SXSW Interview(s)

[archivistmgc]

Here's my review that I posted on the bunnymen forum for those who don't read that one:

Emos
The first band started at 8:00 but we didn't get there until a few minutes past 9:00. Sixth Street was closed off to traffic and the lines snaked from the door, out into and down the street. The badge line was not too long, but was the only one that was getting in at that point. The wristband line was really long and by 9:45, SXSW staff were telling wristband people to give up, that they would not get in. A lot of people bailed and that helped move us up. Finally we did manage to get in and caught most of Circle Jerks, which were good, but Juliette Lewis was hard to endure and went on too long so EatB started a bit late, close to 1:00.

Bunnymen
No keyboards, no intro chant, no smoke/fog machine, no special lighting. They did keep the spots low, so Mac only complained about the lights once. There were some sound difficulties with low but loud feedback hum on occasions during the first half of the set.

Mac was in a good mood, except he kicked his fan for some reason, like he was trying to re-position it in the first song and then it was malfunctioning the whole time, needing adjustments. His voice was strong; he smoked some, but not non-stop. He had several drinks lined up and gave one to someone in the audience. He was quite animated and didn't cling to the mike stand very much.

The band was great; Will was brilliant. They played a usual set for about an hour and 10 minutes. Mac stopped Rust in middle of second verse; he said it was too sad. Crocodiles was amazing, Lips Like Sugar had a longer middle ending part that was euphoric. Think I Need it Too was the best version I have heard yet; I guess it's growing on me.

Going Up
Crocodiles
Rescue
Stormy Weather
Seven Seas
Dancing Horses
Think I Need it Too
The Disease
All That Jazz
Rust
Back of Love
The Killing Moon
The Cutter
Encore:
Nothing Lasts Forever
Lips Like Sugar

They had a great crowd response; it was packed. I had a most fabulous time; great show!


Notice on the Youtube vid at the end, the roadie is carrying the fan and repositioning it. This kept reoccurring.

[guitarplayer on here too]

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/neil_mccormick/blog/2009/03/20/sxsw_day_one_from_triumph_to_disaster

"Ended the evening with British rock legends Echo And The Bunnymen, just cause my feet were sore and I didn't want to walk anymore. But really I should have walked as soon as I saw them take the stage, looking less like a strange and beautiful rock band than a bunch of Liverpuddlian brickies.

The crowd loved them, yelling "Awright!" at every Bunnymen classic but I have a history here. I followed the Bunnymen around when they were in their eighties heyday, a band setting standards for everyone else, driven by self belief and a desire to create sonic transformation. They called themselves the greatest band in the world, and really believed it. Somewhere along the line, they broke up and reformed for the basest of reasons. The drummer had died. The bassist left to be a boatbuilder. What is left is not the Bunnymen, its a mortgage paying machine. And there is nothing wrong with this in the real world: everyone's got to live. But in my private musical universe, seeing Mac and Will milking the heritage rock buck feels like defeat. And privately I know they must feel it too. This was never supposed to "Awright!"."

[JackT]

Mac stopped Rust in middle of second verse; he said it was too sad.

Wow that might be a new one. I picturing some guy working the sound board with the "sad" level set too high.

[Kounelaki]

Most Underappreciated Geezers: Echo & The Bunnymen
One of the many things Austin bouncers have over their Toronto counterparts is the discretion to know when you should pack the shit out of a tiny club, fire marshal be damned. An appearance by legendary ’80s band Echo & The Bunnymen certainly qualifies, especially since, without the endless reverb and other dated production techniques on their albums, their atmospheric and melody-stuffed songs put many of their fellow post-punk bands’ catalogues to shame. Ian McCullocgh’s [that's a new one] mysterious charisma was on show, as he mumbled amiable-yet-incomprehensible banter between songs, wore sunglasses and a trenchcoat indoors on a hot day, and failed to pitch a fit over a talky crowd. Exhausted, I gave up on waiting for “Killing Moon” and split early. But I vowed to chase down their recordings, if only to understand the missing link between Joy Division and Joshua Tree-era U2. And to hear the songs without the white noise of agents chattering into their iPhones.

