Photo via Tom Holmlund on Facebook
Peter Murphy, currently touring Europe with his old Bauhaus bandmate David J, was thrown out of his own concert in Stockholm on Wednesday night for allegedly throwing a bottle into the audience and injuring a fan, according to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
According to an English translation of that article:
“The world-famous goth rock star Peter Murphy, 61, was thrown out by organizers from his concert at Nalen in Stockholm on Wednesday night. The rejection was preceded by throwing bottles from scene that injured a concert visitor in the face. When Murphy threw out, he ended up fighting with the guards.”
A photo shared to a 4AD Facebook group this morning — and seen above — shows Murphy on the sidewalk, presumably outside the venue, pinned down either by police or uniformed security personnel.
Peter Murphy hade en tuff kväll igår, först blev han skitsur för folk köpte öl när de spelade, sen la mixerbordet av i slutet av giget, därefter blev han utslängd från spelstället pic.twitter.com/xhMXIPbGdk
— peter alzén (@peckapunk) December 13, 2018
The concert was cut short because one of the bottles hit the sound desk which was destroyed. The sound guy cancelled the show. Another bottle hit a guy in the face that had to go to the hospital.
— mathias skeppstedt (@skpprn) December 13, 2018
According to posts on Twitter and the event page for the concert on Facebook, there appeared to be issues with the sound or other equipment, and the concert was cut short. Video posted by fans on the Facebook event page shows Murphy kicking and breaking what appears to be stage lighting, and then throwing multiple bottles into the crowd during “Stigmata Martyr.”
The concert’s promoters posted the following on Facebook:
“With one more song planned, the artists tour manager and technician decided to end yesterday’s concert with Peter Murphy since technical equipment had been destroyed due to incidents we at Nalen take very seriously. The artist acted in an unacceptable way towards the audience and our staff. We are currently trying to sort the situation out. If anyone in the audience got injured in any way, we would like you to contact us and report to the police. We also want to say thanks to the guests who helped us at Nalen and others in the audience.”
And here’s video showing Murphy throwing a bottle:
Neither Murphy nor David J have addressed what happened Wednesday night via their respective social media channels. We’ll update this post if and when they do.
Murphy’s tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Bauhaus continues Friday night in Athens, Greece.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
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- Peter Murphy and David J unveil North American tour celebrating 40 years of Bauhaus
- Peter Murphy pushes San Francisco residency to 2019, plans world tour with David J
- Peter Murphy’s first 5 albums to be complied in appropriately named ‘5 Albums’ box set
- Watch: Peter Murphy and David J reunite to perform Bauhaus set in Mexico
Actions in recent years strongly suggest that Peter is not in a good place mentally. It may be time to take a year or two off and sort some things out. :-(
This is VERY Sad indeed!
Me thinks he’s still tripping the nose fantastic…his show in Seattle a few years back was terrible.
The concert in Hamburg, Germany was canceled due to illness, they reported. The night before they played in Berlin.
Seems a bit like he has some bigger problems.
Was that a “CROWN Royal” bottle?
Agree with you both. This is very sad.
I’m sure this will help with his US visa.
Let’s give Pete a break. The same characteristics of why he is so compelling as a performer and vocalist also lead him to antics like this. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Looking forward to him coming to the US with this show.
Let’s not give Pete a break. Hurling dangerous items into the crowd and injuring fans isn’t performance, it’s being an asshole. Fighting with security in front of the venue, more so. The man needs to get his shit together, or you won’t see him in the US — they won’t let him back into the country.
“Now I am silly.”
He threw a bottle which spilled water mainly on the security people it seemed, in London, & railed at those “on their cell phones – you’re at a ******* concert”!
Let them do what they want. They’re standing, engaged in watching, still worshipping & providing free publicity when they post on Facebook or Tweet photos or post a YouTube video. He sees it as disrespectful. I saw it from the balcony.
Certainly puts a new spin on getting “bottled off.”
Seems he’s outgrown his shirts, too.
Looking at his touring schedule, he has set himself up for extreme exhaustion. The band is almost playing a different city every day. I’m seeing them Feb 8 in Atlanta. They will have played 19 show prior starting Jan 11th. That is a grueling schedule. Not excusing his actions as they are his actions, but I’m sure this schedule has something to do with it.
Seen him over twenty times. This has been a slow decline. Portland shows he was upset with the sound. I hope he can figure out his issues. This was not surprising to me.
No he did not, Rosamund Tomlins. He said that “..f-ing cellphone” comment to someone specific who was ON THE STAGE, in the wings, to his left, who was on their phone. He did not say or do ANYTHING negative to the audience at the London show. In fact, after an ecstacically received Bela, he told them: “You’re fantastic, wonderful. We won’t ever forget this..”
I have seen four Murphy shows in the last 5 years. The first was great. The rest were progressively worse and worse. He apologized profusely for the sound quality at the last show I attended (San Diego), but everyone in the audience knew it wasn’t the equipment…it was Mr. Murphy. He sounded like complete shit. He could hit a high (or even mid-range) note or hold a note for more than a few seconds without his voice breaking out. Lay of the meth, dude.
Each show was “progressively worse and worse” says Michael. And yet he kept attending them. Perhaps that says more about Michael than Murphy, as does the rest of the “comment”.
And for what it’s worth, 60-year-old Murphy had work done on his vocal chords last year, and by several accounts has been sounding very good this year, better than he has for around 15 years, “dude”.
Sadly is that three big animals choking and turned down,
to be honest, older man, on his own gig.
Peter is great artist.
And as anyone can experience a weaker day as well.
Concert in Breslau was great.
Don’t give up Peter.
I agree that the intense touring schedule seems to be taking its toll, and while I have always made it a point to get a ticket to Peter’s concerts whenever he is in town, I am reluctant to buy another one because I agree that his performance has been degrading noticeably over the last few years.
I remember going to his DUST tour show back in the early 2000s and being more mesmerized than I had ever been at any concert I had ever attended. It was a superlative experience. In comparison, the last couple of Murphy shows I attended were a bit disappointing.
I don’t want to put all of the blame on Peter…I agree that people need to turn their damned phones off and stop yakking loudly about their social life while everyone is trying to take in the show. Having said that, I have noticed that Peter is finding more and more opportunity to get upset on stage, and often lashes out or casts nasty gazes at the sound crew, his band members, etc….and he seems much more distracted/phoning-it-in than he used to. I sadly accept that substance abuse probably has a significant role in this, and I hope he gets help if he needs it.
Looks like his Portland show at the Roseland has sold out tonight.
1400 capacity. Last time I saw him on the Lion Tour he did 300 in the 500 capacity Star Theater. Looks like David J is bringing the heat…lol. Anyway, it should be a great show… when these guys are on they definitely create a special event.