Last night’s show in Orlando marked the official end of the 40 years of Bauhaus Ruby Celebration Tour featuring Peter Murphy and David J. The extra day was added as a reschedule after Peter Murphy was unable to perform at the original Orlando date on February 7th due to to medical issues. And fans who traveled in from all over the state were treated to a repeat performance from Murphy.

In the now numerous posts on the Facebook page for the event, concert goers have thrown insults at Murphy and levied accusations of trickery, greed, and shady dealings at the venue, The Plaza Live. (Edit: In my attempt to capture audience frustration, it was not my intent to imply that these accusations have merit. The venue is often the first target of frustrated and unfounded abuse when something goes wrong. The Plaza Live staff did the best they could in a situation no one could have planned or predicted.)The visitor posts on Peter Murphy’s page aren’t much kinder. Many commentors also pointed out that they had a feeling Murphy was going to be a no show again after the pre-show meet and greet was cancelled. What seems to have fans most upset is that Murphy wasn’t announced as a no show until after the opening act, SINE, finished their set around 9:30pm.

At the February date, David J stalled for time before announcing that Murphy was unable to perform. This time, the stage manager announced that Peter Murphy would not be performing, promised a full refund, and announced David J who insisted the show go on. Despite the majority of those who remained booing at the cancellation announcement, the show did go on with what David J via Curse Mackay described as a “deconstructed / remixed Bauhaus “in dub” type of performance”.

There are numerous rumors circulating about the exact reasons why Murphy didn’t take the stage, and whether or not he even made it to Orlando. I’m not here talk about that. I’m here to talk about why David J is a goddamn hero and my new patron saint of goth. He did everything he could to make sure the audience didn’t go away without an experience.

Update: See Murphy’s official statement