Peter Murphy: an inspiration with some disappointments
Tell Your Friends » By Omar Katerji
Last night, Peter Murphy came to Lebanon and rocked out at the Forum de Beyrouth for Beirut Rock Festival. To me, Murphy is a musical genius. He inspired and practically created 50% of the music I adore. Seeing the reality of an aging rocker treat his fans the way Murphy did was pretty depressing, especially seeing as he has been such an influence to me! His music was passionate and beautiful at times, although he seemed disinterested and rude to the crowd at others.
Murphy is an English born gothic rock vocalist and is the founder of the 1980s post-punk group Bauhaus, Murphy was responsible according to many for the birth of the “Goth” movement and the rise of post-punk. Bela Lugosi’s Dead, Bauhaus’ most prominent song was the first to be described as “Goth” and spawned the creation of many groups based his style and image. Murphy later went on to release many solo albums, most notably Deep and Love Hysteria.
Hundreds of people turned up and it was inspiring to see that the post-punk movement has found a place in the heart of many Lebanese people, young and old alike. Murphy refused to play many of his classics and antagonized the audience at times. After managing to get a hold of the original set list, it seems Murphy actually actively made a decision not to play his earlier works that he was due to play to spite the crowd, at one point saying “I’m only gonna play what I want to.”
Luckily, he played a couple of Bauhaus classics during his encore, closing on a beautiful and haunting note and striking a magical chord with the few of the crowd that remained till the end. In all, I am grateful for the experience of hearing songs that have personally influenced my life; however, I am disappointed that the man behind those beautiful works does not deserve the respect he is revered with.
There is something bugging me about the Beirut Rock Festival though. A couple of e-mails by schools have been circulating warning parents that the music involved is death obsessed, inspires Satanism and drug use. So let me vent and dispel some of this nonsense once and for all.
For starters drug-use follows all youth movement; from the Beatles in the 60s to modern day hip-hop, most post-modern musical genres are scattered with references to drug use and many artists and fans openly take drugs despite their illegality. Blaming a musical genre without understanding or listening to it is intolerant, ignorant and stupid.
On top of that, sending e-mails like that are only going to further the intolerance and ignorance and push disillusioned youth further into a cycle of experimentation due to cultural and social repression. Secondly, music obsessed with death? I don’t think I have heard any music more obsessed with death than the music that plays on patriotic news channels in the Arab world, why are people shocked when western musicians sing about death? Death is a part of life and it’s difficult to accept. Art is supposed to be way of expressing your feelings. Lastly, the bands associated with Rock and Goth music largely represent the Atheist movement, how people think Satanism ties in with Atheism just further proves their ignorance and their fear of difference. Moreover, Peter Murphy has been a Muslim since the 90s, I think the people that send out this sort of scare-mongering should check their facts before making assumptions based on appearances.
Snežana Radivojević
Nov 13th, 2009 at 2:01 am
“
I do not agree with you observation. He was not disinterested and rude to the crowd at others. On contrary, few people came to ask him to play Bowie’s song to them and some others didn’t know who he is, was and will be.
He was just honest to those that came to his concert without basic knowledge about his work. Nevertheless they’ve bee initially rude to him. He just responded naturally. After that, those that left behind and new who Peter Murphy is, got the best gift ever. Great performance!
Cheers,
Snezana
”
Nsrn Srks
Nov 13th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
“
Hey can you please tell me what was in the setlist?
”
Snežana Radivojević
Nov 13th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
“
It was four to five people that were rude to him in a beginning. They’ve got response they deserved. What is strange here is that the whole article in Daily Star is about what Peter said to the crowd and that was not even four or five people that he was talking to.
I do not understand why Omar understood as he addressed this to the Lebanese Nation.
The article has nothing to do with the facts on the ground.
”
Josef Haddad
Nov 16th, 2009 at 1:05 am
“
greets,
i’ll join the three previous reviewers in saying that Peter murphy was extremely polite and a gentleman, maybe even too polite. the few people who came to the concert hardly knew who this man is and what he represent. some of those who know who PM is, wanted to hear old bauhaus and bowie covers, and while those songs are awesome in their own way, PM chose to sing mostly from his own solo back catalog, which reflects him the most, especially after his conversion to islam, he doesnt find relevance anymore in singing the old bauhaus tunes which are mostly dealing with christianity.
the man wanted to do what he finds relevant for him and the people were literally commanding him to sing what they like to hear, failing to appreciate the superb setlist he offered, in their stubborness and willful self imprisonment within a certain musical era.
the performance was great, the songs in themselves, even greater and the gothic frozen majesty is still there but some people just doesnt wanna see it unless he sings ’stigmata martyr’ and ‘hollow hills’. a lot of people already left before they could hear him sing ‘in every dream home a heartache’ (better than the fields of the nephilim could cover it) and ’she’s in parties’. i’m happy for those people because they want immediate gratification or else they
start whining like the brats they actually are.
”
Josef Haddad
Nov 16th, 2009 at 1:15 am
“
dear nisrine (:
things
velocity
peace to each
disappearing
fall
instant karma
memory go
in every dream home a heartache
marlene
all night long
too much 21st century
secret miniature camera
deep ocean vast sea
passion of lovers
she’s in parties
cuts you up
—————–
some songs were sung in bits and tied to other songs.
he even sang a few lines of bela lugosi towards the end.
i went and got the setlist after the show and there were the following songs that he omitted to sing, i believe because of the unreceptiveness of the audience and because he ended up singing for a dozen ppl:
ziggy stardust (bowie)
transmission (joy division!!!)
sweetest drop
burning
space oddity (bowie)
what a shame the audience was so blockheaded.
”
Snežana Radivojević
Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
“
joseph thank you! at the end he was great and I’m happy that you know that!
kiss for you!
”