Have you had it with the bunnymen

[Frank The Bunny]

Nice post. Welcome aboard.

(Ignore Frank. And FC since you American.)

Ignore Frank? Yeah... I'm just the asshole who provided "all those megaupload links".

Eat a dick, withahip.

[black francis]

withahip loves you in his own special way. and frank does hook it up around here.

[Scouser]

To me its not an issue of if Echo & The Bunnymen are no longer relevant, because Echo & The Bunnymen no longer exist. There may be a band comprising 50% of the members of the "old" Echo & The Bunnymen. But that does not make them The Bunnymen.

When Les was still in the band I could just about reconcile it. I was heralding Evergreen as a major return to form when it came out. When, if Im honest with myself, those emotions were formed on the fact they had produced a killer single (still one of their best) and the fact that Evergreen was alot better than The Grey Album (or so I thought at the time, now Im not so sure).

Since then its been the law of diminishing returns (though Siberia was marginally better than the dog turd that was Flowers).


I could probably accept all that if it wasnt for two things -

a) The "original" Bunnymen were the best band on the planet from 1980 - 1984. No question about that in my mind. Each album is absolute poetry and in Mac there was the worlds greatest (most coolest) frontman allied to the best rhythm section that I have ever seen and a guitarist that made all other 80's guitarists redundant. Plus, live, nobody even came close.

b) The live experience of The New Bunnymen since WAYGTDWYL.

Being a loyal Bunnyfan I was going to the gigs up until a couple of years ago. The last two Bunnymen gigs I really felt good about was LIPA and Cream. That was before the familiarity of the setlist bred contempt.

The band are hired hands, competent though they may be. That means Mac and Will need to carry the show. Will just gets his head down and his whole body language screams "in it for the money". Mac veers between contempt, boredom, resignation, bitterness and occassionally brilliance. But I'm not paying twenty quid for occassional flashes of the Mac of old. I leave that to Dave Smith, I actually have a life.

Mac only has Will along and uses the Bunnymen name to pull in floating punters. I'd have more respect for him if he went solo (a la Cope) and if he brought out sub standard albums and played in pizza joints it wouldnt really matter, Id respect the effort he was putting in. If the Bunnymen had stopped after Evergreen you would look at their body of work and say "OK, the last couple of albums are slightly less good but...come on...90% of it is genius".

The back catalogue the Bunnymen have there is no excuse for the current setlist. Its an insult to people who pay good money to see them. Its not an insult to people who wander into seeing the Bunnymen at Festivals. So you have to ask yourself which type of audience is more important to the Bunnymen...the hardcore fan who has followed them for years and bought all their records or the casual festival goer? One nil to the floaters.

But, its OK, because the Bunnymen have a once a year Christmas gig for the hardcore every year. Here is their chance to do something special just for the fans and prove, once and for all, that their fanbase still mean something to them. Er...hang on...isnt that the same setlist I heard last time and the 15 times before that? Oh, yes it is. Two nil to the floaters.

Then, the final nail in the coffin, the "classic 80's album revisited" tour. Every 80's has been is doing it - ABC, Toyah, OMD, Kajagoogoo, Echo & The Bunnymen. When I saw that announced I knew it was finally over. If it had just been the Albert Hall I would have thought "fair enough". But then it was hawked all over the place. The sound of the final nail being banged into the coffin of the Bunnymen its encore.

Why is this post so long? Why am I so angry and bitter?

Because the Bunnymen were something special. A once in a lifetime happening that outshone everything around them. They effortlessly laid down a marker that other bands (U2, Simple Minds, Big Country et al) could only grope towards their incandescent brilliance. Stars are stars when they shine so hard.

Thats when I see Mac playing a restaurant and people talking all through the set its like a knife in my heart. It didnt have to be like that - if he'd only given a shit. But he believed his own press. Mac was once described (by Cope I think) as being "a pop star 24 hours a day". If only that were true now. The past is the past Mac...you've got to keep striving for greatness. You can knock out the likes of Flowers, Slideling, Siberia and probably The Fountain in your sleep and you know it. Give us something from inside you, not a faint echo of past glories because thats what you think we want/ will get you back on the front cover of the NME.

Its in there somewhere, I know it is.

Then, and only then, the Bunnymen will mean something again.

To me anyway.

Sorry for the rant.

[fat cherry]

It could be worse.John lever the ex-Chameleons drummer has got a band together to cover songs from the groups first three albums.

or foxton and buckler calling themselves 'from the jam'. who i have seen and were quite good, but you know, not the same without the snarling gobshite of old up front is it?

[fat cherry]

(Ignore Frank. And FC since you American.)

yeah ignore me, though at least I haven't started talking like a 1940 hollywood red indian.

[Dave Smith]

I do have a life btw.Just to let you know.

[Grumpy_Jimbo]

I do have a life btw.Just to let you know.

Especially now that Wolves are in the Premiership...........

[Dave Smith]

We are the Champions.

[adders]

I agree with a lot of what Scouser has to say about this.

From 1980-84 The Bunnymen were the most magical band on the planet. Everything they did - releases\gigs\interviews - convinced me that they were something special. Unique.

For me, that magical something that they had, mainly ended after they announced a year off (just after Ocean Rain).

I don't believe they will ever be that good again. I'll be amazed if any band is.

However, I still buy their records. I still go to their gigs. Simply because I enjoy their music. For me, seeing them as they are now still beats going to see most other bands (and I do see other bands).

