Misc. — March 18, 2013 at 10:08 pm

Peter Murphy facing DUI, meth charges following Southern California hit-and-run

Peter Murphy

Former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy was being held in a Southern California jail on Monday on $500,000 bond while facing DUI, felony hit-and-run and meth possession charges in connection with an incident over the weekend in which he is alleged to have rear-ended a vehicle and fled the scene, according to the Glendale News-Press.

The newspaper reports that Murphy, driving a Subaru Forester, struck a Mercedes around 11:48 a.m. Saturday in an intersection in Glendale, Calif., then fled the scene — but was followed to Los Angeles by an eyewitness who told police “he was afraid (Murphy) would kill someone with his driving.” The witness blocked Murphy’s vehicle until police came and took him into custody.

Police noted that Murphy appeared “very confused” and was unsure of the day and time, according to the newspaper. He denied drinking alcohol, but said he had taken prescription mediation for depression.

According to the paper, police reported finding a small bag of methamphetamine inside the patrol car in which Murphy had been detained, and believe the singer had been trying to discard it.

Murphy denied the drugs were his, according to the newspaper’s report.

Next month, Murphy — who lives in Turkey — is set to begin a world tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of goth-rock legends Bauhaus, performing concerts solely comprised of material by his former band. That trek opens April 22 in San Antonio, Texas, and run through late July, covering North America and Europe.

 

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31 Comments

  1. He was driving a SUBARU!?!?!?

  2. So much for picking up tickets to his Seattle show. Crap.

  3. Strange to see his mug shot sans make-up and the like. Looks like some dude you would run into on a Saturday morning at the local quickie mart. What with the 5 o’clock shadow and the Subaru and all :)

    In other news: Ticket refunds for everyone!!!

  4. Shame on you guys for even spreading this. Leave the poor guy alone and focus on the music!

  5. emo fuckin’ BS. what kind of looser is still ganking and playing on his past glory 20+ years later? fuck, even that lame ass aerosmith has this fool beat now. At least we still have iggy pop.

  6. His lawyer will probably have the drug charge thrown out because they weren’t found on him but inside the cop car he had been sitting in. I don’t even think its fair to charge him with that. .. and why call him “former Bauhaus frontman”.. if they are touring this summer??? He _IS_ the Bauhaus frontman. Long live Peter Murphy!!! Oh Bela!!

  7. to those who would use this opportunity to attack someone who is “playing on his past glory 20+ years later… at least we still have iggy pop” i say that btw Iggy Pop sounds tired and ready to die. and, at least Murphy has a vocal range. what’s your legacy when you die? if you had one, i bet in this day and age you wouldn’t think twice to play on it as long as possible. as if he isn’t still producing excellent music. hopefully this is a needed wake up call to Peter that will point him in a better direction.

  8. All my musical idols are in the news for all the wrong reasons these days. Morrissey and his tour crash and burn and now this. Sad. And the bag of drugs was found IN the patrol car?

  9. This is sad making. The last time I saw Murphy [2011] I didn’t care for his rock music too much, but what saved the evening for us was his absolutely hilarious banter with the audience! Both my wife and I independently found ourselves thinking “Eddie Izzard had better watch his rear view mirror!” Unexpectedly, he was hilariously and self-deprecatingly mocking about his reputation as an “enigma” and certainly his weight [admittedly, he now sports a slight paunch] and thought nothing of shaking hands with anyone who stretched their hands out and talking with the audience for long stretches at a time. Every other time I’d seen Peter Murphy live was watching a professional in action. He hit his marks and delivered, but you didn’t ever get a sense of the man himself. Not this time! I now know Peter Murphy is a laff riot with reams of Wildean wit overflowing the coffers of his soul. Bonus points to him for not shaving his head as he now has a small bald spot in back [unlike 90% of his audience who were predominantly the dreaded Bald Guys®]. Too bad about the music, though.

