First of all I must confess that Bauhaus is one of my all-time favorite bands. The prospect of interviewing a key member of the group was daunting. Making matters even more frightening, when I arrived at the station for the interview, the phone line for our interview mechanics was being used! My first thought....cancel the interview and try to re-schedule, but it is Daniel Ash and this may never happen again. I called Daniel for his interview with the Global Cafe. I was thrilled to find him a easy going and a talky chap. Below are some of the key elements of the interview, I am horrid at short hand. I ask Daniel about the name of the new CD "Go Away White".
Telling The Global Cafe that it was meant with a high level of irony, since Bauhaus has always been associated with doom and gloom. It would imply a positive end to the band. We talked about the formation of Bauhaus and how Daniel was testing out a new Amp and invited his friend Peter over to jam, convincing Peter to sing randomly from a British tabloid called the "Sun" for lyrics. This was the true genesis of Bauhaus. Go Away White is the final testament for Bauhaus. The CD concept came together not during the Resurrection Tour, but after a gig at Coachella, that payed them an insane amount. The CD was recorded over 18 days. The band members brought little or nothing to the sessions in form of new music. Ash claims that most of the songs were written on the fly, with Haskins laying down a groove and the rest of the band running with it. Ash also informed the Global Cafe that Bauhaus as a band was ready to scrap the entire CD if they felt it was not musically up to specific standards. The CD was not mixed or produced by Bauhaus. They sent off the tapes to several people and over the course of weeks mixes came back to the band. They were very pleased. Many rumors are floating abound about the recording session and the reasoning behind not touring with the CD and making it the official swan-song, but Ash did inform The Global Cafe that the 18 days of recording involved some very large egos.
We finished the interview talking more about Daniel Ash. He and David J. are rehearsing for a tour as Love and Rockets. He joked about playing a European festival and headlining over Meatloaf and ZZ Top. Ash confessed that he is a huge fan of ZZ Top and the perfect 3 minute pop song. Ash also let the Global Cafe in on his saxophone addiction. He began playing sax because he though Bowie and the sax manfrom Roxy Music looked cool.
I concluded the interview by asking Daniel how he would like his music remembered in 50 years, his answer was simply and to the point..."I don't care". Even though Bauhaus has always said that it never intended to be considered a Goth band, Danial had a great point..."What could we expect releasing our first single, a nine minute song about Bela Lugosi". Danial Ash was joy to chat with and we hope to see a Love and Rockets CD in the future.
