Brighton Review

[In The Margins]

Sounds miserable. I wonder if the set-up theory is true.

http://magazine.brighton.co.uk/Home/Edi ... 105_1481#a

The idea of an evening with Ian McCulloch sounds appealing, very appealing - but Mac is drunk, very drunk. Very few people past the front row can hear a thing he says, not that it makes very much sense, just a jumble of jokes and a strangely likeable self aggrandisement.

But the songs are beautiful, always beautiful. Zimbo, Rescue, a short slice of Villier's Terrace, Killing Moon (of course) and a rendition of Lou Reed's a Walk on the Wild Side all sound as great as acoustic numbers as they ever did with the full band.

The real problem was that all the false starts and stops, which started out funny, became predictable and then manifested in the crowd as frustration and even anger as people walked out and even shouted abuse. I just relaxed, sipped my drink and let it all flow over me.

The evening finished with an aborted attempt to do Ocean Rain and some kind of set-up row between Mac and an audience member. He then stormed off.

Set up? Well yes, this journalist overheard the boyfriend of the support act in the toilets telling a friend that the man in the audience was Mac's mate, and that very same thing had happened in Tunbridge Wells on the previous night. It was Mac's way of getting off the stage.

He could have just said 'bye'.

[Sick4Tunz]

Looks like he's on a suicide mission, to alienate what remaining fans he has.

[fat cherry]

hasn't he got previous on this? Must look it up in the books. sad twat that I am.

[oceanrain1962]

Hi all; I've looked at the forum(s) on here for some time now but never registered or commented. After going to a fair few Bunnymen gigs (Nov 2nd 1987 Wembley Arena being the first) and then going to last night's 'An Evening With Ian McCulloch' at the Komedia in Brighton I thought I'd post something on the gig . . . where to start?

First, the good points: Great little venue, we got seats not too far from the stage (no-one was too far, really). nice buzz of anticipation from the crowd and a small cheer from those of us who spotted Mac entering the venue and quickly going behind the black curtains at the rear of the stage. It wasn't too long before, to a very warm welcome, that he re-appeared and took his seat on a blue metal-legged chair (the same as the punters chairs) on the small stage. A small table to his right with set list, plectrums and a couple of glasses; one with water and, we think, the other with neat courvoisier Brandy; his acoustic guitars to his left.

I'd love to give a blow-by-blow account of the set-list and so on (maybe anyone else there can add to this?) but, to be honest I'm still reeling from what I witnessed. I realise that already this post is getting very long so I will keep things simple - happy to elaborate if anyone's interested; do let me know - but, suffice to say that last night was the most bizzare musical experience I've ever had the 'privilege' to witness. Ian was very quickly confrontational - accusing audience of talking and not being respectful. Two young ladies on a table to his right were admonished for their rudeness; "I was saying how good you were!". "Oh, then rudeness is okay, then". He seemed to be looking for reasons to stop playing and it quickly kicked off with the first row from 'Jamie': "I'm from Toxteth too . . ." who ranted at Ian then left. Next a chap at the back who was VERY aggressive and left with, we believe, his female partner. Ian called the guy a tit as they left and the woman said "There's only one tit in here" cue response from Ian: "Why, have you had a mastectomy?" An ouch from the crowd and a quick apology from Ian but the damage, I think, was done at that point. More banter from a guy near me "Come on, give us some songs, I've supported you all my life!". Mac: "Why did I need a mum and dad, then?". (Am paraphrasing but you get the idea).

Now, to be fair I think the crowd didn't expect the very informal, laid back manner of the gig. people (who had 'had a few' seemed to be expecting a 'proper' gig. A look on here re St Geroges Hall may have given them an idea of what to expect). And, also to be fair, Mac seemed genuinely shocked at the attitude of some. At one point he said something like "Christ, I get told al the time to do something like this with the banter and all and then this happens!".

On the plus side, when he actually sang a song in full - Proud to Fall early on springs to mind - his voice was very, very good. It's a shame that he seemed to be as much into the Brandy as the event. I could write more - the ending of the gig as something I will remember for a long time for all the wrong reasons - if you'd like to hear more - even the good bits I'll add to this later.

[Dave Smith]

Carry on.We love it on here!

[In The Margins]

Welcome OR1962!

Yes, please. We'd like to read as much of the gory details as you feel like typing.

It fuels our bitching!

[oceanrain1962]

Welcome OR1962!

Yes, please. We'd like to read as much of the gory details as you feel like typing.

It fuels our bitching!

