to come, no encore would be had. Some fans retreated to find water, others rushed in closer for the next band and the hope of getting good spots for The Damned.
The setlist from the night. I think this came from over where Rick lopez was most of the night, but I wasn't paying attention
All in all, The Casualties have done a great job attracting fans over the years. Their show was full of energy (and dare I say that perhaps Kolatis upstaged Herrera a bit?) and meaning that can at times be lost or turned into a mockery in punk shows. They still aren't my favorite band and I doubt I will find myself listening to them more, but they still retain the same feel punk bands from the 90s came with. All in all, not a bad show at all and I'm glad to have seen it, even with all the crowd surfing and stage diving that I loathe.
Sound Off! Were you at this show? What did you think? Did you become a fan of The Casualties after this? Were you already a fan? What were your favorite moments? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (good energy, good antics, overall good sound, but not really my cup of tea anymore)
It has been some time since I last did an album review that wasn't Bauhaus or Peter Murphy (which is rather an exercise in futility as you all know I will give highly favorable reviews to all those bodies of work because...well...they are my favorites). So, today I shall review Fad Gadget's "final" album, 1984's Gag.
The album cover for Gag
Fad Gadget was the stage name Frank Tovey adopted for a time. Tovey tried to learn various musical instruments as he grew up, but never had enough coordination (or perhaps patience) to stick with any and drifted away from music while he went through school. After school, Tovey got into experimenting with sounds eventually buying a synthesizer. He recorded his first demo and sent it to Daniel Miller (AKA The Normal, who had himself just released his first, and only, set of singles "Warm Leatherette" with "T. V. O. D.").
Afterwards, Tovey signed to Mute records where he worked closely with Miller to produce his first album, Fireside Favourites. Not being familiar with how recording an album went, many of the more technical aspects were left to Miller, but the music was all Tovey's work and ideas. He felt strongly about leading the direction of the album and felt similarly when it came to performing the songs live.
With each new album, the music gained in complexity of sounds as Tovey learned more about recording albums. This eventually led to the production of Gag, often seen as a major turning point in Tovey's career. Gag marked the first time other musicians helped record parts of songs. Gag also marked the final album that Tovey recorded under his stage name of Fad Gadget. All his future endeavors saw him using his real name.
Frank Tovey
In general, Fad Gadget's music has bleak, dark humorous lyrics that center around themes of sexuality, violence, capitalism, etc. The music is heavily driven by synthesizers and his singing tone is typically droning (in a sense) and expressionless. This isn't to say his vocals are boring. They merely add to the subject matter that he chooses to write lyrics around.
As Tovey's career wore on, he became increasingly known for his bizarre stage antics (thins like jumping into the audience and covering himself with tar and feathers as depicted in the music video for "Collapsing New People"). He also staunchly disliked industrialization (and perhaps the music genre of industrial) and changed his style to feature more acoustic sets. However, by 1993, Tovey had essentially removed himself from the music industry.
2001 saw the brief resurrection of Tovey, using the name Fad Gadget once more, to support Depeche Mode on a tour and begin writing new music. Sadly, this new album Tovey was working on was never finished as he passed away from a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 45 (he had had heart problems since he was a child).
Gag was considered a bit of an experimental album as opposed to a commercial album. It opens with "Ideal World" which is a dismal outlook at a perfect world that exists only in your mind or dreams where there is "no stress, no death/when you fall you wake/and feel no pain." The content and style of this song falls in line with other songs Tovey produced previously. I find it fairly catchy and is one of my favorites from the album.
The second track, "Collapsing New People," was actually the first song I heard from Fad Gadget. It is one of the first collaborations Tovey did, working with Einsturzende Neubauten (a band whose name translates into "collapsing new buildings"). This number is also catchy and features fairly dark lyrics ("Stay awake all night/but never see the stars/and sleep all day/on a chain-link bed of nails"). I don't really know what the lyrics are communicating, but I greatly enjoy the song, for what that may be worth.
