! The Worley Gig: Music and Mayhem in New York City by Gail Worley

The Worley Gig:
Music and Mayhem in New York City
by Gail Worley

Special Halloween Edition!

Bauhaus
Hammerstein Ballroom
New York City, September 11, 1998

"Bela Lugosi's Dead
Bela Lugosi's Dead
Undead Undead Undead"

One could say the same thing about the band who had their biggest hit with this song. Bauhaus, the genre-defining gothic band whose influence on modern dark music is almost immeasurable, have resurrected themselves after fifteen years of dormancy. What started out as two shows in Los Angeles blossomed into a national tour as passion for the thought-to-be long-dead legends smoldered, burned slowly and then caught on like wild fire. Trust me, the chance to see a band whose records soundtracked countless acid trips in my early 20's wasn't a something I would have missed for the world. What made this evening feel especially charmed was scoring box seats and after-show passes from a publicist who initially told me I'd probably have more luck trying to poke butter up a hedge hog's butt with a red hot needle than I would getting into this show. Sometimes you gotta thank the big guy upstairs for the little favors.

Inside the Hammerstein Ballroom, the atmosphere was electric with the excitement of a highly anticipated concert event. Woven into a visual tapestry of beautiful goth girls and stunning vampire boys were a general assortment of costumed freaks the likes of which I've not seen in one place so many weeks shy of Halloween. There was a feeling of something akin to real magic alive in air. My friend Janis and I passed the time freak watching and having slap fights with each other. It seemed like the show would never start.

The lights finally dimmed at 10:00 PM as a video monitor became visible center stage, and the black and white visage of Peter Murphy appeared on the screen. Kevin Haskins (Drums), David J. (Bass) and Daniel Ash (Guitar) had already crept on stage. Appropriately, they chose to open with "Double Dare," the same tune that starts off their new Greatest Hits compilation, Crackle, released this past July. "I dare you" Murphy growled from the screen, "To touch the flickering flames/ The pangs of dark delight." And what a buffet of dark delights our senses did attend that evening: Bauhaus put forth a most dramatic and emotionally satisfying show. After the opening number, Murphy emerged in the flesh, as the evening took an emotional trajectory spanning the career of the most influential band dark music has produced. As spotlights hit the stage from the rigs above, what had at first appeared to be a flat black back-drop became transparent, revealing a three dimensional metal gridwork that gave Bauhaus the appearance of performing in some kind of futuristic landscape. Adding to the high theatrics of the evening were many costume changes, with Murphy and Ash at one point sporting matching lame jackets and feather boas.

Murphy chose to deliver the quietly beautiful "In Fear of Fear" from the photo pit just in front of the stage. Safely separated from the adoring throng, he touched hands of those closest to him, yet a sea of arms rose to the air, stretching out in his direction, almost as if it were possible to touch him by the remote power of will alone. The yearning - the feeling of connection between Murphy and his audience - was palpable. During "Hollow Hills," I realized for the first time that the signature, eerie plaintiveness is achieved by Ash drawing a violin bow across the strings of his guitar. Suspended, glowing light bulbs dropped down into sight one at a time, as Murphy strolled contemplatively about the stage. The bulbs flickered from darkness to light and back again as Murphy touched or gently pushed them. The effect was like a gathering of mammoth fireflies had found their way to the stage.

After this stunning display of gloom, it was time to shift into high gear with two up-tempo classics, the herky-jerky "Kick in the Eye" and "Silent Hedges," which features the endlessly interpretable lyric "Going to Hell again." A cover of an obscure Dead Can Dance song, "Severance," pleased the crowd, and was followed by the meditation on the dual nature of fame, "She's In Parties" and the frenetic "The Passion of Lovers." Bauhaus had played just over an hour when they disappeared, only to return with an encore of the band's two well-known covers: T Rex's "Telegram Sam" and Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust." A second encore, "All We Ever Wanted (Was Everything)" and "Spirit" - representing an expression of gratitude with the repetitive chant "We love/We love/We love our audience" - was not unexpected. When they returned a third time with "Bela Lugosi's Dead"- the song 90% of the audience was there to hear anyway - that should have been it. Bauhaus had already given 100%. But as the crowd began to slowly file out, Murphy reappeared onstage. "This is the last time we'll be in New York" he said. The band wanted to do something special for an occasion not to be repeated. The final offering of the evening was a faithful rendition of Iggy Pop's "The Passenger." It seems that Bauhaus is alive and well, and living in the hearts of the many fans they've touched this summer with their strangely life-affirming brand of somber, ethereal rock music. Bauhaus: Back from the dead, and bigger than ever.

