by black francis » Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:52 pm
For Dr. Cheese since he never goes to the BOF
I have been an Echo & The Bunnymen fan for the majority of my adult life. The show in Fairfield last night was a very extraordinary concert. Ian's antics were entirely inappropriate, and uncalled for. His singing was incredible. I have seen them live before, and they were not nearly as good as they were last night. There was a weird vibe in that room, from the moment Ian stepped out on stage. Granted there were some very annoying fans in the audience, particularly the woman who Ian called the "C" word. Look, no matter what a woman does, there are two things a man can never do to her, one is hit her, and the other is call her the "C" word. I was disgusted by Mac's behavior, the man is a seasoned pro, and has dealt with audiences far rowdier than the one you will find in FAIRFIELD, CT. I mean really.
Now let's discuss the fight. I was sitting near the area where it happened, and even spoke with that guy in the lobby area near the bar. In our conversation he told me that he is a devout Echo & The Bunnymen fan, he even revealed a tattoo that he has on his arm, the tattoo read "Fate Up Against Your Will", the chorus line from Ian's iconic song The Killing Moon. That alone is indicative of the cailber of fan he was. Ian for some unknown reason, zeroed in on him, and would not relent. I saw him do nothing deserving that kind of treatment by Ian. As for him calling Ian's mother a whore, I didn't hear that, I did however hear him yell at Ian for calling that woman the "C" word. If someone said that about my mother, I would rightfully be upset. However, I would not resort to violence with a complete stranger, especially not a fan I had been unfairly picking on all night. It is my opinion that Ian was a drunken mess, he has always been witty, and cutting with people at shows, but I flat out heard him challenge that guy to a fight earlier in the show, I see no wit in that. What we witnessed was a criminal act of violence, and I seriously expected much more from a man as intelligent and talented as Ian McCulloch. His mother most certainly is not a whore, but I think she would be ashamed of his antics last night, calling a woman a "C" word, and attacking a devout fan who paid top dollar to see him perform.
That having been said, I myself remain an avid fan of the bunnymen, although disappointed with the spectacle I witnessed last night. As for the guy Ian fought, you should never call someone's mother a whore, but Ian was totally in the wrong on this. I only hope that this incident doesn't deter you from loving one of the greatest bands of our time, remember, Ian's behavior was deplorable, but there is no denying his talent, and the beautiful music he is responsible for creating
With the Force as his ally he did battle with the Dark Lord. And he showed the measure of a true Jedi at a place called "The Death Star" where hope for the Galaxy was reborn. May all who struggle against tyranny hold his memory in their hearts