The third track, "Sleep," is a very odd number. It opens with a piano and sounds that represent a baby babbling. I've always found this song to be particularly creepy ("sleep, baby sleep/daddy's gone out to earn your keep/sleep, baby sleep/momma's sad, hear her weep"). However, the song seems to have a positive note despite all the darkness. Lyrically, it's as if the father telling this story hopes for his baby to live a better life than he did and be a better person while he toils to help make a brighter future for the child.
The fourth track, "Stand Up," takes on a very different feel compared to the other songs. The music is more upbeat and lyrically tries to make the point that you should fight for your dreams and not let others step all over you. A bit out of place compared to other Fad Gadget songs, but possibly a personal message in which Tovey is trying to say he's going to make music in his way and won't pander to a label or particular people. It's a neat reprieve from the darkness several of the songs on this album contain.
Skipping to track seven, "The Ring," I love the music on this one. It's sort of a dark cabaret dealing with the subject of marriage and what happens when you are young and really full of lust instead of true love, leading to pain and shattered dreams. Rarely do you get a taste of the darker side of marriage, so this one is a bit special in that regard. I much enjoy it.
On the whole, Gag certainly shows a more experimental side of Fad Gadget. It's a neat album, but in being largely experimental, you often find yourself getting one song that's dark followed by another that is upbeat, and back and forth. It isn't the most uniform and flowing album. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Bauhaus's The Sky's Gone Out is similar in the lack of flow department. However, I feel that album pulled that aspect off a bit better than Gag does. Still, I find this a fairly solid album and worth a listen. Frank Tovey, you are missed.
Let me begin by saying this may be the only time I ever do a TV series review, which goes to show how much I felt moved to write a review about this series.
As some of you may know, The Hunger is one of my favorite films. I don't believe I have ventured to review it yet, but what isn't there to love about that film? It has "Bela Lugosi's Dead." It has Bauhaus. It has Peter Murphy (in a cage, no less). It has David Bowie. Catherine Deneuve. Susan Sarandon. Gorgeous classical music. Deliciously creepy sounds. A gorgeous apartment home. Vampires. What more do you want!?! The only tragedies surrounding the movie are: 1) Needs more Bauhaus, 2) Seeing David Bowie age rapidly makes the heart cry, 3) The official soundtrack for whatever reason actually does NOT feature "Bela Lugosi's Dead" (seriously, why not? Come on!), 4) I cannot get the book to save my life ($30 or so is a bit much), and 5) Finding a movie poster for a decent price is also near impossible. But otherwise, one could not ask for more.
David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve scope out the club looking for their victims for the night.
So, imagine my delight upon finding a TV series by the same name that had some similarities and ties to the movie! Also imagine my confusion when I saw the series was only moderately rated (averaging about a 3 out of 5). But, okay, fine. I love this kind of stuff where others don't typically. Remember my 5 out of 5 rating for The Sky's Gone Out from Bauhaus? "Official" reviewers give it a 3 or 4 out of 5. I like my pasta and I like it creepy.
There are only two seasons of the show. Each episode runs in a similar fashion where The Host (played by Terence Stamp in season 1 and David Bowie [yes, DAVID BOWIE!] in season 2) introduces the episode by saying something snarky and/or witty. The episode then plays which typically explores some dark facet of human nature, be that the excesses of sexual desire, people with odd "talents," vampires, etc. There really aren't any happy ends and usually the main character meets some unfortunate demise. The episode ends with The Host again saying something witty to try and close things and "teach you a lesson." Basically, this has the feel of Tales From The Crypt, but I don't feel the series ultimately captured the same kind of magic, if you will, that Tales From The Crypt had.
A rather dapper Terence Stamp, much as he looks when portraying The Host
What I've found in watching the series (which is available in full on Netflix, for those interested) is that some episodes are well done while others are terrible. None of the episodes share characters, so it's easy enough to skip over ones you don't like, which is nice.
WARNING: Some spoilers are found below as I recap a few episodes. You have been warned.
