Have you had it with the bunnymen

[King Of Kings]

It seems to me that many people including myself are losing intrest with the bunnymen and anything that they do.

Marketing Ocean Rain in a zillion formats is'nt helping matters in my opinion nor is the million and 1 compliations that crop up with regularity.

Tours are mostly festival based and the set list is both short and predictable.

Expectations such as books , new albums, side projects are never acomplished or completed

We know whats happening even before its posted on the offical forum. Even the band members don't know (Gordy told me on Friday 24th April)

The Managemnt are both Lazy and Liars (personnal promise made to me but not kept).

The band are not mates outside the bunnymen duties.

Mac , tantums if your not quite and obidient in his presence.

Band members who try they best but are not really up to par

I'm nearing the point where I call it a day.

As the sex pistols once said "Flogging a Dead Horse" or Morrisey "Paint a vulgar Picture"

Theres plenty more in life such as grandkids to keep me occupied, the bunnys were a small part of it but it saddens me to say not for much longer.

[blinkilite]

i voted no... while you do make a good point, i still have some hope that these things will see the light of day (the new album, the book, etc).

it's frustrating from a fan's perspective when we see/hear about official "news" elsewhere online sometimes before even the band members. it would be nice if the bunnymen's email list and forum were more on par with say depeche mode - with their new album coming out and new tour dates... i got weekly announcements of what was going on... even links to videos of the band working in the studio. also a password for fan pre-sale for tour dates... i realize the problem with this comparison is that depeche mode are making far more money than the bunnymen and can probably hire 20 odd web designers/programmers to help with all this... where we have peter doing everything for free. (not blaming peter, but he is only one person and can only do so much).

it would be nice to get an update on the status of the projects that are supposed to be coming out though...

[guitarplayer on here too]

You could have included an "I don't know".

[black francis]

I don't think the Bunnymen will ever change my life like they did years ago and I take a more cynical view than ever and as good as those solo shows may have been, the fact remains they were at a pizza joint. But I will still buy any new albums and see any shows that might be in my neighborhood.

I was glad to have made the trip to NY for the Ocean Rain show when they seemed special and really once in a lifetime as opposed to a festival setlist.

Of course for all my bitching I still have some 3000 + posts on a Bunnymen message board so don't believe anything I say.

I blame nothing on Peter other than being overly sensitive but I believe the Bunnymen have quite possibly the worst management in the history of rock and roll. Did Mac and Will just throw two rocks out the window and pick whoever it hit? They should offer Drummond anything he wants for a five year plan.

[Dave Smith]

Strange post KOK.Didnt you do Liverpool on Thursday and Koko on Friday?Liverpool was great and the band members are miles better than the Flowers era lineup.What did you expect at Koko in a 45 minute slot?Just limit seeing the band at festivals-they are over priced and its the same setlist.I agree they need to do a proper tour and the setlist/festival/obilgatory Xmas gig is waring and obviously based upon finances.Festivals maximise return and whilst they are still being offered them I cant see it changing.Glasto must be paying them handsomely for the OR slot on Saturday night.

However no excuses for lack of a new album in years and Im not bothered about it coming out if its crap anyway.Mac and Will are a bit like The Krankies playing panto in Wolvo-both would like to be doing something else but need to pay them bills.So respect the fact they need to earn a living but dont expect any life-altering output from them in the future.

Although derided by Scouser(lol) I still really enjoy following them around and always will.There's still life in the old dogs yet.

[Dr Cheese]

Guess what I voted!

At the moment I've got no interest in anything they might be doing (which probably isn't a lot). The OR rain gigs, the latest round of festival dates, pizza parlours and the totally unexpected announcement of a couple of gigs at the Acadamy at Christmas, it all smacks (no pun intended) of a band just going through the motions to pay the bills. And then we have the fiasco with the new album (if it even exists).
I think we deserve better and I really wish they'd admit the game is up and call it a day instead of trading off their past glories and imo tarnishing their reputation.

[Dave Smith]

It could be worse.John lever the ex-Chameleons drummer has got a band together to cover songs from the groups first three albums.Cant see Burgess/Smithies/Fielding being happy at that.Its like Slade II that Dave Hill tours-rubbish.So whilst I accept all the criticism I dont think its reached a comparable level.the Echo arena OR gig was one of the best I've ever seen-what grates is that they havnt capitalised on it at all.They must be bored shitless playing the festival circuit so its become work rather than art.
Its not going to change.

[Dr Cheese]

Its not going to change.

Which is why they should pack it in, compare the "Bunnymen" of today with the band in their heyday - it's enough to make you weep. Weep I say.
They should have jacked it in when Les left.

[King Of Kings]

Strange post KOK.Didnt you do Liverpool on Thursday and Koko on Friday?Liverpool was great and the band members are miles better than the Flowers era lineup.What did you expect at Koko in a 45 minute slot?Just limit seeing the band at festivals-they are over priced and its the same setlist.I agree they need to do a proper tour and the setlist/festival/obilgatory Xmas gig is waring and obviously based upon finances.Festivals maximise return and whilst they are still being offered them I cant see it changing.Glasto must be paying them handsomely for the OR slot on Saturday night.

