Reunited modern-rockers Love and Rockets headline the Fox in Oakland
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins bring their reunited trio Love and Rockets to the Fox in Oakland Sunday night. The threesome played a major part in two of the most influential groups to emerge during the late '70s and '80s, laying the groundwork for a legion of post-punk and alternative bands that would follow in their wake.
Though they only released four studio albums between the founding of Bauhaus in 1978 with singer Peter Murphy and bassist David J (Haskins' older brother) and the band's abrupt dissolution in 1983, the quartet achieved a level of impact unmatched by many groups that emerged in the wake of punk rock's initial explosion in England. Imitated by many and matched by none, Bauhaus crafted a dark vision that held sway over so many disciples that the band entered a rarified eschelon occupied by the likes of the Velvet Underground and Black Sabbath in therms of the breadth of their reach.
While Bauhaus eventually reunite for two rapturously received tours in 1998 and 2005 prior to recording one final album -- the celebrated swan song Go Away White in 2008 that led to a last acrimonious split -- Ash and Haskins also hit great heights of commercial and critical success with David J in their trio Love and Rockets. Reviving the spirit of late '60s psychedelia with their nuanced songwriting and gifts for hooky, hypnotic tunes, the band made alternative rock before the genre even existed.
They managed one huge MTV hit in 1989 with "So Alive," but it was the body of work the band created over 15 years starting in 1985 that earned them a rabidly loyal cult of fans. Taking their name from the popular underground comic created by the Hernandez brothers, the trio started off their career with a cover of the Temptations smash "Ball of Confusion." The band's first two acclaimed albums Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven and Express delivered an updated take on psychedelic pop with a decidedly brighter sound than Bauhaus.
The 1987 follow-up -- Earth, Sun, Moon -- had a more acoustic sound and included the minor MTV and Radio hit "No New Tale to Tell," which helped pave the way to the breakout success of "I'm Alive" two years later. Love and Rockets split up in 1999 after a decade of dwindling commercial success, but enjoyed their own high-profile reunion in 2009, playing lucrative festival gigs at Coachella and Lollapalooza before Ash announced in no uncertain terms in 2009 that he wasn't interested in reviving the band again. Ash put out a handful of solo recordings since then (including the career overview Stripped in 2014 that found him offering up new versions of classic songs) but it wasn't until recently that he reached out to Kevin Haskins with the idea of returning to the stage and revisiting the songs of Tones on Tail, his early '80s experimental project with roommate and Bauhaus roadie Glenn Campling on bass that eventually included Haskins on drums once Bauhaus had split.
Recruiting Haskins' daughter Diva Dompe to play bass and keyboards, the new trio began playing live shows under the moniker Poptone in 2017 to great acclaim. Though the band touches on a handful of Ash-penned Love and Rockets tunes and a sole Bauhaus song (with the odd Adam Ant and David Bowie cover getting thrown into some sets), the bulk of the Poptone repertoire is drawn from the minimalist "doom and dance" pop experimentation tracked by Tones on Tail during their brief existence between the musicians' other two bands. The group would embark on a pair of successful tours and release the self-titled live document in 2018, while Murphy and David J would tour together to mark the 40th anniversary of Bauhaus the same year including a full performance of In a Flat Field.
Bauhaus saw another full reunion -- the first in 13 years -- late 2019 and played three sold-out concerts before the pandemic curtailed any further touring. The band recorded its first new song in 14 years with the remote collaboration on "Drink the New Wine," eventually touring the U.S. and Europe before the shows abruptly came to an end with the troubled Murphy entering rehab.
With Bauhaus sidelined, Ash announced earlier this year that he and the Haskins brothers would revive Love and Rockets and embark on that band's most extensive touring itinerary since they originally split during the '90s. The trio's reunion coincides with the vinyl reissues of their back catalog as well as the release of the new collection My Dark Twin, which has been described as a companion to the band's 1996 album Sweet F.A. The 22-track compilation features eight previously unreleased versions and six unreleased songs from the Sweet F.A. sessions. The band headlines the Fox Theater in Oakland the night after performing at this year's edition of the Cruel World Festival with post-punk artist Vinsantos opening the show.
Love and Rockets
Sunday, May 21, 7:30 p.m. $59.50-$79.50
Mezzanine