The first episode, "The Swords," follows a man who is in the fashion industry following in his father's footsteps basically on an ultimatum: do this and get off drugs, or go to jail and rehab and be nothing. While at a conference for fashion designs, the main character runs into some local miscreants who follow the way of life the main character once lived (drinking, drugs, etc.). They go to a night club to dance the night away. Once the music stops, a magic show ensues where the trick is to place a sharp sword into a woman's midsection without her being harmed. The men pay their money to do this and are amazed when she is indeed unharmed. The main character becomes obsessed with this woman. Eventually, she is paid to go to the man's hotel room and do whatever he asks of her, sexually and otherwise. Over time, the two become intimate and fall in love. The catch is that by the woman falling in love with someone, the spell she was under where she couldn't be harmed by the swords is broken. She knows this, but the main character does not. So, after a night of passionate sex, she bids the man a final farewell as she knows that she will die that night during the show (which she does). This was one of the better episodes, in my opinion.
David Bowie as The Host in season 2
The second episode, "Menage a Trois," is all kinds of wonderful creepy pasta. In short, a young woman is hired on as help for an elderly woman. Also working for the elderly woman is a young man who does much of the fixing up of the place. Over time, the young woman and man enter a sexual relationship. Much to his horror, however, is that the elderly woman has actually come to posses the mind and body of the young woman, hence the notion of the relation actually being a menage a trois. Very creepy episode, but really good.
The sixth episode, "Room 17," was a bit of a miss for me. it's about a traveling salesman who stinks at his job. He is late on bills and his wife is constantly pestering him about getting money. The man checks into a cheap motel where the TV only plays pornos. One of these, however, features a woman that actually talks to the man. She convinces him that they can be together, but he must kill his wife and bring her necklace heirloom. The man ends up doing this and brings the porno lady the necklace. The electricity goes out, the man panics and tries to get the motel owner to come and fix things. Much to his horror, the porno lady steals the necklace then laughs at the idea of being with him as he cannot enter the TV, but she can leave it. The cops are on their way as he reported a theft of the necklace, but he now has the worry of what will happen when they arrive and if they discover he murdered his wife. It's an alright episode, but others are much better.
Overall, it's easy to see why this show never really picked up. The episodes tend to be hit or miss. It was aired originally in Canada and Europe. Given the sexual content present in nearly every episode, the show had to be aired late at night to follow rules regarding adult content. It could never really be a primetime show. It has, however, developed a small cult following over the years which has lent it to being aired in the US and available on Netflix. The show has its merits, but it does have its inconsistencies.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (just because some of the episodes are a miss for me)
NOTICE: This is the more professional version of this concert review. I find several reviewers today annoy me as they 1) don't do their research and 2) make reviews when they have no idea what they're talking about (an example: someone reviewed Bauhaus's Go Away White and said it wasn't very good, but admitted to not listening to it fully...it's one thing to think the album isn't that good after you tried to listen to it a handful of times in full...it's another to discard it and not even listen to it fully once!). Anyways, comments would be appreciated on a stylistic level for this review. I know it still has a bit more personal anecdotes than is typical of a review (I tried to parse them out, but I also like telling a bit of a story when I do these things and perhaps show you a little of why certain things leave their impressions on me). I plan in the near future to start up a separate site with a friend dedicated to concert and music reviews on a more professional level, so this is some of the ground work. Many thanks and enjoy!
Allow me to begin by saying this is most likely an incredibly biased review. I have listened to Bauhaus since I was about 16 or 17 (mind you, I'm currently 24, so this may not hold as much stock to those of you who listened since the beginning in 1978). I've listened to Peter Murphy's solo work since I was 20 (in blissful ignorance I existed until that age knowing Bauhaus was gone but not realizing the man had a prolific solo career). While I love love LOVE Bauhaus, I actually love Peter Murphy's solo work much more (I feel like I just committed some act of blasphemy, but this is the truth). So, it should come as no surprise that this review will be incredibly positive. I've also sat on this review for some time, editing and revising it several times over. Some of the details I have forgotten while others were edited out to make this a bit more professional, but it's time for the Internet to behold this marvel. Your fair warning has been issued.
The Mr. Moonlight Tour started April 22, 2013 in San Antonio, Texas. The idea is simple - let's give the fans an all-Bauhaus set to commemorate 35 years of the band's existence. And let's give them a mix of the hits they love and some of the slightly more obscure songs they may never have heard in the past.