After the show Janis and I grabbed a cab down town to a club where the after show party was being held. It was after midnight when we arrived and the band showed up about Two AM. A lot of people who are lucky enough to get into these kinds of parties tell me they're too shy to talk to the band. But the thing is, the band is really there because they want to meet their fans, otherwise they wouldn't show up. So, figuring I'm never going to get the opportunity again to tell them how much their music has meant to me and how hearing them perform "Bela Lugosi's Dead" made my heart nearly stop from the thrill of it all, I made a point to introduce myself to each member of the band. You know something, they're all super cool, nice people. Peter Murphy looked right into my eyes when I told him the show was "Very special to me," and he squeezed my hand before he walked off. So don't be afraid to connect with musicians you like, because if you are just human and sincere in your communication, they'll be really gracious to you. Afterwards, you've got a nice little story to tell your friends. Trust me, you aren't going to get many chances in your life to touch Peter Murphy, so go for it while you can. Nothing is more expensive than regret.

Go West Young Hipster

San Francisco and Seattle. What do these two cites have in common besides the fact that they begin with the letter 'S'? Well, they're my favorite two cites and I visited both of them this past August. Although I love the gritty urban jungle of NYC, I enjoy a good inner-city adventure in a place where you can see the ocean and people say Please and Thank You. Weird stuff follows me wherever I travel and this trip was no exception. It started the minute I got off the plane in SF. In the shuttle van that would take me to my friend Michelle's house, I started talking to the guy sitting next to me. He had been on my flight, so we just made the usual small talk. His name was Brian and he was very cute, but since he had a mustache and we were in SF, I figured he must be gay. Brian told me he has apartments in NY and SF, but that had been in New York for six months and was now coming to California for awhile before going off to his other place in London. Oh yes, he also has an apartment in Geneva. What business is he in? International finance. Then he asks me for a pen and proceeds to write his international, toll-free number on a card. I give him my card just to be polite. The van drops Brian off and I wave goodbye. When I get out of the van at Michelle's house and take out my wallet to pay the driver, he says "Oh, you're friend paid your fare." Yes! I probably should have called Brian to thank him for the car fare, but it just seemed too weird.

Then there was this experience I had while walking down Market Street to buy some postcard stamps at the Post Awful. On approaching the front of the Post Awful, I noticed what appeared to be a woman kneeling on the ground in front of the doors. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear that woman is naked," I thought to myself. When I got to the doors, I turned around and sure enough, there was this young, naked Japanese woman kneeling on a blanket in front of the building. Before I could really comprehend the scene before me, all this money started to fly through the air and those who had stopped to gawk at the naked woman were quickly distracted by flying money. Who wouldn't be? I picked up one bill and threw it in my bag. I figured this was some kind of performance art piece and this was play money being tossed in the air to make some kind of point about Americans being capitalist pigs or whatever. I abandoned my goal of buying stamps because the lines were way too long at the windows and some French tourists who couldn't figure out how to put exact change in the machines were completely messing with my head. As I left, some good Samaritans were trying to put clothes back on the naked woman. I don't know where the Police were. Living in NYC makes me feel like I've seen it all, but this was a first for me.

Later I looked at the bill in my bag and noticed it was a 1,000 Yen note. This woman was probably an insane mental patient who threw all her money away without even knowing what was going on. I wished I had given her the money back, but it was too late. Later, I sold the bill to my friend Mike for $6.

A few days later my friend Barbara and I went to the Japanese garden and stayed so late we almost got locked in. It was kind of scary when we thought the gate had been locked with us still inside, but then we realized we were at the wrong gate. What a relief that was. You don't know what kinds of escape fantasies can go through your head until you think you've been locked in a public attraction after closing time.

