From his early days haunting the pubs and clubs of Northamptonshire with Bauhaus, it feels that Peter Murphy was born to be on stage, and if his path hadn’t crossed with the goth rock pioneers and continued his career as a printer, alternative culture would be missing a key component. Thankfully, the muse found him and he grew into his new role, gaining confidence and shedding insecurities as time progressed, and by the time the new millennium rolled around, he was a fully formed performer. The latest in a series of archive live offerings, Peter Live, Volume Three, 4th & B San Diego, 2000 finds him at the peak of his powers, captivating a capacity crowd with a deliciously dark sound that casts a spell over the venue, and it’s one that’ll enchant your stereo, too.

When Bauhaus split, there was a feeling that Peter Murphy wanted to move on and forge new ground, and that ethos informed his career from that point onwards. As such, Peter Live, Volume Three doesn’t contain any Bauhaus numbers, yet it is certainly none the poorer for that, quite the opposite, and such is the strength of his solo work that the track list shines like a jewelled crown. However, one thing he kept from those early years is a theatrical bent and it gives the audio a very “visual” aspect, each of these sixteen tracks will project strong images onto your mind’s eye, and no more so than with opening track ‘Final Solution’. Preceded by a ghostly drumbeat that seems to echo from another dimension, tension is built in the most excruciating way and is increased exponentially when Peter and band arrive. A cover of the Pete Ubu classic, the band are wise enough to impart their own stamp on proceedings and in that respect ‘Final Solution’ is indicative of this disc as a whole. While you won’t find these songs acting in strange ways, they aren’t mere facsimiles of their studio counterparts either (we have the originals for that), Peter and band bringing different facets to the fore, presenting the songs in a new light. Even as the disc unfolds, Peter’s vocals on ‘Final Solution’ will continue to haunt you and will inform you’re listening experience from that point on.

It’s testament to the depth and breadth of Peter’s discography that each of these songs has its own personality and unique feel, with the quirky, angular ‘The Scarlet Thing In You’ nestling next to the heavy rock of ‘Wild Birds Flock To Me’ quite effortlessly. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Peter has assembled a killer line-up that features former Bauhaus drummer Kevin Haskins, guitarist Peter DiStefano (currently with Psychedelic Furs), bassist Eric Avery (Janes Addiction) and keyboardist Doug DeAngelis, and all conspire to make cuts such as ‘The Sweetest Drop’ three dimensional entities. This is a live recording in its truest sense; the crowd are given a prominent role in the mix, while the (very) occasional bum note has been kept in for prosperity, it all creates an authentic, magical live affair, and 5th April 2000, the first of two visits Peter Murphy made to San Diego’s famous 4th & B venue that year, was very magical indeed.

Due to time constraints, four tracks have been cut from the original set list (including an encore of Elvis’ ‘Love Me Tender’), but this album presents an artist at the top of their game. If you were there, you know how special this performance was, if not Peter Live, Volume Three recreates that magic.

• Peter Live, Volume Three, 4th & B San Diego, 2000 is released via Cadiz/Silver Shade on 31st July 2026.
• Peter Murphy Official Website

Track List:

1. Final Solution
2. The Scarlet Thing In You
3. Wild Birds Flock To Me
4. Mirror To My Woman’s Mind
5. Subway
6. Disappearing
7. I’ll Fall With Your Knife
8. Crystal Wrists
9. The Sweetest Drop
10. Hit Song
11. Big Love Of A Tiny Fool
12. Marlene Dietrich’s Favourite Poem
13. A Strange Kind Of Love
14. Surrendered
15. Roll Call
16. Huuvola