Live Review: Peter Murphy, Charlie Horse

Arguably still touring promoting their second album, Strange Passengers, Sydney rockers Charlie Horse kicked off the evening in a solid manner. The five-piece, deeply soaked in '90s Americana alt-rock, belt out fuzzy, fun and unchallenging rock and roll, a wholly enjoyable if not weirdly selected opening act for a man whose career was built on outsider music. The band's greatest asset remains frontwoman Crystal Rose, who ebbs and flows between playful anger and real menace with confidence and charm. A rocked up version of PJ Harvey's Long Snake Moan was a well received and suitable closer.
After too much reggae on the speakers and a preview of Murphy's forthcoming Lion album, Peter Murphy finally stalked his way centre stage. After two inauspiciously unimpressive opening numbers, the former Bauhaus leader really found his footing and let loose with the classic Double Dare. Time has done little to weary the man's trademark baritone. What followed was a Bauhaus-exclusive setlist of all the hits and a few obscure cuts that his original band rocked the Batcave with so many years ago. Funnily enough, for all the pretence and pomp surrounding the original gothic rock scene, Murphy is absolutely at his best when he embraces the songs moment by moment, rather than resting quasi-ironically on his 'Godfather of Goth' label, gazing into the middle distance.
For their part, the backing band knew their place. They played the songs without risks and faultlessly, with down-tuned (dirty to the point of post-punk cliché) bass holding all the chaos together. In the few moments the band did experiment, such as on a groovy, jammed out ending to classic, She's In Parties, the results were great and a sign of what could (perhaps should) have been.
At its best, this could be seen as the world's greatest Bauhaus cover band. For whatever cries against nostalgia shows may've been present at the outset, this was an impeccable band grinding their way through some of the most amazing post-punk music ever written. Having the man who wrote it croon and wail his way through it all is something to treasure.