Bauhaus and the Birth of Gothic Rock
Post-Punk Band is Largely Responsible for Starting the Goth Movement
If the term ‘gothic’ is understood as a certain romanticizing of death, a wallowing in morbidity, then elements of the gothic have been present in art since the earliest times: Myths of monsters and witches; the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and Francis Bacon; the literature of Poe, Shelley, and Baudelaire; the satanic symphonies of Berlioz and the horror-laced rock & roll of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
Even in its modern guise as a musical and aesthetic movement rising from the ashes of punk, it had many progenitors — The Doors, The Velvet Underground, Alice Cooper — and the term ‘gothic’ was casually applied to some darker-themed post-punk groups in the mid to late 1970s, notably Joy Division and Siouxsie & the Banshees. But goth as a codified movement was almost singlehandedly (and inadvertently) sparked by four lads from Northampton, England and their epic, nine-minute single about a cinematic bloodsucker.
A History of Bauhaus, the Band
Bauhaus formed in 1978 around the core of art students David J (bass), his brother Kevin Haskins (drums) and Daniel Ash (guitar), who had all played in various other bands around their hometown. Iconic vocalist Peter Murphy had been a close school friend of Daniel’s, but the two had parted ways when Daniel went to art school and Peter went to work as a printer.
When they met up again two years later, Daniel was getting a new band together and asked Peter to join purely on the basis of his striking good looks, evidently not caring if he could sing or not. Peter agreed; even though he had no musical experience, he and Daniel shared a love of glam rock and decadent literature.
David J came up with the name Bauhaus 1919, honoring the Weimar-era design movement, though the 1919 was soon dropped. The band started writing songs together almost immediately, and managed to get a few gigs around Northampton. After only about six weeks, they booked studio time and recorded a demo that included the song that would start it all: “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.”
The Quintessential Gothic Single
The song itself is a long, atmospheric piece, built upon a bossa nova beat, a simple three-note bassline, and a squealing, slowed-down glam riff. Peter Murphy’s sepulchral vocals intone what amounts to a litany of gothic excess: Dead flowers, red velvet, bats leaving belltowers. Released on the tiny Small Wonder label in August 1979, “Bela” drew immediate attention, including positive reviews in major music papers and play on John Peel’s influential radio show.
It also sold respectably, remaining lodged in the UK independent charts for nearly two years. As an introductory statement, it not only established Bauhaus as a musical force to be reckoned with, but also laid down many of the later goth-rock conventions in one fell swoop.
Gothic Music and Aesthetics
Bauhaus were very image-conscious, and thought a great deal about the look and sound they were trying to convey. From the first, they strove for a stark minimalism, but coupled this with an appreciation for decadent excess, surrealism, and even camp. Their visual aesthetic was highly influenced by Universal horror films and German expressionism; many of their record sleeves featured stills from films like Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and their stage shows were stripped-down affairs, with a few white lights piercing through the dramatic shadows. Peter Murphy, with his shock of black hair, razor-blade cheekbones, and lithe, ballet-dancer physique, would stalk the stage in a capelike black coat, growling lyrics of decay and despair, tinged with gallows humor.
Musically, their influences spanned the obvious — David Bowie, T. Rex, Iggy Pop, The Velvet Underground, The Sex Pistols — to the surprising — Krautrock, funk, prog rock, and dub reggae. By combining these disparate elements of look and sound, Bauhaus became its own unique, experimental entity that ironically ranged far afield from what later emerged as gothic rock.
The Legacy of Bauhaus
The goth movement, despite ups and downs, is still going strong three decades after the release of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” and in many ways has crossed over into the mainstream consciousness, though many of the bands directly influenced by Bauhaus remain safely under the radar. After the group disbanded in 1983 (after appearing as a club band in Tony Scott’s cult vampire flick The Hunger), the members went their separate ways and left the goth tag largely behind.
Peter Murphy teamed with Japan bassist Mick Karn to form the experimental Dali’s Car, then went on to a successful solo career. Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins, along with Bauhaus roadie Glen Campling, formed Tones On Tail, then regrouped with David J to form the massively successful Love & Rockets, which broke up in 1999. Daniel has since released solo albums of electronica; David’s solo work tends more toward folky cabaret, and he has also collaborated with comics legend Alan Moore. Kevin Haskins, with his band Messy, scores video games, television shows, and films like What Lies Beneath and The Crow III.
Bauhaus reunited in 1998 and in 2005 for successful tours of the USA and Europe, and in 2008 they got together to record an album of new material. Called Go Away White, the record received mixed reviews in the music press, but served to introduce new fans to Bauhaus’s influential canon.
Sources
Baddeley, Gavin (2002). Goth Chic: A Connoisseur’s Guide to Dark Culture. Plexus Publishing Limited. ISBN 0859653080.
Shirley, Ian (1994). Dark Entries: Bauhaus and Beyond. SAF Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0946719136.
David J and Peter Murphy
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