When Bauhaus took to the stage at Futurama they won me over instantly and completely. It was apparent that they were destined for bigger things just by using this strange barometer. There were so many Nirvana t-shirts on view at the festival, despite the band only being deemed worthy of a mid afternoon slot on the Friday. Incidentally, the only other time I was aware of something like this was at Reading Festival in 1991, before their Nevermind album came out. Even before their performance on the Sunday, I became aware of their popularity due to the number of leather jackets bearing their name, indicating a level of grass roots support that few bands enjoyed at that stage in their lifespan and that pointed to greater things in their near future. My first proper exposure to Bauhaus came at the Futurama 3 Festival in the heady days of 1981. Their debut album, In the Flat Field, followed on the 3 rd November 1980, and so celebrates its 40 th birthday this very day. Ironic then that he was the member of the band most into the dark side of magik.įurther singles Dark Entries and Terror Couple Kill Colonel followed on 4AD, showcasing Bauhaus’ gothic leanings and their off kilter approach to songwriting. Pete Murphy’s angular and malnourished good looks were complimented by Daniel Ash’s gothic glamour drummer Kevin Hoskins looked attractively threatening, leaving David J as perhaps the odd one out in the image stakes with his gawky librarian chic. The record was championed by John Peel, who also invited them into the BBC to record a session for his show.īauhaus also looked the part. That first release was Bela Lugosi’s Dead, an extraordinary, atmospheric, dub infused nine minute epic that was recorded as part of the band’s first demo and released as was by 4AD. But Bauhaus were goth from their first release onwards. To my mind, the 60s bands may have had some dark overtones to their songs now and then but that does not make them goth bands.Īs for the 70s, speaking as someone who was there at the time, The Banshees embodied punk and post punk, at least until later in their career, while Joy Division only seemed to be called goth in retrospect. But personally, the answer is straight forward and definitive. Those who feel goth took root in the 70s may look to Joy Division or Siouxsie and the Banshees. Some would argue that the genre can be traced back to The Doors or even the Velvet Underground in the 60s, others would point to Tommy James’ Crimson and Clover in 1968. The question of who was the first goth band is a contentious one and one that has cropped up in many a debate. As Bauhaus’ debut album In the Flat Field turns 40, Louder Than War’s Banjo looks back at a game changing record and the beginning of a new genre of music.