Tuesday, July 2, 2013

A Kick in the Skype. That First Pete Murphy interview in full.....



Two weeks of polite digital bustling and some shuffling of email exchanges between industry types, personal assistants and Vive Le Rockers have finally staked us a date for an interview with the high priest of Goth Rock and overlord of the ebony underworld - Peter Murphy. Featuring as part of a hefty retrospective in support the Bauhaus back catalogue, an overview of his solo years.and spotlighting his current '35 years of Bauhaus' tour,

The time-slot is sorted and 'Skype call' red-ringed on the calendar: Sunday 12th May, 7pm GMT

Someone in the know had advised me 'tread carefully he can a bit prickly'. A subtle check with his PA the day before - 'anything I should avoid' (alluding to his meth-based DUI arrest) gets me a 'No we're all good' reply.

So, Sunday 12th May, 7pm GMT. 'Skype call'

I'm settled in with three pages of deep-reaching, heavily researched questions. Dial up, click, connect - and we're away with the tomb-like tones of Peter Murphy a'rumbling from the laptop..........

ME: How's the tour going

PM: Are you calling from London

ME: No Southend

*connection drops - the Skype's gone out*

PM: - This will probably happen again. Oh I used to come there as a child. So....

*connection drops* ( he knows, you know)

ME: I was thinking, for some additional perspective on the piece - of bringing in noir/horror authors (Cathi Unsworth and Syd Moore both Bauhaus fans)  for their memories and experiences of the band

PM: Who's writing the piece you or them

ME: Oh, I am

PM *snapping* I am neither a horror nor a noir artist' - says the artist currently touring '35 years of Bauhaus' his debut single being Bela Lugosi's Dead, and star of the bite-night pics The Hunger and Twilight - I think we're done here

*Drops the call. Click. Gone* Time 7:05 GMT

A kick in the Skype. Press eject and give me the twerp
.
It could have been my imagination, a fault on the line perhaps, or even some rogue electronic crackle - but I'm almost certain I heard a crack of thunder, a puff of sulphur smoke and the manic flapping of bat wings as Count Murphy made his exit stage left?.

Either way, bagsy I get to review his new due-soon solo album please..

  

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