I didn't see many bands while I was in San Francisco, but one night Michelle dragged me to see the newly reformed Knack at Slim's. The weird thing about this was that Terry Bozzio is actually playing drums with the Knack now. Most people will think of Terry as the drummer from the lame ass new wave band, Missing Persons, that he was in with his wife Dale and that guy Warren Something who went on to join Duran Duran. But I remember Terry as the foxy young drummer from Frank Zappa's band who kicked so much ass in the Zappa tour documentary, Baby Snakes. In essence, Terry Bozzio playing with the Knack is like Carl Palmer from ELP playing with Loverboy. It does not compute.

Michelle and I managed to stomach three whole songs by the Knack just so I could watch Terry get all sweaty behind the most tricked-out drum kit I've seen. It looked like it was going to take off and fly around the room with Terry on board. Doug "Fuck Face" Feiger and those other stiffs look like they've been embalmed, but Terry is still a total babe. If Tommy Lee goes back to jail, maybe he can get a gig with Motley Crue.

It was about 50 degrees warmer in Seattle than in San Francisco and the sun shone with no rain for the entire four days I was there. Accommodations in Seattle were provide by the House of Randy and Randy does deserve ink here for letting me turn his living room into Camp Gail. In Seattle I ate burritos with Kurt B. Reighley and Barbara Mitchell, was recognized by Pando's own Editor, Dave L. in Sit & Spin, and rubbed elbows with incognito Bad Boy columnist, Reef Valmont, who I haven't seen since I slept on his floor on my last trip to Seattle back in 1996. On the celebrity spotting frontier, former Brian Jonestown Massacre bassist, Matt Hollywood was boozing it up at the Crocodile. Hollywood is supposedly forming a new band with Eric Hedford, the drummer who escaped from The Dandy Warhols not too long ago. Local man about town, REM's Peter Buck was seen lurking in the dark corners of Sit & Spin with one of the guys from Young Fresh Fellows - whose name I should know but don't because, as Randy says I'm "an enigma." The day before I left, Randy and I went to the Seattle zoo where we ate ice cream and saw very tiny monkeys that look like parakeets. That same evening we formed a huge gang of hipsters and made our way to club ARO Space to see the fabulous Bernard Butler perform an acoustic set. I'd missed Butler's NYC show because it coincided with me being in SF, so I felt very fortunate to have a second chance to check him out. Reef Valmont said bad things about this show but Reef was just covering for the fact that he was misinformed. The show was great! Butler even posed for picture with me after the show. You gotta love that Bernard.

I had a noon flight back to NYC on Sunday and, through incredible synchronicity, Peter Buck was on my flight. Actually, he was sitting right next to me in the airport lounge. I really wanted to find and excuse to say something to him, like "Chronic Town changed my life" or something. I considered offering him an Altoid, but that seemed too contrived. So I settled on almost tripping over his feet as an excuse to say "Excuse me" as I walked past him to board the plane. Sometimes, you get the feeling celebrities just want to be left alone.

Coming In December: Reasons for Living and Things that Sucked in 1998 featuring Gail's Top Ten CDs of The Year!

The Worley Gig regularly turns in both Pandemonium Online and The NY Hangover.

E-Mail Gail Worley

Other Features From Gail Worley:

Goo Goo Dolls: Prepare to Get Dizzy - Gail talks to Robby Takac about City of Angels, hits in the five formats, crap music and what chicks dig.

Nivek Ogre's New Rx - No longer a Skinny Puppy, this famed industrialist dispenses Ritalin now.

Visual Audio Sensory Theatre - Gail discusses religion and revenge fantasies with Jon Crosby, the aspiring Gothman with a VAST array of sounds...

Dream Punk or Noise Pop? - Gail goes to South Park and Melrose Place with Carrie Clark, art therapist and feedback diva from 16 Deluxe

God Lives Underwater - "With a name like God Lives Underwater, it has to be good," says Gail

Vintage Jello Biafra - Gail's 1996 interview with the former Dead Kennedy

Previous turns of The Worley Gig:

The Worley Gig #1-- Summer, The Rules

The Worley Gig #2-- All Tomorrow's Parties

The Worley Gig #3-- Weaselfest '97

The Worley Gig #4-- How I Spent Summer

The Worley Gig #5-- Random Excerpts From My Ass-Kicking Life

The Worley Gig #6-- Christmas Kicks Total Ass

The Worley Gig #7-- She's About A Mover

The Worley Gig #8-- The Goddess and Pig Watts

The Worley Gig #9-- Outrageously Boss Records and What Not to Do On a Date