Kira O’Boyle
Having grown up listening to Liverpudlian-born band, Echo and the Bunnymen, at the hands of their biggest fan: my mum, it was only sensible to finally check out the band in action on the Nottingham stop of their ‘Songs to Learn and Sing Tour, The Very Best of Echo and The Bunnymen’. Kira O’Boyle reviews.
Starting in 1978, Echo and the Bunnymen have a string of incredible tracks under their belt, and now, on their 14-show run, it was time to see if the band still had it at Nottingham’s very own Rock City. Even though only two members of the original band line-up currently make up their present-day set-up: the lead singer Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant, the band were not shy of providing us with the atmospheric-rock vibe that the band are known for.
Lead singer, Ian McCulloch, is a frontman not for the faint-hearted. I’m often reminded of the story about the singer humorously telling my auntie to f*** off after she shouted a request at him at a Bunnymen gig years ago. Finally, it was my turn to see if the rumours about the frontman were true. A man with a reputation for writing beautifully poetic lyrics within his music, yet notorious for his honest and not-so-poetic revelations on and off stage, means he has often been otherwise known as ‘Mac the Mouth’ in the past. Entering the stage of a sold-out Rock City, a recognisable 80s hair style, staple sunglasses, and a lot of stage smoke, the 64-year-old singer still naturally demanded attention.
the lesser-known tracks in the band’s discography warming the crowd up for an overall triumphant set
The show was uniquely split into two halves with the lesser-known tracks in the band’s discography warming the crowd up for an overall triumphant set. Starting the set with the tracks Going Up and All That Jazz, from their album Crocodile, followed by Rescue and All My Colours, meant the energy slowly began to build. The uplifting Never Stop and mighty Bring On the Dancing Horses brought the first set to a close.
he instructed, “sing this in your beautiful Nottingham tone” and naturally the crowd followed command
After a quick twenty-minute interval it was time for the better half of the two sets, a back-to-back showcase of the bands more widely known tracks, with Show of strength and Over the Wall kicking things off. And finally, a moment where I could understand what McCulloch was saying, it was time for Seven Seas in which he instructed, “sing this in your beautiful Nottingham tone” and naturally the crowd followed command, forming our very own Echo and The Bunnymen choir. The crowd became more energetic from here, their spirits lifting.
McCulloch was not straying away from having a conversation on stage. His strong Liverpudlian accent and rock n roll mumble meant I couldn’t quite understand his every word, although something bold and comically unapologetic is my best guess. His singing, on the other hand, continued to grow stronger throughout the set. After a near 50-year career, his voice is rough around the edges but still powerful.
the band’s musical spirit soared with The Killing Moon, McCulloch’s vocals standing tall, casting chills across the room
A request shouted from an audience member led to a minor interval of McCulloch ranting about hecklers: “I hate yelpers”. The rumours were true, McCulloch definitely does not like being shouted at on stage. The exuberance of the crowd continued into the emotionally charged track Nothing Lasts Forever, as the band mixed Lou Reed’s Take A Walk on the Wildside into the bridge. Self-branded as ‘the greatest song ever written’, the band’s musical spirit soared with The Killing Moon, McCulloch’s vocals standing tall, casting chills across the room. The iconic tune of psychedelic violin began playing and The Cutter was welcomed with an eruption of cheers and by the end of the encore of Lips Like Sugar, the band had done a successful job of transporting the crowd into their very own world.
It was an overall successful journey through all of the band’s best hits, but the liveliness and energy took a while to translate, the interval in the middle meant that once the crowd were starting to warm up, it was back to square one again. Yet, seeing a band play after such a long career creates its own feelings; you can only respect how triumphantly they continue to provide and share the Echo and The Bunnymen that people know and love, with Ian McCulloch’s famous frontman persona definitely not hiding in the shadows.
Kira O’Boyle
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @officialbunnymen via Instagram.com. No changes were made to this image.
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