http://www.eyeweekly.com/music/live%20e ... w-09-day-1

[blinkilite]

archivistmgc - thanks for the personal review... now i wish i had made it down to austin but here's hoping for a US tour now that we've heard a possibility of the fountain being released in august.

jack - only mac would have a soundboard with a "sad" setting and then complain about it hahahaha

[Dr Cheese]

I followed the Bunnymen around when they were in their eighties heyday, a band setting standards for everyone else, driven by self belief and a desire to create sonic transformation. They called themselves the greatest band in the world, and really believed it. Somewhere along the line, they broke up and reformed for the basest of reasons. The drummer had died. The bassist left to be a boatbuilder. What is left is not the Bunnymen, its a mortgage paying machine.

Ain't it the truth!

[withahip]

I can see both sides of the argument. I mean the rhythm section (bass and drums) is a big part of what set the Bunnymen apart so missing 50% of the orginal band leaves you wondering if it is the Bunnymen.

So I will take the argument in a different direction: seeing 50% of the band play with a top notch cover band doing stripped down versions of their songs in front of a dive bar crowd sits just fine with me.

That show is as unique as the Ocean Rain shows which look to be done many times over. After years and years on the festival circuit, I find the tune posted sounding fantastic!

[Crystal Days]

Having seen the drumming on that clip, I still maintain that he's the best drummer since Pete.

[Dr Cheese]

Maybe I'm a hopeless nostalgic but where's the mystique these days, it used to be effortless poetry now it's just basic prose.

[withahip]

Whatever Mac mumbles is about all the mystique we will get. Also, we are older. For example, seeing Moz last night was nice but the songs did not hit same chord they once did.

[King Of Kings]

You just hit the nailon the head.

We are 30 years older with wives, x wices kids, grandkids, mortgauges, pet dog, debit and a family car.

Most of us have had more yesterdays then were gonna have tommros.

Gone is our rebelious youth, gone is the angst and the desire to be different. W e are now the boreing old fartsc we hated.

We work to pay our taxes and bills with two weeks in the sun.

With the change we can try to recpture or youth but its never gonna be the same.

The bunny magic was lost some 20 years ago.

Today I go and see em to listen to some top tunes, a day out and to meet up with some like mided folk and talk bunny and alternative 80's trivia .

Ejoy the show for what it is, a cool "Hear and Now" tour

The new bunnymen i my opinion need some credit ity can't be eay for them, know they have a legacy behined them.

[withahip]

Gone is our rebelious youth, gone is the angst and the desire to be different. W e are now the boreing old fartsc we hated.

I think this is why I find the SXSW show so refreshing.

I was thinking last night watching Moz on stage doing 'How Soon Is Now?'- ""What is he thinking about these lyrics he wrote when he was a kid?"

The wonderful thing about Ian's lyrics is you can take them at their surface level randomness or dive in and give them the meaning you want - the lyrics are malleable and can be molded your your view of the world regardless of age or outlook.

You set my teeth on edge
You think you're a vegetable
Never come out of the fridge


Is it the story of a guy wishing his girl friend wasn't depressed?

A mafia boss talking to the ghost of someone he murdered?

A young boy afraid of going in the icebox because the bulb burned out?

It is up to you.

[Mr. Brian]

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Good God Almighty that is great! Thanks for posting that!

[withahip]

Thanks you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[In The Margins]

http://www.nypress.com/blog-3706-nyp-do ... y-one.html

The final performance I caught was Echo and the Bunnymen at Emo's. I was surprised and slightly angry to see they were playing a much smaller venue from the Decemberists, but when else am I going to get to see these legendary post-punks in a small club? They were everything I'd hoped, and when the first strains of "Killing Moon" rang out, I actually clutched my heart. I don't think anyone should be allowed to wear sunglasses at night unless they are a post punk from the 80's or Kanye West, and Ian McCulloch proved half my point, looking cool as hell even as his between-song banter, muddled by drink and Liverpuddlianness, was understood by no one. A long encore including "Lips Like Sugar" closed out the night, and everyone left feeling just a little bit magical.