This review contains a nice short story leading up to the show. I'm rehearsing with my band ARIEL (shameless plug i know) and I go for a bathroom break. I'm standing there, then all of a sudden I hear music in the vent, it turns out to be...Crystal Wrists!..it sounds live...as a huge fan I couldn't believe my ears, of course the show was a week away. I stand out in the hall, I can hear it better, I was sure it was PM and the band rehearsing. I eventually got to meet Peter and sat on the couch together for a bit at the rehearsal hall. Very kind, and very busy, obviously.

I saw the Bauhaus show and appearance for "Wild Birds" and enjoyed them-but this is Peter Murphy at his best. If you like live concerts, and if you like amazing musicianship (I gotta give Hugh Marsh some praise for his amazing violin work), and if you like high end showmanship (or showpersonship for the pc) and you missed Peter Murphy in your city on the DUST tour-invent a time machine and go back or simply travel forward in time to another city where he's playing. I'd compare it to some of my other favourite live shows like Dead Can Dance in Montreal back in 1996. It was dramatic and powerful. Nobody works a stage and a crowd like this man. Nobody moves like this. As far as local critics in on the CD go-I don't think they "get it" and thats ok, that's the beauty of DUST, it'll creep in and you will find it. The show really drove home what DUST is for me.

As a musician that has been exploring exotic sounds in a world influence but "non-world music" fashion since 1995, I must say that this album and performance is unique from a musicians standpoint. (by the way-would Cascade be considered "World" if played somewhere else like say...India? Uganda? Who are we to call something "World"..anyway) Go see this show if you can.

Also-I have to give a shout out to the opening artist, an acquaintance who works as hard as anybody-PRIYA THOMAS. Attached is a pic of my wife Angela, Peter and I from the after show lounge at the PHOENIX.

review by Ali
ARIEL : http://www.listen.to/ariel

It was a sad sight to see Peter, after all his glory back in the Bauhaus days, to come onstage a bit worn and fragile looking. Even though I've only recently gotten into Peter Murphy's solo work, it was a bit disheartening to see him aged. This perception changed after he began the show; his energy level and passion for his music was quite uplifting.

He played mostly new material from his recent album, Dust, which emphasized a more spiritual, calm side. The music was ambient, like Dead Can Dance. Two old songs were redone, My Last 2 Weeks and Subway, which were presented in a more melodic, softer format. Older material was done as well, including All Night Long, Roll Call, Crystal Wrists, and Gliding Like A Whale. For the 3 encores, Cuts You Up and I'll Fall with Your Knife were played, and closed with David Bowie's cover of Space Oddity.

All in all it was a great show, very simple in style and focused on Peter (just the way he wanted). However, attention was also given to the other 4 musicians in the band, who played a variety of exotic instruments such as an electric sitar.

oh. my. god.

that's all i can say.
wow. WOW.

the peter murphy concert was last night... holy shit. it was fricken' AMAZING :)

we were front row again! right at the stage, and i touched his shoe (though mike got mad at me that i didn't reach out to touch more than that :P i was scared to!)

seriously. i went in there thinking "okay, so i don't really like his music as much as bauhaus, but it's peter murphy so i'll go see him anyways." boy did that change. the soundscapes were AWESOME. a lot of the stuff sounded much different than on CD, which was very cool, so that was a pleasant surprise.

they played "Subway" and "I'll Fall With Your Knife" and "Gliding Like A Whale" and "Crystal Wrists", and of course "Cuts Your Up" and "All Night Long", and a bunch of new stuff... and the final song of the night? bowie's "Space Oddity"!! it was great!!! gee, you think bowie was his influence maybe? :) he was on stage for abut two hours, i think, which was sweet.

i almost cried at one point. i know that's kind of cheesy, but really. it was during "Subway"... they had these bright white lights filtering on him, and he was alone in the middle of the stage... and when he sang the first "There's a place where we can meet..." that really got to me.

actually i hadn't realized how much of his songs off the new album ("Dust", i believe it's called) sounded so middle-eastern influenced. which was very cool. you could tell he's been living in hungary for a while :P

he wore red silky pajama-like things, and a big flowy grey jacket. and a fluffy hungarian hat at the end. he did all his trademark moves: the wiggle, the exaggerated curtsey + wiggle, the flapping jacket, the pogo stick, the twirl... and he played with lightbulbs. he was oh so overdramatic, and everyone just lapped it up :) as i thought he'd be. he's peter murphy... he's allowed to be pretentious :P heh. this was my first time ever seeing him in concert, and i was NOT disappointed - he was exactly how i expected him to be :) and more. so much more. *swoon*

and he has a good sense of humour too :)

the band had kick ass instruments too... i'd never seen half of them before. during the first half, the guitar outpowered his voice some though, which kinda sucked :\ but towards the end it was okay. they even had an electric violin, which i loved.

i hope someone took pictures :| i was going to bring my camera, but i didn't think they'd let me bring it in. they didn't with VNV. oh well. i doubt i'll be forgetting that night any time soon :)

i didn't know if there was gonna be an opening band or not... turned out there was this chick (i can't remember her name... something Thomas) who opened. her voice was pretty good i guess, but she thrashed and flailed around the stage like a madwoman and i think that scared people. heh. she was...interesting.

anyways, back to peter :) he was... awesome. just.... damn. there are no words to explain what i felt last night. seriously. i've been waiting to see him for about five years now... and thankfully when my chance came i was not disappointed in the least :) amazing... absolutely amazing...

anyways, i'm still dazed right now, so i'll leave you with another *swoon* and be on my way ;)

woohoo! peter fuckin' murphy!!! *grin*

On hearing one of the newest tracks for the Peter Murphy album "DUST" (his newest) I was expecting a kind of incense smelling Ravi Shankar induced mellow chill out concert. I was very happily wrong on that count. The first few tracks he played began rather Delerium-esque. Very soon however the beat kicked in and it was just good old Peter Murphy again. Not to say that his new stuff wasnt interesting, it was..but it was nice to still hear him there. It was so fantastic to actually see him. He came onstage wearing these tattered red shiny pijamas covered at first by a long trench. He stalked about the stage like a wolf, bounced a bit, resumed stalking and then lifted his head to the lights shielding his eyes from the glow above his head and entwining the light around his finger tips (you liked that didnt you..i did) He had this huge amazing ego that poured out of his eyes.. he knows he's the shit and everyone there agreed with him. He took some time to fool with the fans who laughed at his wit and adored..how could we not.. he would start almost every song full back to the crowed baring his little bald spot like the fucker earned it ..well, he has been around for donkeys;) One of my favorite songs he performed was Roll Call..it sounded so much fuller live with the electric violin.

Show details as posted in the events section - see the archives at http://events.toronto-goth.com :

Mon. May 6th: Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy began his musical career as the front man and songwriter of the influential post-punk band Bauhaus. With their own particular mystique and stark brooding music, it was inevitable that Bauhaus would be classified as the vanguards of Goth. Dark, distinct and intense, their music also contained humour, experimentation and pure rock 'n roll energy. Bauhaus' distinguished body of work has remained timeless. At the Phoenix, 410 Sherbourne. Tickets now available from Ticketmaster for $25.50 + surcharges. 19+ only. Doors 8pm.

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