Thanks for the welcome :)

Well, I feel that, like Mac last night I've started off a bit negative here so, some good stuff from the gig: His voice was, seriously, excellent when he did get into a song. My other half (she's not a big EATB fan) and the couple we went with - likewise - thought that the good bits were some of the best live stuff they've ever seen - all seasoned musos I add. We all felt it was a wasted (wasted being very pertinent) opportunity. (I've heard he suffers with stage fright and maybe a couple of looseners were a good idea but he really went over the wall). He did a great Lips Like Sugar, Killing Moon; some of the banter was off the cuff and very funny. A guy was eating crisps at one point, Mac heard him and stopped playing and asked him if he'd ever thought of taking up crisp-packet percussion professionally? There was a lot of good feeling from the majority of the crowd; just a few who, as I said in last post, not happy with the proceedings. More to follow . . . :)

[oceanrain1962]

Carry on.We love it on here!

Hi

There's so much to say about last night but I really am totally confused about the gig. I've seen the Bunny's a good few times but not Mac solo. I knew he wasn't ging to do your standard 'here's a song what I wrote' kind of set but but none of us who went were prepared for the proceedings - both from the crowd and from Mac. Incidentally, any of the regulars on here there last night?

[oceanrain1962]

It was the end that will remain emblazoned on my mind . . .

[King Of Kings]

I am the frirts to moan as you Know

But this was and eveing with..

It was not a gig

[oceanrain1962]

I can't comment on the end being a set-up. I love a good conspiracy but can only relate what I saw. There was a guy on a table to my right who, at one point bought Mac a very large Brandy (I think M called him Brian). Anyway, there was quite a bit of banter between the guy and the table he was on and Mac but, when he came back for an encore the evening degenerated very quickly. He started complaining about the lights to his left, above him, being in his eyes and, even when it looked like the techies had that sorted he was still complaining about a light. We think that, poor eyesight, dark room, shades and Oliver Reed amounts of brandy got him asking for the exit sign over the door to be switched off. He ended up riffing on Walk on The Wild Side, Don't Let Me Down but stopped and restarted that. Started Ocean Rain then, to people saying 'Come on Mac, that's a classic' gave up on that. To be honest, the order of play at this point is a little vague - not drunk myself, Coke as driving - but the whole thing was so 'blink and you miss it' that I can't really place it all in the corect order. Anyway, Mac kept bantering with Brian(?) whilst singing then there was nother cough, laugh, chatter, god knows what, to my right where I believe some of the management/entourage were. Cue another halt to proceedings from Mac and a "wha'f**k wasssat?" Someone said, "It's alright, it's Peasy's fault" but Mac seemed to aim his vitriol at 'Brian'. In an instant, he's off the chair, bringing the acoustic back behind him and making towards our Brian. Then, cue rush to the stage by entourage who bundle him off-stage behind the curtains with Mac shouting somehing like "that effin' twat need sorting". Then, lights up, 'last orders at the bar ladeez an gennelmen'. The party's over.

[oceanrain1962]

I am the frirts to moan as you Know

But this was and eveing with..

It was not a gig

Hi, King of Kings,

No, agree with you - I wasn't expecting a gig myself, nor, it sems were many present but, I think a fair few did expect one and had got lubricated in the anticipation of such.

[oceanrain1962]

To conclude, though, if one could take the best bits from the evening they were very, very good. It's a shame that, as I've read on here before that no-one seems to be able to rein Mac in with the booze. By all, means, a couple of looseners but save the celebrating 'til youve done the gig. His singing was genuinely superb as was his much-missed guitaring. The banter, particluarly the off-the-cuff stuff was great; as we know, some of his ramblings between songs live can be a bit 'muddy' but last night you could tell he's got a great sense of humour and, at times he seemed to be enjoying the relationsip with the audience. I'd go again and hope that certain crowd members didn't bother turning up and Mac went a bit easier on the juice.

[In The Margins]

Thanks OR1962. I'm sorry you had to relive it, but I enjoyed your narrative.

It sounds like he has brain damage from all the drugs and alcohol. Also he has way too many people wiping his ass and telling him how great he is.

Maybe someday he'll break free from the cycle, at least before he dies.

Oh, my favorite part is him telling the venue to turn the exit sign off. I would have laughed so hard they would have hauled me out of there!

[oceanrain1962]

Thanks OR1962. I'm sorry you had to relive it, but I enjoyed your narrative.

It sounds like he has brain damage from all the drugs and alcohol. Also he has way too many people wiping his ass and telling him how great he is.

Maybe someday he'll break free from the cycle, at least before he dies.

I wasn't sure whether to give a 'warts 'n' all' especially as I hadn't posted here before but I couldn't gloss over the bad stuff I'm afraid. To see someone you respect as a musician getting steadily drunker and ending the way I described . . .

Anyway, the most recent Bunny's gig I saw was at Oxford 02 last December and that was, I thought, a good gig so now pondering whether to do the Brixton Academy for Crocodiles and HUH.

Thanks for listening :)