  10. BROOKSNLAURATUCK

    Actually, for the haters, his lastalbum was not only one of his best, but one if the best records of 2012. This is regrettable, but not funny. Glad no one was hurt.

  11. Agreed that “Ninth” was a remarkable record. It bums me out that METH. You know?? Meth?? “…was found with an ounce of primo Columbian cocaine, a black cape and two underage hookers.” But not METH. And a Subaru.

  12. How the mighty have fallen.

  13. Dean Martian

    I agree with Post-Punk Monk. I saw Peter Murphy for the third time at SXSW back in 2009, and I was shocked at how funny he was. He did an extended Q&A with the audience near the end of his set, and he was very witty, charming, humble, and gracious. Which – I feel bad admitting – was pretty much the exact opposite of how I imagined he would be.

    I have meet and greet tickets to his Chicago show, and I hope he can get this straightened out and continue the tour. But it doesn’t look good.

  14. Right on, Jon Hunt. Frickin’ METH. (??)

  15. It’s not that he was in a Subaru, but that it was a lame Forester. If he was in a tricked out STI that would have been awesome.

  16. Peter Murphy bumped Dalis Car.

  17. everyone (especially those making the snarky comments) should just shut up and give him the privacy he needs to get through this horrible ordeal. he may be famous, but he’s also a human being and as we know all human beings make mistakes.

  18. To clarify a couple of things: @Brent Bauhaus is NOT touring this year, and he is NOT the current frontman of Bauhaus. He is touring solo with a backing band and simply performing Bauhaus songs.
    @stillapunk: Did you hear Peter’s last album? It’s got some amazing Iggy moments in it. The guy is not a has-been cashing in on the past, his newest stuff is among his best ever. Also, nobody whose name is “stillapunk” should be casting aspersions on anyone ELSE ruminating over music’s past.
    I wonder if the meth belongs to one of his current bandmates. Peter, a devout Muslim, has been famously sober for years, and there is recent backstage video of him tea-totaling while everyone else drinks.
    It seems undeniable that he caused the hit-and-run crime, but I’m waiting to hear more about his explanation for the *possible* meth (remember, it has not been definitively identified, only presumed).

  19. Why couldn’t the Subaru at least have been a WRX STI?.

  20. He and his band sucked anyway, no loss. What an idiot.

  21. Good PR move.

  22. Potbelly Pete’s mugshot looks like he is an uncle or older brother of Liam McPoyle from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

  23. Agreed, Bigmouth. Or Don Knotts’ nephew. Bust out of jail, then bust out the Ralph Furley threads! “YOWSAH!”

  24. i’d still do him….if i bail him out can i get a one-nighter?!?!?!

  25. 80sprincess

    His mugshot doesn’t look like he’s high on meth at ALL– unless they got him at the end of a four-day roll…he looks exhausted & drained. Hope he learned a lesson and to be more careful so he doesn’t hurt himself or someone else!!! And if needed, to get help for addiction issues. I LOVED him back in the day! Saw him twice in Milwaukee in the 80s. He has a beautiful voice.

  26. Leave him alone.
    He’s beautiful.

  27. Loved Bauhaus in their heyday…..
    Saw them supporting Magazine in Wakefield northern England and was hooked. Also lucky enough to see them on the “terror couple killed colonel” tour, “in the flat field” tour and the last time was in the “mask” period.
    Didn’t bother after that as the band was out of original energy by then so forgot all about them to be honest.
    Not sure about rehashing old Bauhaus material for live gigs as the 80’s is where it should stay in the memories of those who were there when the band were young and not old fella’s.
    Having said which I wish Pete all the success in the world for still being such an obvious genius although I wouldn’t pay $5000 to see him as the last time I saw Bauhaus it was about £6 [ $8 ]

  28. What a shame. He has one of the greatest singing voices in rock music. His solo music from the late 80s to the early 90s in particular is incredible, and far better than anything he did with Bauhaus in my opinion.
    I sure hope he sobers up.

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