Apparently May 22nd was World Goth Day. Oh, you didn’t know such a thing existed either? Well apparently, someone at San Francisco’s Masonic Auditorium was on top of the holiday and had the foresight to celebrate with a pair of concerts by the legendary purveyors of gloom, Bauhaus.
Night one of the weekend double-header was kicked off by Vinsantos, the self-described “witch drag artist” who kept the mood dark as the crowd gathered for what would prove to be nothing short of memorable for fans young and old that dared to think that the opportunity to see Bauhaus live again would ever come to pass.
Taking the stage a hair past 9PM, the original four piece took the stage and launched right into “Rosegarden Funeral of Sores,” the band stepping in and out of the shadows as the bass line dirged on as Peter Murphy’s vocals pierced through the din. A commanding presence on stage, Murphy worked the crowd like a pro, engaging the front row directly without sacrificing the carefully curated vibe.
For their part the crowd soaked it all in and gave it right back, helping the band out on the chorus of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” without prompting and were rewarded by Murphy with fistfuls of red rose pedals. The set peaked with “Dark Entries” that seemed to have the general admission floor on the verge of a mosh that never quite materialized.
With a quick wardrobe change the band was back to finish the set with a trio of covers including long-time crowd favorite “Ziggy Stardust” ending what was pretty much a flawless 70 minutes of Bauhaus bliss.
VINSANTOS
SETLIST
Rosegarden Funeral of Sores (John Cale cover)
Double Dare
In the Flat Field
A God in an Alcove
In Fear of Fear
Spy in the Cab
She’s in Parties
Kick in the Eye
Bela Lugosi’s Dead
Silent Hedges
The Passion of Lovers
Stigmata Martyr
Dark Entries
ENCORE
Sister Midnight (Iggy Pop cover)
Telegram Sam (T. Rex cover)
Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie cover)