[Dave Smith]

I'm with you there Adders-even at 50% throttle they are still a great live band,just victims of their past successes.But these criticisms have followed their career since 1984.
A journalist once wrote "seeing the Bunnymen live is becoming a bit like watching your favourite football teams cup final win over and over again.You still enjoy it,but you know exactly when the goals are coming up and the surprise element has gone".
Guess the year?98?2000?2005?.

No -1988 when they played Manchester.

But if my life means not listening to camp indie rockers from Kendal-see you at the next gig.

[JackT]

To me its not an issue of if Echo & The Bunnymen are no longer relevant, because Echo & The Bunnymen no longer exist. There may be a band comprising 50% of the members of the "old" Echo & The Bunnymen. But that does not make them The Bunnymen.

When Les was still in the band I could just about reconcile it. I was heralding Evergreen as a major return to form when it came out. When, if Im honest with myself, those emotions were formed on the fact they had produced a killer single (still one of their best) and the fact that Evergreen was alot better than The Grey Album (or so I thought at the time, now Im not so sure).

Since then its been the law of diminishing returns (though Siberia was marginally better than the dog turd that was Flowers).


I could probably accept all that if it wasnt for two things -

a) The "original" Bunnymen were the best band on the planet from 1980 - 1984. No question about that in my mind. Each album is absolute poetry and in Mac there was the worlds greatest (most coolest) frontman allied to the best rhythm section that I have ever seen and a guitarist that made all other 80's guitarists redundant. Plus, live, nobody even came close.

b) The live experience of The New Bunnymen since WAYGTDWYL.

Being a loyal Bunnyfan I was going to the gigs up until a couple of years ago. The last two Bunnymen gigs I really felt good about was LIPA and Cream. That was before the familiarity of the setlist bred contempt.

The band are hired hands, competent though they may be. That means Mac and Will need to carry the show. Will just gets his head down and his whole body language screams "in it for the money". Mac veers between contempt, boredom, resignation, bitterness and occassionally brilliance. But I'm not paying twenty quid for occassional flashes of the Mac of old. I leave that to Dave Smith, I actually have a life.

Mac only has Will along and uses the Bunnymen name to pull in floating punters. I'd have more respect for him if he went solo (a la Cope) and if he brought out sub standard albums and played in pizza joints it wouldnt really matter, Id respect the effort he was putting in. If the Bunnymen had stopped after Evergreen you would look at their body of work and say "OK, the last couple of albums are slightly less good but...come on...90% of it is genius".

The back catalogue the Bunnymen have there is no excuse for the current setlist. Its an insult to people who pay good money to see them. Its not an insult to people who wander into seeing the Bunnymen at Festivals. So you have to ask yourself which type of audience is more important to the Bunnymen...the hardcore fan who has followed them for years and bought all their records or the casual festival goer? One nil to the floaters.

But, its OK, because the Bunnymen have a once a year Christmas gig for the hardcore every year. Here is their chance to do something special just for the fans and prove, once and for all, that their fanbase still mean something to them. Er...hang on...isnt that the same setlist I heard last time and the 15 times before that? Oh, yes it is. Two nil to the floaters.

Then, the final nail in the coffin, the "classic 80's album revisited" tour. Every 80's has been is doing it - ABC, Toyah, OMD, Kajagoogoo, Echo & The Bunnymen. When I saw that announced I knew it was finally over. If it had just been the Albert Hall I would have thought "fair enough". But then it was hawked all over the place. The sound of the final nail being banged into the coffin of the Bunnymen its encore.

Why is this post so long? Why am I so angry and bitter?

Because the Bunnymen were something special. A once in a lifetime happening that outshone everything around them. They effortlessly laid down a marker that other bands (U2, Simple Minds, Big Country et al) could only grope towards their incandescent brilliance. Stars are stars when they shine so hard.

Thats when I see Mac playing a restaurant and people talking all through the set its like a knife in my heart. It didnt have to be like that - if he'd only given a shit. But he believed his own press. Mac was once described (by Cope I think) as being "a pop star 24 hours a day". If only that were true now. The past is the past Mac...you've got to keep striving for greatness. You can knock out the likes of Flowers, Slideling, Siberia and probably The Fountain in your sleep and you know it. Give us something from inside you, not a faint echo of past glories because thats what you think we want/ will get you back on the front cover of the NME.

Its in there somewhere, I know it is.

Then, and only then, the Bunnymen will mean something again.

To me anyway.

Sorry for the rant.

So "no" then?

[guitarplayer on here too]

Then, the final nail in the coffin, the "classic 80's album revisited" tour. Every 80's has been is doing it - ABC, Toyah, OMD, Kajagoogoo, Echo & The Bunnymen.

I have been patiently waiting for the Bunnymen to join the Here and Now tour. £20 and you even get Altered Images thrown into the basket now in addition to Prick Astley and Shit Creole and the Coconuts. Be like leafing through a copy of sister's Look In or Smash Hits, or after school watching Top of the Pops while my mum cooks some Findus crispy pancakes and alphabeti spaghetti for tea.

[black francis]

How the hell is "no" winning on this website?

[Frank The Bunny]

How the hell is "no" winning on this website?

Hopeless, delusional optimisim? Neophytes from the dark side sneaking over and voting? Mr. Brian fucking with the votes by manipulating the database file? Dimpled chads? Butterfly ballots?

[Dr Cheese]

I have been patiently waiting for the Bunnymen to join the Here and Now tour. £20 and you even get Altered Images thrown into the basket now in addition to Prick Astley and Shit Creole and the Coconuts.

I used to have a massive crush on Clare Grogan!


And believe it or not but having been dragged along to see Kid Creole and The Coconuts by the missus on the back of Annie I'm Not Your Daddy I have to say it was one of the best gigs I've ever been to. Seriously.