Peter Murphy: Atlanta 2011

The MAS...RADE!  (Masquerade)

The Masquerade, a lovely venue in Atlanta, featured Peter Murphy in “Heaven” (top floor). He toured along with two other bands called Hussle Club and She Wants Revenge.  My boyfriend, Joe, bought tickets to this as a birthday present to me. Since he happens to be a metalhead (and Exhumed and Goatwhore were playing in “Hell” that night), this was very sweet of him. We first arrived, and the venue was nearly empty. I was very disappointed with the turnout at first, but many more people showed up as the night progressed.  I was also a little surprised to see a few people in Crow make-up, but never-mind that. Also, let me apologize in advance for the poor picture and video quality taken on my camera. 

The first group that played was Hussle Club, a band from New York. They actually had some catchy songs like “Fxck Shxt Up ” and “Children of the Underground” They had a lot of energy on stage, and a couple of songs reminded me slightly of Marilyn Manson. I only had one criticism for this group: They seemed very concerned with their image.  The vocalist was fine, but the rest of the group were constantly adjusting their hair and trying not to show any emotion. Joe commented that they “seemed more like studio musicians.” Overall though, they were a fun group. Here's their MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/hussleclub

The second group to go on was She Wants Revenge. They were quite a popular group that night. They’re from California. I am not the biggest fan of this group. They are good, and they seemed to put heart into their music. I like “Tear You Apart,” but the rest of the songs sounded a bit mundane to my ears. This is my personal opinion, so don’t take any offense if you do happen to love this group.

Here's me excited for the show. You can't see my thumbs up.

     Ah. Peter Murphy. I love his music, especially from his Bauhaus years. He had an absolutely captivating stage presence. He was a funny, sarcastic, and very delightful ass. I mean this in the best possible way. He had very infectious dance moves with the shimmying, bird-like movements, and what not.  He used his foot to push down the cameras, he let some of the audience grope him a little, and he threw one sweet lady’s black rose to the floor. He controlled the audience, and everyone loved it. At one point he noted how everyone in the audience was wearing black. He told us to “wear some white,” and that his guitarist “can wear black, because he was there! In England!” I thought it was hilarious, and he definitely had a point.  At the end of the night, he came out for an encore. He played “Ziggy Stardust” and “Dark Entries.” During “Dark Entries,” everyone was jumping so much that I could feel the floor buckling under my feet. This was slightly frightening, because there have been structural collapses in the past. Oh well. It was worth my swollen feet, sweaty hair, and dehydration. Go out and see Peter Murphy, because he’s Peter Bloody Murphy. Need I say more?