Echo and the Bunnymen, Manchester Ritz 13/10/09 Review

"Manchester city is the place" crooned iconic legend Ian McCulloch much to the delight of a Mancunian crowd. Less than a minute later he balanced out the nod to Liverpool's city rivals with a name check closer to home. "Take a walk on Merseyside" blasted the Liverpudlian. The Scouse contingent in the Manchester Ritz hollered in appreciation.

Three decades after forming Echo and the Bunnymen can still draw a crowd. Last night was sold out and as the cheers during an extended version of the band's 1997 hit Nothing Ever Lasts Forever demonstrated people travel from all over to see them.

The post-punk band are at the start of a Transatlantic tour that will see them take in over 25 dates on both sides of the Atlantic before Christmas. If last night's performance is anything to go by the Bunnymen's loyal legion of fans are in for treat. Mac and the lads were on fine form.

The Bunnymen know how to create a mood. As Georgian chants rang around the venue and smoke engulfed the stage dark silhouettes emerged. McCulloch's figure is unmistakeably cool. Even his shadow oozes style and class.

Guitarist Will Sergeant took up his usual side of stage position.

With a monotonous "hello" the band launched into "Going Up" and then "Show of Strength". A pair off their 1981 album Heaven Up Here. The perfect songs to compliment the moody stage set up.

The Bunnymen command a mixed following. It would be fair to say most in there will know them from their 80's heyday - they threatened on more than one occasion to break through into the mainstream - but there was also a fair smattering of younger folk.

A healthy mixture of music types (t-shirts on parade ranging from The Fall to The Clash to the Hacienda), ageing McCulloch wannabes (it's all in the hair), couples, football casuals, students and just ordinary people.

If any of the gathered didn't know the first two songs it's a safe bet they would have recognised the opening to Rescue. One of The Bunnymen's more well known tracks.

During this four minute burst of indie-pop the on-stage blackness was broken when a video was projected onto a backdrop behind the five piece.

It remained throughout showing grainy home videos of nothing in particular and the odd kaleidoscope pattern. It did however manage to coax the incredibly insular Sergeant into looking up on more than one occasion.

Their 10th studio album (11th if you included the Ian McCulloch-less Reverberation) was released on Monday. Titled The Fountain, McCulloch has described it as "one of the best we've made".

The first taster from it came six songs in. "Do You Know Who I am?" fitted perfectly in between the chirpy Stormy Weather and old favourite Seven Seas.

Bands are often criticised for playing too many new songs at gigs. Last night there could be an argument the Bunnymen played too few songs from the new album.

On a tour that is intended to promote their latest offering they only went onto play two more tracks off it; The Shroud of Turin and the single I Think I Need It To.

But who can blame them. When you've got a back catalogue spanning over thirty years, and more importantly a back catalogue that would stand up to pretty much any band in existence choosing a set list must be a nightmare.

The likes of The Killing Moon and The Cutter are ever present favourites and the aforementioned Nothing Ever Lasts Forever was, as always, interspersed with Lou Reed's Wildside, Don't Let Me Down and Midnight Hour,

It was at this point a man standing next to me uttered "I'll never tire of watching these".

As the band rounded off the night playing Lips Like Sugar during a second encore it's safe to say most, if not all present, would surely agree.





Set List:

Going up,
Show of strength,
Rescue,
Villiers Terrace,
Stormy weather,
Do you know who I am?,
Seven Seas
Dancing Horses
Shroud of Turin,
The Disease,
All that Jazz,
Silver,
Back of Love,
The Killing Moon
The Cutter,

Encore 1:
I think I need it to
Nothing every lasts forever


Encore 2:
Lips Like Sugar



The Fountain by Echo and the Bunnymen is out now, priced at £7.98 at Amazon



Echo and the Bunnymen play LIverpool's 02 Academy on 17th December

"that 1st comment was for the aceemny xfm gig the ritz was mint sorry" stuart barber, manchester around 2 years, 7 months ago

"1st seenthe bunnymen in 1981 followed them since they were awful mac was singing out of time all night he was off his head on drink,terrible" stuart barber, manchester around 3 years, 5 months ago

"They did not play Shroud Of Turin, it was Forgotten Fields." Derek Redpath, Leeds around 3 years, 8 months ago

"Gregorian Chants" Simo Hayha, Liverpool around 3 years, 8 months ago