Masquerade

Atlanta, GA, USA
March 27, 2000

This was my very first time seeing Peter in concert, and I was completely blown away. The room was packed wall to wall with people, all of them just as anxious as I was to see the show. Every song was like magic--everyone was silent; reverent of the man and of his music. The crowd reacted to every pose he made and every note he sang. He has the great ability to touch so many emotions at once with what he sings, and everyone respected that. I held my hands in the air with the rest on Strange Kind of Love and Huuvola. I was transfixed by the man who is no longer an idol but a great musician and poet for all the world. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.
Suzan (darthess@microsith.com)
Atlanta, GA - Thursday, April 06, 2000 at 11:41:48 (EDT)

As seen in the April issue of StarVox (http://www.starvox.net) out 4/10/00: Peter Murphy The Masquerade - Atlanta, Ga Monday, March 27th, 2000 ~By Blu Time is an odd thing. The older you get, the faster it goes. Years pass and you hardly notice… until nights like these. Tonight - on stage in the bright lights, poised, beautiful, and energetically timeless - Peter Murphy was a wizard of time travel. Back through summers past, first loves, bitter heartbreaks and reconciliations, he stirred old memories with a musical wand. He opened old wounds and let them bleed clean. Tears were shed that night both in joy and sadness… and no explanations were needed. A friend turned to me once, tears wavering on the edge of his eyes, and hugged me without a word. This is the power of song - of soul-drenched lyrics and memories attached to significant parts in our lives. This was realizing where you've been, where you are, and where you've yet to go. As he navigated through the songs nicely collected on the new Wild Birds CD, Peter sung and moved with an unrestrained conviction that he's always had - that somehow he's always been wise beyond his years - tuned into some greater life force that gets translated through the liquid precision of his songs. The band was inspired and on fire- every song perfect, never missing a beat. The tones were clear and the breaks cut clean in a dizzying, sudden assault of silence that left your heartbeat jumping in your ears before resuming their magical melodies. And near the end of the set, Peter took his guitar, and alone on stage, he captivated the audience - wove them into a slowly rocking mass of bodies singing along and eyes straining to see the stage - seeking salvation in that voice that cascaded through the speakers. Most notable was his performances of "Indigo Eyes," "Strange Kind of Love (acoustic)", and "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem (acoustic)" that didn't leave very many eyes dry. The band rejoined him for a rousing version of "Cuts You Up" that had every one dancing. When the concert was over, the crowd demanded more, and as expected, they came back out for an encore after Peter took the time to introduce the band members: Peter DiStephano (guitar, ex-Porno for Pyros) Eric Avery (bass, ex Jane's Addiction), Doug DeAngelis (Keyboards, former producer Love&Rockets, Psychotica) and Kevin Haskins (Drums...Bauhaus, Love and Rockets). They played, "Surrendered" and "Roll Call Recallgiven." Now given that I knew for a fact that only one encore was pre-planned - even down to the length of the encore; I was curious to see what was going to happen when the crowd heartily demanded, clapped, cheered and stomped after they had left the stage yet again. I wonder if it was the crowd's enthusiasm alone or his desire to communicate something more that brought Peter and the boys back out for yet another song - "Huuvola." The crowd loved him - and he smiled and mouthed thank you's to them. Once again he left, and once again, the crowd's thirst was left unquenched. The noise was incredible... I cannot even begin to imagine what that must feel like to a performer. And so, for a THIRD time, totally unplanned, Peter took to the stage alone, guitar in hand- almost giddy with his smiles, once more to the relief of adoring fans to play "Big Love of a Tiny Fool". And finally, with that, he tip-toed along the ledge of the stage- shaking hands, talking to people and accepting a few gifts with a wide grin. This is the payback - this is what he's earned from years on the road and years making music that meant so much to people. He was at the height of his game and totally adored by those who had traveled, sometimes from hours away, just to hear him. The beautiful thing was that he was so humble…so thankful and appreciative of his fans - appreciative of those who had spent the night, taking a ride through time and memories with him.
Blu (blu@starvox.net)
Atlanta, Ga USA - Monday, April 03, 2000 at 12:21:53 (EDT)

