Live Review: Peter Murphy, Charlie Horse

Charlie Horse reportedly drove ten hours from Sydney to get to this gig, which possibly explains why they look so exhausted. Dressed in black, they try very hard to inject a bit of post-punk goth into their tunes but it's hard to deny the solid, country-rock foundations that are immediately apparent in the mix. Corner Hotel is already starting to look like the inside of Fangtasia as vamps and fangbangers alike fill the place. Everything's turning flamboyantly black in shades of leather, rubber, lace and eyeliner except for that one dude who's dressed in a virginal white suit and looks keen to be sacrificed at the altar of Bauhaus.

Peter Murphy's second visit to our shores this year promises to be a showcase of Bauhaus' finest moments. While Murphy has accused Robert Plant of touring to give Led Zeppelin fans nothing but covers, it seems that Murphy will be doing much the same as irreconcilable differences between former members of Bauhaus presents a huge obstacle to any chance of reunion. The show kicks off with the Celtic folk of King Volcano, which blurs into the similarly themed, acoustic Kingdom's Coming. It's a gently strummed start to a set that delves deep into the Bauhaus catalogue to recall some of the band's finest moments. The versions that Murphy presents lack the nasty, angsty, miserablist bite of the originals. Murphy has smoothed out the jagged edges with a more atmospheric approach. There was also something epic about those old Bauhaus tunes, constructed on such a massive scale that they were awe-inspiringly monolithic. Understanding that he would be presenting these songs to smaller audiences, Murphy's approach to this material is more intimate and allows him to connect with fans immediately. The front row is all hands in the air, desperately trying to connect with Murphy who swats them away like flies. Murphy and his band deliver all the hits, encoring with glam classics Telegram Sam, Ziggy Stardust and a surprisingly rough version of Dead Can Dance's Severance.

The crowd starts to leave as Murphy returns for a second encore to play a song from his forthcoming album that has him sounding a little like The Phantom Of The Opera. Tonight's gig is a blast from the past, reminding us that those old Bauhaus songs still sound fresh.