The first steps of Murnau's Playhouse were taken during the autumn of 2007 … Read Full Bio ↴The first steps of Murnau's Playhouse were taken during the autumn of 2007 in Tampere, Finland, when guitarist Marko and bass player Ville hooked up and decided to start playing together. After a couple of jamming sessions they began feeling they might have the makings of a goth rock band. One night at a local goth club, vocalist Arttu heard them speaking of their band plans and offered to join them. He had been looking for a band to join for some time, and since they all knew each other already, a trio was soon formed.

The late autumn months were spent just jamming together, playing assorted covers and planning the purchase of a drum machine to provide the beat. As luck would have it, though, they got into contact with a live drummer, Kontra, a short while later and thus took a step away from the old school goth rock approach.

With this four man lineup, the band started moving forward rapidly. Marko had some riffs in his back pocket and the guys began developing them into complete songs. The rehearsals in the summer of 2008 saw a further shift from the original old school goth rock band concept towards a sound more reminiscent of post-punk and new wave. Near the end of the summer, Sari joined the band on the keyboards, and all five felt the pieces were definitely falling into place.

During autumn 2008, Murnau's Playhouse decided on the band’s name and recorded their first, four track demo. With a song off the demo, the band entered an annual song contest arranged on the web forum of the local Club Schatten. After the polls closed, Murnau’s Playhouse song White Noise White Light was declared the winner of the contest, something which surprised even the band. The contest ended up being the perfect springboard, and gigs soon followed.

The following year, Murnau’s Playhouse played several gigs at various clubs around Finland with a very positive response from the crowd each night. The highlight of the year was playing at the sold out Lumous Gothic Festival kick off club. An extensive rehearsal schedule between shows resulted in a host of new songs, and eventually the band went into studio to record their debut album, Sanity Show, which was released in late 2009. They are currently writing new material for a new release, and planning a tour of Finland for the early part of the coming year.

The Blight
Murnau's Playhouse Lyrics

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Golden promises of tomorrow
Of days without any sorrow
With one hand you hold your mask
And with the other
You wave from your booth
The crowd is gathered here for your truth

And you speak the sweetest poison

As you claim the fame
Now that you took all you could
Black clouds overshadow us
While you climb to your
Mansion in the sky

The blight
No light shines upon the ground
You, our prophet of revolution
Have been unmasked

I feel this world suffocating
Your hands on mothers' throats
And we walk these barren lands
Sowing the seeds that give birth
To new self-deception
That's the only thing that will thrive now

In this blight
Our father of devolution you are
The blight

You fed your lust we turn to dust
You fed your lust and we turn to
You fed your lust and now return to dust

The blight

Overall Meaning

"The Blight" by Murnau's Playhouse is a song that speaks of the corruption and deception of powerful figures who claim to be agents of change but end up perpetuating the same cycles of oppression and despair. The opening lines paint a picture of a charismatic leader who promises a brighter future but only masked his true intentions with a facade of charm and manipulative words. The second stanza reveals the true nature of this leader who has taken advantage of his followers and has abandoned them as he climbs to his own mansion in the sky, leaving behind a world shrouded in darkness.

The chorus of "The Blight" speaks of the devastation that this leader has wrought, leaving behind a world where light no longer shines and the people are left suffocating. The imagery of hands on mother's throats is particularly poignant, highlighting the personal toll that oppressive systems take on individuals and families. The final lines speak of the cycle of self-deception that perpetuates these systems where, instead of working towards true change, people are content with feeding their own desires and turning to dust in the process.

Overall, "The Blight" is a powerful commentary on the dangers of blindly following those who claim to have the answers to our problems. It urges us to look beyond the surface level charms and promises and to hold those in power accountable for their actions and the impact they have on society.

Line by Line Meaning

Golden promises of tomorrow
Empty assurances of a better future

Of days without any sorrow
A life free of pain and sadness

With one hand you hold your mask
You pretend to be someone you're not

And with the other
While simultaneously

You wave from your booth
You project an image of success and authority

The crowd is gathered here for your truth
People are listening to you for guidance and wisdom

And you speak the sweetest poison
You charm and deceive others with your words

As you claim the fame
You seek attention and recognition

Now that you took all you could
You have exploited every resource

Black clouds overshadow us
Your actions have consequences

While you climb to your
As you ascend to your