When Bauhaus folded in 1983 there was a feeling that vocalist Peter Murphy was cut adrift and rudderless. Whilst his former bandmates found success with Love And Rockets, Peter’s solo career was more of a slow burner and it took a while for his compass to centre, but when he set sail he left a tantalising trail of vinyl that evidenced a unique artist intent on forging his own path. Testament to his power is Peter Live, Volume Four, Metro Chicago, 1990, the fourth in a series of live albums released via Cadiz Music that turns the spotlight on Peter Murphy and finds him in his natural habitat and weaving his decidedly black magic over an excitable crowd.

Following Bauhaus’ split it initially looked as if Peter Murphy would turn his focus towards other forms of art, most notably dance. However, the pull of music was too strong and after a brief collaborative project, Peter began his solo career and there was a feeling that he wanted to put some distance between himself and his former band. Subsequently, his solo shows rarely contained any Bauhaus numbers and that’s the case with this live offering. However, while you might be able to take the man out of Bauhaus, you can’t take Bauhaus out the man and Peter soon casts a voodoo-like spell over the crowd with opening song ‘The Line Between The Devil’s Teeth’. Beginning life at a snail’s pace, this cut is an insidious opener, picking up speed incrementally, it entwines the listener like cigarette smoke until seven minutes later we are cocooned within the disc’s dark aesthetic and they’ll you remain over the course of thirteen tracks.

For some reason, Peter Murphy’s lyricism is an often overlooked facet of his oeuvre, yet this recording brings it to the fore. Most of these songs are written with (then) keyboardist Paul Statham, and they conspired to create songs such as ‘Seven Veils’ that are three-dimensional entities. The likes of ‘God Sends’ are slightly surreal and would make the perfect accompaniment to David Lynch film, it’s as if Peter (and band) are peeling back the veneer that separates this world from the next and revealing something discombobulating beneath. With his band (completed by Peter Bonas, lead guitar, Eddie Branch, bass, and drummer Teri Bryant) Murphy has created a sound that avoids easy categorisation. However, think Thin White Duke-era Bowie after imbibing methamphetamine and you’d have something approaching cuts like ‘Blind Sublime’ (it’s a comparison give credence by a neat cover of the Bowie/Pop penned ‘Funtime’ later on the disc).

Peter’s power as a performer becomes most obvious on ‘Marlene Dietrich’s Favourite Poem’, a semi-acoustic number that’s punctuated by vast swathes of white space; where there once was a rowdy crowd now there is a kind of hypnotised silence where the dropping of the proverbial pin can be heard. It’s here where Peter’s stagecraft comes into its own, his dalliances with acting allowing him to place the audience in the palm of his hand, the spell only broken by the arrival of the following ‘Roll Call’. It is this which elevates Peter Live above your average live album, it has a strange visual element which these albums rarely capture. So, if you’ve never seen Peter Murphy live, or if you have and you’d like to relive that experience, Peter Live is just the ticket.

• Peter Live, Volume Four, Metro Chicago, 1990 is released via Cadiz Music on 31st July 2026.

• Peter Murphy Official Website

Track List:

1. The Line Between The Devil’s Teeth

2. Deep Ocean, Vast See

3. Seven Veils

4. Cuts You Up

5. God Sends

6. I’ve Got A Miniature Secret Camera

7. Blind Sublime

8. Marlene Dietrich’s Favourite Poem

9. Roll Call

10. His Circle And Hers Meet

11. Funtime

12. The Light Pours Out Of Me

13. All Night Long