So, going back to our trip, yes we had a superb time. I love short city breaks, grabbing the flavours of another city in a rush of vibrant sights, tastes and sounds. We headed straight for the City Art Gallery, soaked up the beauty of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings and discovered lots of changes since my last visit, including a superb interactive gallery. Top marks! From there went for a pub lunch, bookshops and then checked into our hotel.
On the way to the Bauhaus gig we stopped by several of Mark’s old haunts. He used to have regular Manchester jaunts with a friend who was studying there, so he knows good places to hang out ;-) He reminded me about the Bauhaus gig, which got me away from the rock bar I wanted to buy and keep, and we made it to the gig.
Sigh. Nothing like a top live music performance to make this woman happy, I have to say. Playing to a packed venue, the band was on top form. I love this band live! For listening to at home, I prefer their constituent part material, Love and Rockets, David J, Tones on Tail and Pete Murphy solo material (all of which get lots of airplay when I’m writing) but for live performance, Bauhaus is hard to beat.
I last saw Bauhaus play in 1998, hard to believe 8 years have gone by. Back then it was at Brixton Academy and it was so good I rushed out to buy tix for the second night as well. I was with my ever-charming friend Michael Johnson, aka Uncle Nemesis. He shared with me his early Bauhaus and other young punk memories, and both nights were superb. Was it really that long ago?
This week’s Bauhaus show was easily comparable in terms of performance and top-fun-had-by-all, with the only real difference being in the show presentation. In 1998 they went for a theatrical show; this was more straightforward, although eminently watchable even so, with the band lovely as ever and performing with the sheer nonchalance and bravado other bands can only wish for, it's truly inspirational. Pretty boy Daniel Ash was gorgeous and talented as ever (ie sex on a stick,) Kevin Haskins the teddy bear drummer, David J who can come round and play bass to me anytime and Pete Murphy….Pete Murphy. Ah THE voice. He cavorted across stage, climbing over speakers, peering into lights and playing the goth god, while entertaining us with those sexy vocals (to die for, hehehe.) Their set was everything I wanted it to be, with their trademark mix of uber-Goth and downright stripclub sleaze guitars. Actually… they can all come round and play to me, preferably standing at the end of my bed….posing with those guitars…. That voice, those looks…
Where was I? Ah yes. The venue, Manchester academy, is known as “the barn” around here, due to its immense size and tendency to be unfriendly to performers if not full. No such problems Weds night, I have to say! They went out on Bela Lugosi's dead and could they really end it any other way? We had a LOT of fun! 
Oh and the pix are from Bauhaus performing in the fabulous movie, THE HUNGER which I’ve included specially for Wendy Woo, who loves it just as much as I do!
