Concert Sutra In The Dark With Bauhaus
by terri sapp
Photographs by terri sapp
© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved
click photos for photo gallery
Looking back on 2005, there are a select few times had that I can truly think back fondly on. One of those times was my Thanksgiving holiday. Puppies at home gorged on table scraps, friends gathered all around, and Bauhaus played “The Near the Atmosphere Tour” at my favorite venue, Atlanta’s Tabernacle! The Beautiful, Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar and vocals), David J (bass), and Kevin Haskins (drums) kept even us turkey eating fools going strong well into the night! I couldn’t have asked for a better way to give thanks, but in the Dark with Bauhaus. Even though Bauhaus has been around since the late seventies, made their voice heard in the early part of the eighties, and reunited for touring in the late nineties, their latest tour proves them as fresh and hot as ever!
Bauhaus (in my opinion) gave birth to the genre of Goth music, and paved the way over the years for many bands to experiment with New Wave, Industrial, Goth, and Alternative music. Nowadays, just over a quarter of a century after the release of their first studio album, Bauhaus’s performance raises my age old suspicion that these guys may, in fact, be vampires! Even though the mixture of my being merely an “infant” photographer and the extreme lighting did not exactly allow me to properly catch many clean images of this night at the former house of worship, to look at the grace with which these guys are aging…or NOT aging…is truly an inspiration for those of us who actually remember Bauhaus from the days when they helped create the scene! Not even Leah’s fancy Canon EOS D30 “fill in,” “assistant’s camera” using a Vivitar Series, Wide Angle 19-35 Lens could capture a sharp enough representation of what my sweet eyes witnessed! I was truly bummed not to have had the proper technical skills or major 30D type of “only the pros can afford” “the boss’s camera” equipment to overcome the ambiance of complete darkness, contrasted with sudden flashes of blinding light that surrounded my stallions onstage. Basically, this night of all nights, I really missed having my girl Leah in the house doing what she does best with her ultra-phallic super duper light and motion defying zoom up the nose gear. I know you, our faithful readers, are missing her, too, right about now. You’ll just have to take my word (and Bekah’s, who was drooling on the other side of the balcony) that these hot and sexy guys still got it!
There is no doubt that the power of Bauhaus is vast, and is evidenced in their opening number, “Burning from the Inside.” The funky breakdown from the guitar, bass, and drums, spotlights the genre-bending these guys are so fond of. As always, Peter Murphy’s vocals shine on “In the Flat Fields.” This man has not lost a day on vocals, either! In my outrageous Thanksgiving dreams, Peter Murphy is the hunkiest (approximately) 690 year old Nosferatu to ever serenade me to submit to his whim! Apparent in “God in an Alcove,” Daniel Ash, David J, and Kevin Haskins stand up just fine next to the sinister songbird. “In Fear of Fear” featured a Lost Highway-esque saxophone sound. Haskins’s drum work on “Terror Couple Kills Colonel” is spellbinding, and sets the mood perfectly for Ash’s melodic guitar. One of my favorites, “Swing the Heartache” has a feel all its own. The mix of these four musicians produces quite a supernatural sound and experience. Bauhaus music is smooth and sensual to the core.
Another favorite, “She’s in Parties” pumped up the crowd famously. If the house wasn’t rocking out before, it sure was at this point. “The Passion of Lovers,” “Silent Hedges,” and “Kick In The Eye” all showcase the range and creativity of Bauhaus. “Kick in the Eye” always gets my booty shaking, no matter what I’m doing. Especially since it is about love doing the kicking… It’s just one of those songs! “Hollow Hills” and “Rosegarden Funeral of Sores” serve a couple of samples of the different haunting flavors of Bauhaus, while “Stigmata Martyr” “Hair of the Dog,” and “Dark Entries” demonstrate their more hard rock side. “Stigmata Martyr” is almost metal, it’s so hard core.
At last, what would a Bauhaus concert be without “Bela Legosi’s Dead?” As soon as the infamous first beats of this song rang out through the Tabernacle, and Peter Murphy floated to us with his lovely trench coat on, the herd was mesmerized. One fan even yelled out for everyone to “pay attention!” I must say that playing to a full house on Thanksgiving night must feel great for these guys, because Atlanta showed tons of love for Bauhaus, and we can’t wait for them to return. Something tells me that they’ll be around for an eternity!! (wink!) Once they got the masses eating from the palm of their collective hand, we got a “Slice of Life,” which is what I like to call Bauhaus Floyd! The drums on “Slice of Life” penetrated my every gut, even from the balcony. “Telegram Sam” went right along with the end of the night rock out we got at the home stretch. In the end, we were sent home with a bit about “Ziggy Stardust.” This classic is straight up ROCK, any way you hear it. Absolutely a highlight of the evening, and a fine way to leave us wanting more.
Notwithstanding the drastic lighting choices, which I now believe is their effort to deflect the suspicion that their image is impossible to reproduce, I still tried to get a couple of pictures at the Bauhaus concert for your viewing pleasure. These attempts to secure a suitable likeness of the band, as well as a shot of the hottest fans in the house, can be found at the following link: http://www.concertsutra.com/csbauhaus05/ Not much on the Bauhaus tour calendar these days, except a show at the Wireless Festival in London, England on June 25, 2006. Nonetheless, make a concerted effort to keep an eye out for Bauhaus coming to a city near you. You have to see them for yourself. For more information, go to http://www.bauhausmusik.com/.