March 20, 2009 7:52

Goth icon Peter Murphy makes rare SXSW appearance

Former Bauhaus frontman engages in impromptu Q&A with the crowd

Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy made a rare appearance at Austin's South By Southwest festival today (March 19), coming all the way from his adopted home in Turkey to perform for a packed house at Elysium.

Backed by a four-piece band, the goth legend performed several songs from his extensive solo catalogue and pranced around the stage dramatically throughout the 45-minute set.

In between songs, Murphy bantered with the crowd and delivered a message to any musicians in the room. "This is about music, not radio friendliness," he said. "The artist has more power than anybody. The artists must know that they are the centre of it."

At one point, Murphy even handed his microphone to audience members who proceeded to ask him questions. When a woman asked how it felt to reunite with Bauhaus recently, Murphy said, "Bauhaus are very nice chaps but they are exhausting!"

Later in the evening, a man in the crowd shouted, "We fucking love you, Peter!"

"I'm sure you just want to enter my body," quipped Murphy in response, "which is not love."

The show was Murphy's only scheduled appearance at this year's South By Southwest Festival.

Keep checking NME.COM's South By Southwest index page for all the latest SXSW action including news reports, photo galleries and behind-the-scenes blogs.