Who We Are: Bauhaus, the Northampton Band That Started Goth

If you know us from a bat-winged sleeve, a nine-minute song or a face emblem on a black shirt, you already know a little. Here's the rest.

Where are we from?

We're an English band formed in Northampton in 1978. We first played as S.R., then as Bauhaus 1919, a name bassist David J took from the year the German Bauhaus art school opened. By the time our first single came out, the "1919" was gone.

Who is in Bauhaus?

The line-up never changed: Peter Murphy on vocals, Daniel Ash on guitar and saxophone, David J on bass and Kevin Haskins on drums.

What made us known?

Bela Lugosi's Dead. Our first single came out in August 1979 on Small Wonder Records. It runs over nine minutes, it was recorded in one take, and it stayed on the UK indie chart for two years. Many people call it the first goth record, although we preferred to call our sound "dark glam".

Did we come back?

More than once. We reunited in 1998, again from 2005 to 2008, and again from 2019, with shows in the US and Europe in 2022.

What's in the shop?

The face emblem, the bat wings, Gotham and the 2022 tour dates, on tees, hoodies and sweatshirts, with kids' and youth sizes too. Our albums post has the records behind them.

Ready to join the undead? Shop the collection