Bauhaus was one of those bands that people got fanatical about. But listeners’ fanaticism was always kept in check because the English band practiced a kind of brooding, Germanic, leather-clad, sun-starved goth aesthetic that didn’t encourage unreserved emotion or enthusiasm. Somewhere between the Cure, Nick Cave, Joy Division and David Bowie, Bauhaus, fronted by Peter Murphy, was the kind of band for whom one could show admiration by sulking deeply. The band made death-addled New Wave.
Which isn’t to say that Bauhaus didn’t have a kind of jittery menace to its music. The band broke up in 1983. Murphy’s solo records showcase his deep voice, which has an appealing sepulchral — and yet sexy — quality.
Imagine Neil Diamond as a vampire. If you dig theatrical morbidity, Murphy is the master. Murphy has lived in Istanbul, Turkey for more than 20 years. His status as an idiosyncratic outsider icon is earned. Also on the bill is Jesse Malin.
Peter Murphy performs at the Ballroom at the Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St., Hamden, Thursday, Dec. 8, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $30. 203-288-6400, thespacect.com.