Peter Murphy during the Miracula session he did during Halloween 2012. Photo credit to Christy Borgman (fantastic shot, by the way!)
For a fan such as myself who never did see Bauhaus as the "original four" (Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J, and Kevin Haskins), this is as good as it gets. A full Bauhaus set. No "I'll Fall With Your Knife." No "I Spit Roses." And certainly no "Cuts You Up." Just Peter Murphy, Mark Gemini Thwaite, Emilio China, and Nick Lucero playing some delicious "Dark Entries," "Kick in the Eye," and "Boys."
But, I've seen some negative commentary over the fact that this tour isn't exactly a Bauhaus tour. The only Bauhaus member is Peter Murphy himself doing vocals, some guitar, and melodica. The other three people on that stage are not Daniel Ash, David J, or Kevin Haskins. Peter Murphy even recently confirmed that he didn't ask the others if they wanted to do a reunion tour to mark 35 years of Bauhaus (http://clatl.com/cribnotes/archives/2013/05/02/peter-murphy-on-what-makes-bauhaus-music-so-transcendent). And for whatever reason, there are those who think this is some sort of grand sin against humanity or something. So, let me at least do a little justice to the three and tell you what I can about them (which, sadly and admittedly, is not much).
Emilio China takes on the role of David J, playing fretless bass and at some points the electric violin. I admittedly do not know much about Emilio. He has been with Peter Murphy since the official tour supporting Ninth (I believe Jeff Schartoff did the actual recording of these parts on Ninth). I don't know what other acts he has performed with in the past, but he is clearly very talented. Granted the violin parts are limited in Bauhaus's material, but the last time I saw Peter Murphy performing solo material (November 2011), Emilio was part of that tour and played electric violin more as Peter Murphy at times likes to incorporate more instruments in his songs. Let me say, as a violinist myself (not necessarily a great one, but I know how to play fairly well), I like this guy's style. He sounds great and brings out emotion while he plays. Kudos from my point of view, for what they may be worth. He also plays fretless bass for the Bauhaus material. Fretless bass is much more difficult to play than the standard electric bass. Also, Bauhaus has a mix of simple bass parts where you play the same note the entire song and songs with complicated rhythms and schemes for the notes. He has a bit of a laid back presence on stage helping Peter Murphy keep that dominating spirit, but this guy has talent. I really wish I knew more of his background, though.
Finding pictures of Emilio is also a bit tough. He's in the front with Peter Murphy in the background
Nick Lucero has been drumming for Peter Murphy for a long time. According to his personal website, he has played with a few other bands (sadly, I do not recognize any of them). I don't even know how long he's been with Peter Murphy (I know he's been with him since at least 2009 because he's played every show I've seen). Nick is also really good at what he does, maintaining high energy throughout the show and playing his parts well. Some Bauhaus songs have what seems to me a complicated rhythm, often times with syncopation, and he plays these without any trouble. As with Emilio, I wish I knew a bit more about Nick's background. But, trust me, he's a great guy (though a bit shy each time I've said hello to him after a show and complemented his playing) and also definitely belongs up on that stage.
Nick Lucero
The third "unknown" is guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite. Mark, like Nick, has been with Peter Murphy for a very long time. From what I can tell, Mark first started playing with Peter Murphy in 2005 to support the somewhat ill-fated album Unshattered (another story for another time). He then took a break and worked on a number of other projects before rejoining Peter Murphy in 2010 for a UK tour and has stayed more or less since then (I think he's had a few one off projects since then, but that working with Peter Murphy is the main priority currently). I'm not sure how accurate all this is as I could have sworn I saw him in June 2009 on the Secret Covers Tour, but his personal page isn't loading for me and I always take Wikipedia with a grain of salt.
Peter Murphy on the left and Mark Gemini Thwaite on the right. Also, as a random aside, kudos to whoever took this photo!
