Dark and thumping electro goth rock duo Erica Nockalls opened the night as requested by McCulloch himself. The two took the stage and instantly took their audience in their grip. Their sound fills the venue and makes those outside think that they are listening to a full band, while it’s just two music virtuosos creating warm and colourful soundscapes that perfectly blend into the atmospheric and anthemic sounds of Echo and the Bunnymen!
A band that has been performing as long as Echo and the Bunnymen have bring certain expectations. Last night they lived up to those expectations with an explosive set of hits their fans knew by heart. I could tell that the one Scottish show they’d added to their tour had sold out almost instantly as nearly half of the audience spoke in a thick Scottish accent. Not that I was complaining! The band’s heavy anthemic sound thundered through the O2 City Hall with no remorse and it brought an incredible energy and atmosphere to the big majestic space filled with Bunnymen-enthusiasts.
Life’s soundtracks such as ‘Flowers’, ‘All My Colours’, and ‘Never Stop’ all passed the revue, and can be found on the setlist of Bunnymen’s Songs to Learn & Sing Tour. Every single member of the audience was beaming, receiving exactly what they’d hoped for while being able to share an evening with likeminded souls and those passionate about music. Stunning visuals aided the experience of seeing Echo and the Bunnymen live, with my personal favourite being a visual of a gothic-like misty forest. Their soundscapes, filled with slick guitar licks, warm bass lines and rolling drums truly mesmerised from the beginning until the very end.
Its visuals showcased perfectly what the songs being performed at the moment would look like and it gave the entire show a rather surreal yet perfect vibe. ‘Bring On The Dancing Horses’, the last song of the first set got its own artwork, and was followed by a tea break, which is in my opinion as rock’n’roll as anything! Their second set received the big roars, in particular when the band played the first few tones of their ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ and blended it with Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’. They ended their set with ‘The Killing Moon’ and ‘The Cutter’ but came back to perform another crowd pleaser; ‘Lips Like Sugar’. They performed all songs on, presumably, everyone’s wish lists and by the end of the evening were ready to retire… For the night!
Though the band barely talked and when they did mumbled, they certainly gave their all in their songs and brought a ridiculous amount of suave hard to match for any other band on the scene at the moment. No band is as cool as Echo and the Bunnymen. I would go and see them again in a heartbeat.
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