Bauhaus - Gotham (Live Goth Rock 1999)

As the crowd shuffles in, the various freaks and weirdos who lovingly come out for their favorite band turn to the camera man and make comments about the long-awaited reunion of the grandfathers of goth rock. One by one, fans describe how they never thought it would happen -- how it seemed near impossible. Many of the fans are barely as old as Bauhaus' first single, if not younger. And as the cameras find their way into New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom, the big question is how Bauhaus can live up to their legendary status without seeming too pretentious about their approach. The lights go out, the stage is illuminated with bizarre spotlights, and then a video screen of Peter Murphy's head appears as the throbbing strains of "Double Dare" kick in. And for the entirety of the song, Murphy's gaunt face looms over the crowd as he moans the lyrics like the ghost of a band long disappeared. "I dare you to be real," he gasps to the audience, "to touch a flickering flame!" And the crowd goes out of their minds for it, giving the video as much electricity and manic energy as a recorded live performance can. When Murphy gets on-stage after the opening number, the camera pans around to show the oddly youthful crowd losing their minds for the true Thin White Duke. Murphy obviously still looks up to David Bowie, as he looks much like the Let's Dance incarnation of the famed musical chameleon, except slightly more vampiric. The rest of the band looks all the world like actual rock stars, dressed up somewhere between CIA agents and the New York Dolls. Their thrashing and jumping around is a nice contrast to the stoic approach of their frontman, proving that the years in Love and Rockets added a lot of valuable lessons in stage presence. What is striking about their performance here isn't so much that they can still play the songs; everyone from the Sex Pistols to Black Sabbath have reunited and at least remembered the hits. What Bauhaus manages to do is add a sharp, charismatic edge to the material that is rarely present in goth music. They were never truly a goth band; despite their status as such, they were always more like the natural extension of British punk music. And here they come off like a band 20 years younger and still hungry, like they still have something to prove after all this time. The interview segments in between tracks are interesting, if only because of the obvious enthusiasm they still have for the material (and Murphy's healthy ego). And the occasional jumbled sound manages to make the show come across as an actual live performance, foregoing the usual polished overdubs with a gloriously raw mix. Sounding great and looking enthused, Bauhaus manages to deliver an exciting live package and a wonderful reward to longtime fans who might have been hesitant about their abilities. Gotham is goth rock 101 for anyone wondering how to do it right; the ideas presented here are old and still seem fresh.

AMG Review by Bradley Torreano