From what I can tell, Mark seems to get the most crap from interviewers and reviewers. I don't get it. Not to knock Emilio or Nick, but Mark has the far superior credentials in terms of the acts he's played with. Where do we even begin? Peter Murphy. The Mission. Combichrist. Al Jourgensen. Revolting Cocks. Gary Numan. Need I say more? And people question if the guy belongs on the same stage as Peter Murphy? Dare I say maybe the question should be asked in the other direction? (I'm kidding on that part, but you get where I'm coming from)
Taking the role of Daniel Ash is also a daunting one, I have to imagine. Daniel Ash was known for making the guitar sound anything but like a guitar. Ever heard "Hollow Hills?" The predominant sounds in that song are not done on a synthesizer. Bauhaus never used synthesizers. They aren't dubbed tracks. Bauhaus never used backing tracks either. Those sounds are made on guitar (from the Gotham DVD performance, it appears Daniel Ash uses a violin bow against the strings...I'm not sure what exactly Mark used to make the same sound, but it worked damn well). So, trust, haters of the world, this man has the talent, the credentials, and the presence to be on the stage with Peter Murphy playing Bauhaus songs.
Still saying nay? Well, there'll be no pleasing you at all, in this case. You will either continue to be upset over the fact that this is Peter Murphy with his solo band playing loads of Bauhaus songs, or you'll come to realize that for better or worse, the singer is what makes the band anyways (another story for another time, but do ask yourself who has been the most consistent over the years since Bauhaus and you'll understand the point I'm trying to make here), and that this is a truly special thing you will witness. Without further ado, the actual review for each concert date I attended:
Austin, Texas - The Belmont - 4/23/13
This was the first time I had even heard of The Belmont (mind you, Austin has MANY music venues, and from what I understand, The Belmont had re-opened more recently after closing for a bit, possibly due to restructuring and remodeling). It certainly isn't the first "odd" venue I've seen Peter Murphy at (going to the middle of nowhere to a venue that was once a movie theater might take the cake on this one...again, another story for another time).
The Belmont itself is a nice venue. Good location, two areas you can watch the show from, and a very low stage. It is an outdoor venue and we had the most unseasonal cold weather this night (as in 50s...when it should be like 80s). The opening act, My Jerusalem, were okay. Not really my kind of music, so I wasn't too into them. They had good energy and seemed to like being up there. After hearing them on three nights mostly in a row, however, I'd be fine never hearing them again. Just not my cup of tea. Good on them for being an Austin based band and touring with Peter Murphy for a couple weeks. I won't go into them more as this review isn't aimed at them, but they deserve a mention at the very least.
Peter Murphy took to the stage and started with "King Volcano" leading straight into "Kingdom's Coming." It was a great mesh and a great way to open, though I recall I spent those opening songs shivering more than being able to sing (not their fault, of course...and rather impressive they all played so well given that cold). The set continued with great favorites like "Double Dare" and "In the Flat Field" before jumping into slightly more obscure ones like "Boys." The playing of "Bela Lugosi's Dead" was sensational all of its own. I've heard the medley Peter Murphy normally does combining "Bela Lugosi's Dead" with his solo song "A Strange Kind of Love." The medley is gorgeous and allowed me to get through what I consider an often overplayed and overhyped song. Yes, you heard me correct. I used to feel "Bela Lugosi's Dead" was an overhyped and overplayed song. Good, yes, but there's so much more to Bauhaus than just that.
Seeing it live, however, I have found a new awe for this masterpiece. I used to wonder what went into making all the sounds in that song. Now I know. Four people on their respective instruments. There are no backing tapes, no recordings, no extra people, no synthesizers, none of that. Just a bass guitar, guitar, drums, vocals, and some effects pedals. In that performance, the four were able to recapitulate the same dark essence the song has on recording. And there's nothing like the harrowing vocals as Peter Murphy belts out "Oh Bela! Bela's undead!" That's my personal favorite part of the song and on that night I recall having chills during that part (and not just because it was kind of cold).
On the whole, the set was amazing. It wasn't everything I would have wanted, but I'm certainly not complaining (to get all I wanted, they'd essentially have to be on stage for several hours and play everything). Peter Murphy did a fantastic job interacting with the audience as he usually does, letting people touch him, kissing some people, pushing others (lightly) on the head, etc. By and large, the audience were great, as they tend to be at Peter Murphy shows. Most are older than me, but there's always a good energy to the crowd and a good mix of people singing to all the songs and others just dancing to each tune. Honestly, the only thing that would have improved this night was either warmer weather or being indoors. But, the band were perfect and after all these years, Peter Murphy still sounds great and pulls off these songs like some grand master.
