Peter Murphy has taken some heat for recently comments he made to the San Francisco Chronicle about David Bowie. The article in question was a short Q & A piece promoting his residency which kicks off tonight at The Chapel in San Francisco. Reporter Aidin Vaziri ended the interview by asking Murphy if the world feels less meaningful without David Bowie. Murphy's response was as follows:
"No. He was always an overhanging presence. I love him, but his death wasn’t a loss of a superstar. It was death. We all die. It wasn’t really working. Even his last album, the two singles were good but the rest of it was rubbish. I let him go years ago. He was a bit of a twit if he talked too much. It was a bit tiring, this whole cosmology of David Bowie. He was a spark. But it was time to bugger off. And he did bugger off."
As you would imagine, the comments didn't go over so well with a lot of Bowie fans. Murphy has now clarified the comments he made in a lengthy post on Instagram, explaining that he truly loves David Bowie:
"David Bowie was, is, and always shall be deeply honoured, prayed for, and loved by me for his magical musical works and unmatched special influence"
And he explains the use of the term "bugger off":
"In the Midlands of England, my birthplace, ‘bugger off’ is a benign, non poisonous , colloquiailism – a provincial soft way of saying ‘give me a break/ take a rain check/ leave it out mate’. It’s often used, by me at least, in a jolly way . It’s definitely not a hard core swear word. So anyone getting their “knickers in a twist “ over this (‘upset’ in Midland speak ), absolutely don’t take it so hard."
Murphy's full comments are available to view below or over on Instagram. It should be noted that Murphy has covered David Bowie plenty of times over the years, and during Murphy's last tour his "Bewlay Brothers" cover was part of the set and included on Murphy's live album Bare Boned and Sacred.
Meanwhile the interview with Murphy included a few other nuggets: he discussed his vocal cord issue that forced him to postpone his residency last year (he blames too much smoking and gastric reflux); talked briefly about playing with ex-Bauhaus bandmate David J again (called it an act of respect); and revealed that there's only one song in his catalog that he hates and doesn't want to play. Sadly he didn't name the song, so have fun guessing at that one.
Read the full interview over at the San Francisco Chronicle here.
Peter Murphy statement on Bowie:
"Tell David Bowie I Love Him Very Much ......... He knows... Whhoops a daisy. I’m woken by the din of the crowd yelling ‘put him in the stocks’ .. as they pelt me with left over vegetables, ..’ some bark’ you awful chap’. ..‘ foul play’.
All due to the ever so affectionate way that I quipped the other day to a nice sort of chap, an American writer from San Francisco,how David Bowie had ‘buggered off'‘ at some point.
David Bowie was, is, and always shall be deeply honoured, prayed for, and loved by me for his magical musical works and unmatched special influence. However, when I say that, sometime after Let’s Dance I stopped listening to the albums and appreciated the fact that he ‘buggered’ off at some point. One, of course I was not referring to his death (for God’s sake whomever thinks that, don’t be so ridiculous). I’m talking about when he disappeared from view and lived a well earned private life, from around 2006. That edifice of ‘David Bowie‘ that seemed to hang overhead, that felt often like an ever present oppressive standard to either be compared to or to have no way to match, was lifted by Mr Bowie’s retreat for those years. That is: when he ‘ buggered off’ ….and you know I loved him the more for being so smart as to ‘bugger off’. Until that time when, with Another Day and two songs from Black Star, he made stunning, genuine Bowie records.
In the Midlands of England, my birthplace, ‘bugger off’ is a benign, non poisonous , colloquiailism – a provincial soft way of saying ‘give me a break/ take a rain check/ leave it out mate’. It’s often used, by me at least, in a jolly way . It’s definitely not a hard core swear word. So anyone getting their “knickers in a twist “ over this (‘upset’ in Midland speak ), absolutely don’t take it so hard.
And God, Jehova, Allah: Tell David I love him very much ....(and God replies: ‘He knows’)"
Peter Murphy - The Chapel residency
Jan 23 -- Should The World Fail to Fall Apart
Jan 24 -- Should The World Fail to Fall Apart
Jan 26 -- Love Hysteria
Jan 27 -- Love Hysteria
Jan 28 -- Love Hysteria
Jan 31 -- Deep
Feb 02 -- Deep
Feb 03 -- Deep
Feb 04 -- Holy Smoke
Feb 07 -- Cascade
Feb 09 -- Dust
Feb 10 -- Ninth
Feb 11 -- Stripped
Feb 14 -- Mr. Moonlight (Bauhaus set w/David J)
Feb 15 -- Mr. Moonlight (Bauhaus set w/David J)
Feb 16 -- Mr. Moonlight (Bauhaus set w/David J)
Published January 23rd, 2018