This was my 6th time seeing Mr. Murphy, Bauhaus Resurrection notwithstanding, and certainly the MOST AMAZING performance ever. While The Hundred Men were completely astounding in their prime, for this tour Peter has assembled one of the most dynamic bands I've ever heard. Like some of the more established performers I've seen -- David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and Siouxsie/Creatures for example -- Peter gets MORE raucous, not less, with age. From the incendiary electric opening of "Final Solution", all the way through to "Indigo Eyes" strummed acoustically by Peter on electric guitar, the show was positively mesmerizing. The last solo performance I saw was the "Cascade" tour and, while Peter is always exemplary, the band was sadly lacking, unable to even hit the right beat on some songs. Having been summarily disappointed with the backing band assembled for the "Cascade" tour and fearing that that could have been the last time I saw Mr. Murphy, I was ecstatic to hear not only that He was out again, but also that He had assembled such a fearsome ensemble to back Him. Peter DiStefano captured the soaring dynamics of the guitar lines in songs from every album in Mr. Murphy's career, while adding a distinctive rock-n-roll flair that was all his own. Eric Avery and the astounding Mr. Haskin's were dead on the beat always, and Doug DeAngelis added a sublime keyboard nuance to every tune. A standout was the dynamic reworking of "Crystal Wrists", which was tailor-made for this ensemble. Peter Murphy was, as always, incredible, dynamic, dramatic, subtle, eccentric, elegant and -- in short -- stunning. If this is the last time ever I see Him, I will remember it fondly forever. P.S.: A final note I can add is the amazing sound; I stood by the soundboard for the entire show, and after the main set complimented the soundman on the excellent job, because I had never before heard anyone who could handle Peter's vocal dynamics so adroitly. Following the fourth encore -- and owing to too many Bass Ale's from the bar -- I again congratulated him enthusiastically. And finally, descending to Hell at the Masquerade Club was the perfect cap-off to an amazing evening. If you're a fan of gothic music (especially old-school Siouxsie and the like) and ever in Atlanta, don't miss a visit to this club!
Calvin (lodger@pipeline.com)
Charlotte, NC USA - Friday, March 31, 2000 at 13:08:43 (EST)

Kick-ass show! I had no idea that Peter and his band would be so loud & rocking. I was also impressed by his energy level especially considering that massive and extremely cool coat he was wearing (looked like some sort of Batman-fireman's coat). I want one!
Aki (aki@lodger.com)
Atlanta, GA USA - Wednesday, March 29, 2000 at 20:52:56 (EST)

I have seen peter play every time he has come into town since the Deep tour and this was by far the best it's been. It struck me during the show how much he has grown over the last decade and as well how much I have. Gone are the days of jumping onto the stage and being whisked back to the dressing room in a flurry of delight and idol worship. here are the days of reflection and appreciation of a great poet and performer who is no longer afraid to be "playful" and interact and revel in his position in the musical world. It seems as though the greatest thing brought on by the Bauhaus reunion was not the rejoining of four old friends to the immense pleasure of life long fans as much as their renewed personal appreciation for the road traveled so far. It is good to see them all(and David included, as he spun here last wednsday in a flurry of creative resonance) having fun again! As wonderful as it was to see Peter, was being given the oportunity to look on as Eric Avery pulled the strings on a fantastic performance. It has been too long coming that we see him in his element! The Jane's reunion was not the same without him and I appreciated his decision not to participate, so it was wonderful to see him as well! Amazing band, rivals the hundred men, no, that's a lie, simply different! Like never before! I will rap this up. could go on and on! Thank you
Kevin Bachman (jkingfish@yahoo.com)
Atlanta, Ga USA - Tuesday, March 28, 2000 at 13:54:53 (EST)

Last night's show was quite simply the best concert I've ever been to. Peter has a godlike quality onstage, a stage presence and charisma that I've seen nowhere else. Being in the same room as Peter is quite enough for a religious experience, but the added force of his movements and voice turned a fantastic concert into a otherworldly one. Encore after encore and Peter singing Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem solo made the show unbelievable and unforgettable.
robby pelfrey (cure_boi@hotmail.com)
athens, ga usa - Tuesday, March 28, 2000 at 13:48:27 (EST)

There are alot of things I could say about this concert, but the one thing I must say is.....it was simply amazing. I can call this concert a religious expirience for me. The crowd was great, Peter was at his best, pose for pose, and his voice was as always spectacular. He is truly a beautiful man. The rest of the band did a great job, all the songs had such new life to them. I will never forget this concert, it will be stuck in the back of my head with the smell of spring, my first kiss, and all my other great memories. Thanks guys.
j hughes (jamiehughes@ellijay.com)
Turtletown, TN U.S. - Tuesday, March 28, 2000 at 03:45:50 (EST)