Dallas, Texas - The Granada Theater - 4/24/13
The next night I drove a good three and a half hours to Dallas to see Mr. Murphy once again. As I said, this is perhaps a once in a lifetime thing that I was going to take full advantage of. And I told you I was incredibly biased.
As we entered the Granada, there was a list where you could put your email and receive photos from the show. I didn't know what this was and thought maybe it'd be like previews and you can buy them or something, so I signed up. To say the least, this was an awesome thing as a few days later I received an email with some amazing, professional photos of the show, and I intend to contact the photographer and order some prints if they do that. So, major kudos to Bill Ellison! (Sorry, I had to mention this part because it was so unique and cool to me)
Peter Murphy and Mark Gemini Thwaite
The Granada Theater was also once a movie theater. The sound was handled very nicely here, but the stage comes up to your chin, making it a little tough to see and interact with the performers on stage. But all in all, this is probably one of my more favorite venues I've been to.
On this night, there were two openers, which resulted in a shorter set from Peter Murphy (which while it was about 1.5 hours the night before, it still felt very short to me). Without going into much detail, the first opener was Vulgar Fashion. I personally did not care for them, but some people in the audience seemed to like them. The second opener was My Jerusalem again, which I've already shared my thoughts on them. Good, but not my cup of tea.
One of Peter Murphy's trademark poses - "Oooooooh....Bellllllllllaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!"
So, we finally get to Peter Murphy performing. As with the night before in Austin, it was an amazing show. Great set and his playing "Endless Summer of the Damned" from Go Away White set me towards listening to that album more and finding it to not be as bad as I used to find it (I even felt moved to re-review it: http://rogoth.blogspot.com/2013/05/music-re-review-bauhaus-go-away-white.html). The set did get cut in places, so gems like "She's in Parties" and "A Spy in the Cab" were not played. I know some of the other audience members were really hoping to hear these, so I felt a little sorry that they didn't get them. But, they had VIP tickets and I did not. So, it's somewhat fair? My one complaint about this show is simply that the stage was too damn high. At times I felt disconnected from the show since I was on a very different plane. I felt more like a distant observer, or perhaps someone sitting at home watching the show on DVD. It was like what I do with the Gotham DVD, where I sit in my all black and pretend that I was in that audience, that I had been much older back then, knew of this great music then, and so forth (I was like 9 or 10 when the Resurrection Tour happened). My guess is Peter felt this way at times too since he got on his knees at one point to tell us the story behind the writing of "Boys" before playing it.
Aside from the stage height, this was an amazing show. I know Peter Murphy tried his best to work with us, but it is tough when you're towering a mile above the audience. For this, I felt the Austin show was better. But, the set, while shorter than the night before, was still excellent. And the performance of "Endless Summer of the Damned" has truly helped alter my view on the last Bauhaus album. Was it worth the long drive, both ways, to see this tour again? I certainly think it was.
Houston, Texas - Numbers - 4/26/13
The final show of the three and another road trip, but with friends this time! For this show, we had the VIP meet and greet tickets. I would finally meet this man after so many shows (I've seen Peter Murphy in concert seven times and only met him the one time with these VIP tickets). So, for the occasion, I bought a nice bouquet of roses to at least show my appreciation for his talents and music, even if I couldn't verbally express what it all meant to me (in part due to the nerves of finally getting to meet him and in part because I honestly cannot put into words why his music is so important to me). I also brought my "Bela Lugosi's Dead" 12" single (just the black repress in the thick sleeve) and my Mask LP to have signed.
This is from the Dallas show, but I didn't really take any pics in Houston
As far as a concert venue, I'm not a fan of Numbers. I had seen Peter Murphy here once before (the pre-Ninth tour). Their stage has these steps that lead up to it and most get covered over when they extend the stage out, except for one. So, most of the time, people stand on that one step, making them much taller than the rest of us. Thus, front row and you see, any other row and you struggle. We got to the venue a bit late and Numbers did not uphold the policy of letting VIP ticket holders in first as they claimed they would, so we didn't get front row, unfortunately. I got as close to front and center as I could and luckily got a spot where the people weren't overly tall in front of me.
