And
after Adorable, last time out, here’s one of that band’s principal heroes and
influences, hopefully returning in a similar triumphant manner… It had been 3
long years since I last caught up with my teenage “home team” and early 80’s sweeping
post-punk favourite band Echo And The Bunnymen, ever since that landmark gig
1,000 and a connoisseur’s set at my first “Shiiine On” in November 2016. So I was
up for this one, the only “Southern” gig on a mini Autumn tour, even given
Bunnymen front-man Ian McCulloch’s propensity for, erm, inconsistent “live”
shows and occasional erratic behaviour. Still, he’d not let me down the last
couple of times out, so I was cautiously optimistic for this one…
I
nearly didn’t go for 2 different reasons, though… firstly I was due for a minor
hospital procedure which would have necessitated a day’s recuperation, but
which (thankfully for this at least) got postponed; then I developed a horrible
headache during the day, which happily abated considerably after my cycle
commute home. So I was (mostly) fit for a sodden drive down, through drenched
and dark Southampton backstreets to this new quayside venue, located across
from a giant car park and (weirdly) in an industrial estate! An awkward shape, similar
to the Oxford O2, with bars and loo at the back, it was already rammed on my
arrival, support Will Purdue already mostly through his set of hushed and
morose acoustic material, delivered in a very gravelly voice. Made no
impression on me, though, as I squeezed through to try to get a vantage point,
eventually giving up about halfway back, house left. Not a fan of this place!
The
predictable pre-Bunny tunes (Velvets, Bowie, Doors) played over the PA as the
time ticked past their scheduled 9 pm start time – also predictably! However,
they didn’t keep us waiting too long, the doomy Gregorian monk chant piping up
just before 10 past. Mac, resplendent in de rigeur rock god shades and
leather jacket and looking pretty damn good actually, led the boys on, the mysterious
creeping intro to pulsating opener “Going Up” wafting in eerily around him and
the venue, creating an immediate mood of haunting melancholy… and great promise
for the gig to come…
Let’s
face facts, folks; Echo And The Bunnymen “live” performances depend pretty much
wholly on whether Mac has got his head in the game. Nuff said. The young band
will always provide a solid, functioning base, generally doing musical justice to
these classic songs if never approaching the heights of the classic Pattinson/
DeFreitas backline, and sole other “original” member, the monolithic Will
Sergeant, will always play a spine-chilling virtuoso lead guitar, coaxing
fascinating and unearthly textural noises from his instrument. But if Mac’s not
up for it, it all falls apart… thankfully I can report that tonight he was
fully engaged in the performance, the voice in fine fettle and soaring almost
effortlessly (occasionally a little gravelly and strained on the top notes, but
hey, at least he was going there tonight!) from the opening song. This resulted
in an excellent Bunnymen show, which was occasionally borderline majestic. “Rescue”/
“Broke My Neck” was languid and luscious, a surprising “Zimbo” was yearning,
baroque and imperious, but immediately topped by “Over The Wall”, which built
to a thunderous climax through its’ undulating length. “Villier’s Terrace” was irresistibly
groovy, Mac deadpanning an ironic line of “I drank some of the medicine and I
loooooved the taste…!”, before it switched directions into a “Roadhouse Blues”/
“Jean Genie” medley, and even “Nothing Lasts Forever” was superb, stretched and
stately, with snippets of “Walk On The Wild Side” thrown in for good measure. Not
perfect by any means – “The Somnambulist” was throwaway, and “Rust” borderline
dull – but those hiccups were outdone by moments of plangent brilliance, such
as a later “The Killing Moon” and set closer “The Cutter”, Mac’s voice off the
shackles, soaring beautifully to close out an hour’s set…
Wait,
what, one hour? Yup, a couple of encores, including a hushed “Ocean Rain”, bumping
it up to just over 1 hour 15 in total. Short but sweet, then, but I’d actually
have a short set with Mac up for it, than a sprawling one with him
disinterested. So not too many complaints here, although I can’t really say the
same for the venue, which afterwards funnelled everyone out through one narrow exit
(rather than through the other door as well, which was open but guarded by a
hefty steward). Stupid! Still, overall worth the hassle – and inky blast back
home – to see Mac and The Bunnymen on this form!
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