However no excuses for lack of a new album in years and Im not bothered about it coming out if its crap anyway.Mac and Will are a bit like The Krankies playing panto in Wolvo-both would like to be doing something else but need to pay them bills.So respect the fact they need to earn a living but dont expect any life-altering output from them in the future.

Although derided by Scouser(lol) I still really enjoy following them around and always will.There's still life in the old dogs yet.

No I did the Pizza thing in March,

But I did do Camden (Home posting) on Friday.

I'm probably hitting the male menopause, but the Bunnys just don't do it for me anymore. But to be fair i dont know what does anymore. Too much spare time I suppose. Kids in there 20's, mortgage paid, .....

In my opinion the bunnymen should give it up, they are now a parody of themselves.
But I blame the poxy Management.

I will do the xmas gigs, these are so much more than a bunny gig .ie a weekend away and party amotsphere

I will buy the new album if its ever released But I wont champion them anymore

[guitarplayer on here too]

Surprised you even attend that many. I consider myself a "Don't Know" (largely as I haven't given up on them as I still listen to their music) and apart from the Royal Albert Hall, I haven't bothered going to see the Bunnymen live since 2003. If they do a full tour again, I'd only go if they mix the setlist up and put a few other oldies in (The Game, Bluer Skies or Higher Hell for starters) coupled with more new stuff. But that's unlikely. Reliving Gregorian chants, Rescue, The Cutter, Lips Like Sugar, smoke machines over and over again is not something I will do anymore...

[Mr.Sparkle]

A couple thoughts, first, I still get excited over new Bunnymen albums, even though most of the new ones have been pretty ho-hum and average. Maybe I just keep waiting for them to re-capture the magic of the early albums and they do here and there, but it's been a pretty rare thing so far.

Second, I feel the exact opposite about their tours, live shows, etc. I just don't understand why fans get excited over going to see the band when they've been playing almost the SAME EXACT set list every show for the past 10 + years. The band should be a little embarrassed as far as I'm concerned, because it's clear that it's more about the money than the music at this point, IMO. Talk about going through the motions, not to mention Mac's vocals are hit or miss at this point. I saw them on their Evergreen tour, and yes, it was an awesome show, and yeah, I guess I'd still be excited to see them again if they're playing in my area, but at the same time, whenever I'm on here and see something about their live shows I just skip over it. Not interested.

The OP brings up a lot of good points as well as others mentioning the management. Just awful. On the official site they promised streaming tracks or snippets from the new album. When was that? 1 or 2 months ago? The news is a joke on there, The Rascals covering All That Jazz? That's in the official news section? Why?

[black francis]

[quote="Dr Cheese"]Guess what I voted!
quote]

If I were a betting man I would say yes

[JackT]

I will never lose interest, even if they never record another thing. Maybe especially if they never record another thing.

[Sick4Tunz]

This is my first post to the site. Compared to you guys, I’m so damn lucky!

Echo & the Bunnymen were a band that I'd heard on the radio back in the 1980’s, the top 40 hit Lips Like Sugar played most often. I wasn’t that much into music in general at that point in my life, periodically buying albums and doing a concert here or there. Echo & the Bunnymen were no where on my radar screen for years until earlier this year a friend mentioned that it was one of her favorite bands. So I looked into them, downloading a few bootleg shows. Damn, I was hooked! So all of you who have been following them for years are growing tired, while to me they are absolutely fresh and exciting! I’ve downloaded a couple dozen bootleg recordings and play one each weekend, my virtual concerts spanning the last 30 years. You guys may have been there physically, but the recordings, coupled with a strong dose of tequila and a cigar, make it feel like I’ve been there too. I have yet to listen to all their studio albums in chronological order and watch them evolve with time. So when I listen to Crocodiles for the first time it will be like its a new release! It’s fantastic! Some of you are throwing in the towel, but to me both Ian and Will are still twenty-five years old.

Yeah, I’d be nice if your favorite band would come out with more music, did more touring, etc. I think that all bands eventually reach a point where they hit that wall that keeps them from expressing their creativity. Yes, it does become a routine meant to pay the bills. That’s where my all time favorite band, Van Halen, are at the moment. Their 2007/2008 tour was somewhat lackluster and repetitive. They’re going through the motions. Eddie did not sound like he did back in the day. But I had a hell of a good time anyway at each show I went to.

Accept them for where they are at in their careers. Enjoy the music from their heyday in the 1980’s, turning up the sound a bit higher on the stereo. Maybe even have a few shots of tequila to help loosen your grip on reality and let your mind slip backward in time. Enjoy them, but listen to new music in hopes of coming across that new band that rings your chimes the way Echo & the Bunnymen did for you years ago.

Thanks to all of you for the Megaupload links! It’s giving the addict in me the fix I need.

Sick4Tunz
Colorado, USA
Visit the site!

[withahip]

Nice post. Welcome aboard.

(Ignore Frank. And FC since you American.)