DA : Yeah ! And David Bowie was a huge fan of that band . I went to see ‘ em in L . A ., and “ So Alive ” had just come out , and I was in the back of the queue with my girlfriend . And this guy came up to me and says , “ Hey , what are you doing in the queue ? Come with me !” And he got me into the gig , and got me into a private booth there , and I wound up sitting next to Bowie . So that was cool , but he ignored me ! He was really , really into The Godfathers , just staring at the band with his friends and really getting off on them . He loved that band !
IE : What brought you together as kids ? You ’ ve known each other forever . DA : Well , I ’ ve known Peter from eleven years old , when we went to Catholic school . But I met David and Kevin at art school – we all met at art school , and then we all met up later because I started working with Peter , just the two of us in a room , and I invited Kevin , and then David came on board about two or three weeks later .
IE : And you ’ ll never work with him again , you ’ ve sworn ? DA : Umm … we ’ re not going to work together , no . It ’ s unfortunate .
IE : Is there a possibility of an entire new Love and Rockets album ? DA : No . That ’ s not in the cards . We got offered this gig , Cruel World , it was an irresistible offer . And Kevin is very much in contact with various promoters , and they called him and offered Love and Rockets Cruel World . So we got the offer , and we looked at it , and we thought it was an offer we couldn ’ t refuse , so we took it . And that was very much how it happened before with Bauhaus , as well . We weren ’ t actually a band the last time we played this festival , but somebody big had dropped out , and they offered , and we took it . And the same thing keeps happening – we get offered a big festival gig , and then we start getting all these offers to turn it into a full-on tour , which has happened here . So we ’ ve ended up
Love and Rockets circa 1986 photo by Mitch Jenkins
And that ’ s when we all got together ( as Bauhaus ), which was about five years after art school .
IE : What accounts for this relationship ’ s longevity ? Just good friendship ? DA : Yeah . We ’ re friends outside of the band , as well , Us three in particular . I mean , I was friends with Pete , and we go back to eleven , you know ? And apparently , I was in kindergarten with Dave , as well , because we both remember the nasty teacher we had , Miss Cherry , a miserable old spinster . She used to grab us by the earlobes and pull us down the corridors and stuff . All because I would have arrived late . Which wasn ’ t my fault – it was my parents ’ fault , and they would even say , “ Oh , we ’ re sorry he ’ s late ! Blah , blah , blah !” And she ’ d say , “ Oh , that ’ s no problem !” And then , as soon as they drove off , she ’ d grab me by the ear , twist it , and then dragged me down the corridor , really twisting it bad . She was a horrible old spinster , and I was what ? Only six years old or something ?
IE : Bauhaus fans would always see concert cancellations over the past few years and just shrug and accept them . But few folks probably had any idea that you guys were suffering along with Peter Murphy ’ s personal trauma . DA : Yeah . And it ’ s all disintegrated . That tour disintegrated . We managed to do thirteen gigs , I think , and then that tour fell apart . And that ’ s really all I need to say about it , to be honest . doing 15 gigs , and here we go again – that ’ s how it happens with us .
IE : And you ’ ve also said that your new catalog remasters , all done at Abbey Road , was an offer that just happened to come simultaneously , right ? DA : Yes ! It was a complete coincidence ! Beggars had already planned on re-releasing that stuff before this gig at Cruel World was offered to us . So it was perfect synchronicity that this is going on right now , a perfect time because everything is being re-released on Beggars Banquet , all the back catalog . So that ’ s good .
IE : And while Bauhaus was always dark , you guys , without Murphy , were always conversely bright . n It ’ s almost like the times call out for you now . DA : Yeah ! A bit of optimism ! And now that I ’ m thinking about it , maybe that is what ’ s going on . Maybe there are forces out there that have nothing to do with us – it ’ s just been put in our laps here , and so much said , if you know what I mean .
IE : Was Hot Trip to Heaven , the startling electronic album that you presented to RCA , the one they turned down ? DA : Yeah . There was a big problem with that . We , as a band , were set up with guitar-oriented music , but we wanted to do something very difcontinues on page 24 may 2023 illinoisentertainer . com 23