About the Author

David J. Haskins was born in Northampton, England, in 1957, and was a founder member of Bauhaus, the highly influential band that spearheaded the post-punk alternative-music scene of the early 80s with a string of innovative albums and a powerfully dramatic live presentation. Following the band s split in 1983, he embarked on a long and varied solo career that has produced a series of critically acclaimed albums and various avant-garde collaborations. He has also written and directed a number of stage productions including the spectacular multimedia event Silver For Gold (The Odyssey Of Edie Sedgwick), and The Chanteuse And The Devil s Muse, a surrealistic investigation into the notorious Black Dahlia murder mystery plus several screenplays (with writing partner Don C. Tyler), and his visual art has been exhibited internationally.

Reviews

I laughed, then I got scared, then I laughed again. I've just read David J. Haskins's memoirs. I had expected drugs and sex and rock music; I had not expected the kaleidoscopic parade of sheer insanity, the loads of blood and punch-ups, fantastic egos, dark arts, creeps and cons, curses, witches, gurus, psychological warfare, superstars and nameless angels, demons and doomed types, fire, arrests, legal battles, gods and doors to other worlds, astral projection, ASTRAL FUCKING PROJECTION. I could go on but you might as well read it. All this scattered across the rises and falls and rises of David J.'s formidable career in music, AND it's actually quite a hilarious read, save all the creepy crawlie bits. BLACK FRANCISTo call this book fascinating would be a disservice to potential readers. Fans of the bands David J. has been in will revel in his revelations and delight in the detail. Lovers of music books in general will realise this is up there with the very best for its insight and surprises, but as musical madness and magickal dangers coalesce, this one enters totally uncharted territory. Buckle up! MICK MERCERFrom the stonily silent one in the red glasses pours an exhaustive and intimate account of the rise and fall of one of the most influential underground acts of the 80s. With tenderness and harrowing precision, David J. finally draws Bauhaus into the light. It is a joy to revisit that late night analogue world when post-punk, death-rock and batcave still seethed with real power, and the reduction of goth had yet to smother that fertile and vicious crescent. ANOHNIBauhaus roared across a musical moment in time that too few people were fortunate enough to be part of. For those who embraced the darkness, they were innovators of the morose in the league of Edgar Allan Poe. Using sound the way others use the colour spectrum, leaving us permanently dyed with their brave recordings. David J. Haskins shines a penetrating light on a missing link in music history with stories of band dysfunction and genius songwriting; allowing us in on the dismantling of goth's most legendary freakshow. PERRY FARRELLBauhaus was like a hard cock in a dimly lit room filled with vampires. This book is told firsthand by one of the reckless few that created such an important and unusual genre of music. Their odd, witchy songs snaked themselves all the way from whence they came into my temporal lobe and impacted on what I ended up becoming as an artist. MARILYN MANSONIn many ways, Bauhaus were the darkest and deadliest of Britain's post-punk pioneers. Seeing them live in London the week In The Flat Field came out is an experience I'll never forget. Instead of overkill, they were the masters of underkill and spine-tingling tension. Then they got famous. Now, David J. Haskins reflects on both personal and collective evolution and how to rise from the ashes the right way when a truly great band breaks up. And to think it all started in a vacuum, far away from the lights of London, in a sleepy market town in the Midlands. It's amazing how far people can go when they're not afraid of their own intelligence, curiosity, and new ideas. I don't think he's done, either. JELLO BIAFRAThis is mesmerizing writing with a sense of humour with a bite and attention to detail so vivid you're there! This personal and bold accounting of frequently outrageous events will inform and enthral those who love an engaging life story (as well as music history buffs) with its many powerful behind-the-scenes explosions, but the book really gets into high gear in the final sublime metaphysical chapters. An enthralling read. JARBOEIt's been well over thirty years since I've seen David in person, but reading his wildly vivid memoir makes 1982 feel like yesterday. Eloquent and Smart. A great read. GAVIN FRIDAYThis book offers a fascinating glimpse into the musical and artistic development of David J. Haskins, from his involvement with Bauhaus and the counterculture underground to his stoned immaculate forays into the occult. At times insightful, sometimes shocking, often hilarious, a delightful book. BRENDAN PERRYThe bats may have left the bell tower, but David J. Haskins has reached deep and down, dredging up musty skeletons long thought buried for this blacklit rock'n'roll romp through the birth of a new music, dark and mysterious. Sharpen your fangs, light the candles, and dig in to this scrumptious gothic feast. SHADE RUPE, author of Dark Stars RisingI knew David J. Haskins to be a fantastic musician and visual artist, but it turns out that he is also a gifted writer with a sharp style and sly wit. Who Killed Mister Moonlight? is not just a revealing account of the evolution of Bauhaus and Love And Rockets--peppered with stories about David's interactions with The Clash, John Lydon, Joy Division, Iggy Pop, Rick Rubin, and other heroes of mine--but an electric journey through the struggles and tensions of the creative process. David J. has a dark side, but he's no one-dimensional goth, his shades of black manifest in remarkably varied ways in his art, and in his writing, as wicked black humour. What is most compelling about this book is the way David articulates the inspirations, irritations, triumphs, and defeats that are inherent to creativity ... the alchemy of turning black thoughts into white light. SHEPARD FAIREYThis is not merely a legendary rock'n'roll story but an epic creator's journey of a man who is not only a master musician and storyteller but also a master magician. A man who knows that music and art are magic, and that magic can and will destroy what destroys us. This book kills fascists. STEVEN JOHNSON LEYBA, artist and author of Coyote Satan Amerika and The Trickster's TorahCaptivating and charming, David J. Haskins's witty memoir is a must-read for anyone who was ever in a band, went to art school, or danced like a New Wave slut to 'Bela Lugosi's Dead'! ANN MAGNUSONAnother sorry tale of how ego, drugs, and black magic (and I don't mean the chocolates) destroyed another great band. It made me sad. PETER HOOK