Echo & The Bunnymen
Biography
These days no one really needs an introduction to Echo and The Bunnymen. Their career has already lasted three decades and with a new album out and a massive tour to follow it seems that they could easily see in another one.
They first hit Liverpool’s music scene in 1978 after Ian McCulloch got kicked out of a band which later went on to become The Teardrop Explodes. He met Guitarist Will Sergeant and Bassist Les Pattinson and completed their line up with a trusty drum machine. An indepedently released 7” called Pictures on My Wall led to label interest and the sacking of the drum machine and the hiring of real-life drummer Pete De Freitas. In 1980 they released their Top 20 debut album Crocodiles which was met with much critical acclaim due to the strength of the bands song writing and the height of McCulloch’s hair.
1981 saw the release of their second album Heaven Up Here Which went to number ten in the charts (which in 1981 still meant something). They went from having a cult following as part of the post punk movement to enjoying mainstream success with album number three Porcupine bothering the hit parade at number two.
The band released their most celebrated work to date in 1984. The Album Ocean Rain came with hit singles ‘Silver’, ‘Seven Seas’ and of course ‘The Killing Moon’. It was was also their most successful album over in the USA. Their next release in 1987 was to be self titled, perhaps to mark the end of Echo and The Bunnymen as shortly afterwards McCulloch decided that it was time to embark on a solo career. In 1989 Pete De Freitas sadly died in a motorbike accident.
Sergeant and Pattinson decided to reform the band with a new line up and released the album Reverberation. After it failed to match expectations, the band went their separate ways again. McCulloch continued his solo career releasing a couple of critically acclaimed albums.
In 1994, McCulloch and Sergeant had began working together again and, joined by Pattinson, decided to make records under their original name of Echo and The Bunnymen once again, returning with hit single Nothing Ever Lasts Forever. Its parent LP Evergreen was released in 1997 and went straight into the top ten. Unfortunately in 1999 (after the release of What Are You Going To Do With Your Life?) Pattinson had to leave the band to take care of his mother. Fortunately, this did not mean the end for The Bunnymen with the two founding members continuing to record and tour with a new live band releasing albums Flower in 2001 and Siberia 2005.
In September this year keyboard player Jake Brockman died in a motorbike accident on the Isle of Man, ten years after drummer Pete De Freitas.
New album The Fountain is due for release on 12th October, with live dates planned for both here and in the ‘states.
Links
Tour dates
12 Oct – Wulfrun Hall – Wolverhampton
13 Oct – The Ritz - Manchester
14 Oct – Barrowlands – Glasgow
15 Oct – Roundhouse – London
20 Oct – Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Toronto, Ontario
22 Oct – The Fox Theatre – Oakland, California
24 Oct – Nokia Theatre – Los Angeles, California
15 Nov – Masquerade – Atlanta, Georgia
17 Nov – Black Cat – Washington, Washington DC
18 Nov – State Theatre – State College, Pennsylvania
20 Nov – Kewsick Theatre – Glenside, Pennsylvania
21 Nov – Stage One – Fairfield, Connecticut
22 Nov – Hammerstein Ballroom – New York
23 Nov – House of Blues – Boston, Massachusetts
25 Nov – Metro – Chicago, Illinois
12 Dec – O2 Academy – Oxford - SOLD OUT
14 Dec – O2 Academy – Newcastle
15 Dec – O2 Academy – Leeds
17 Dec – O2 Academy – Liverpool
18 Dec – O2 Academy – Liverpool – SOLD OUT
19 Dec – O2 Academy – Liverpool – SOLD OUT
Videos
THE CUTTER: LIVE FROM ROYAL ALBERT HALL 1983
DO IT CLEAN: LIVE, EARLY ‘80s
LIPS LIKE SUGAR: LIVE
THE KILLING MOON: LIVE FROM SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE 2005