As with the other shows, the set was amazing (it was longer and similar to the set in Austin). Peter was gorgeous. Everyone sounded great. There were several sound issues and half the time it was hard to hear Peter's lower registry notes and hard to hear when he just talked to us (not his fault, and you could tell he was getting a little frustrated at some points when the sound techs couldn't fix the issues).
At one point, Peter was getting tired of people taking pictures and videos. He basically said, "Stop looking at my through your phones and cameras. I'm here right now. Look at me directly. Interact with me. Touch me." This gives you an idea of the audience. The venue was pretty packed, and there were certainly fans who were really into the show, singing along, dancing, interacting, etc. But there were plenty that wanted to record the show and take pictures. I understand wanting to capture the memories as I, too, will take pictures and video. But, usually I only take pictures during the first couple of songs and only take video of a couple songs. To each their own, I suppose, but I'd much rather have traded places with the guy in front of me who viewed the entire show through the lens of his camera.
Following the show, we went to get in line for the meet and greet. I had no idea what I'd say to the man. I had been thinking for weeks on what to say without sounding like a fangirl or an idiot. We finally get in there and Peter is signing mini posters for everyone. Not having a normal name, he asks me to spell mine and asks where it's from. I tell him it's Arabic and that I'm half Palestinian. He looks up at me and asks if I'm Christian or Muslim. I tell him Muslim, which is true, though I admit to not being a close follower at the moment.
Everyone gets funny, joking around Peter. I got serious face Peter. Upon telling him I'm Muslim, he extends the formal greeting Muslims give one another, "Salaam alaikum." I of course reply traditionally with "Walaikum salaam." He tells me to send prayers to our brothers and sisters in Syria, Gaza, etc. Of course, I reply. He then tells me about how excited he is to have a couple tour dates set in Israel now for the Mr. Moonlight Tour because he feels there's more to those shows perhaps than these. It's an opportunity to spread peace and love to the youth there and in some sense show them that we can all be friends instead of enemies and that our beliefs are the same and beautiful. Then our time together was done. I gave him the roses, he smiled, and then I had to walk on.
One of my friends was telling the kid in the white shirt that he was really great and she saw him with his family when they opened for the Psychedelic Furs in Austin a few months ago. Peter turned to the kid and was like "Wait, you've played with the Psychedelic Furs!? I have GOT to figure out how to do that!" And then scheming face commenced.
The meet and greet was a neat opportunity, but didn't go quite as I expected based on previous meet and greets. You didn't get to hug the man or take a picture with him as others had done previously. And while talking to him even for those couple of minutes was great, it certainly didn't feel like enough.
All in all, this was a sensational set of concerts to attend. Of the three dates, I think Austin was my favorite, though the Dallas and Houston were very good. The VIP thing was cool, but perhaps not quite worth the money. It was a truly unique experience to see a full Bauhaus set like this. And sure, it was only Peter Murphy from the original Bauhaus, but I don't care. He is the face, voice, and driving force behind that band. Nick, Emilio, and Mark have every right to be on that stage playing those songs and they did a mighty damn fine job at it! And I eagerly await the next solo album, Lion, which is looking for an early 2014 release. You may all sit there imagining me throwing my wallet, cash, coins, and credit cards at my computer screen, screaming , "Take my money!!!!" The image is rather accurate, I would say. Thank you, Peter, for a series of great nights. Keep doing your thing and we'll keep following.
Austin show rating: 5 out of 5
Dallas show rating: 5 out of 5 (the stage was so high, but the professional pictures make up for it)
Houston show rating: 4 out of 5 (great show, but I just don't like Numbers as a concert venue)
Photos/Videos: Unless otherwise credited/stated, I took these photos on my phone (hence the grainy quality). Please give credit if you wish to use them since I'm too silly to put watermarks on them. All videos were taken by other people and can be found via YouTube.
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