The latest gig on our A to Z Musical Tour was ……
Why do we listen to music?
To hear songs that we know and love? To listen to what’s new, what’s been recommended or what we’ve previously missed? To blank out the rest of what’s going on around us at the time?
Why do we buy music?
Yes, some of us actually buy music! We might buy it to support the acts we like. We might fancy the idea of having a collection that we can pick and choose from as and when the notion takes us? We might want to look at and read through the covers and liner notes.
Why do we go to gigs?
To get closer to the acts we listen to? To see how the band members, if there are any, play on stage to make the sounds we’re familiar with. For some it may be to find out if the recorded output can be replicated on stage?
For me though, it’s to hear different interpretations of the music I’m already familiar with and see how the songs come alive. To hum along with the crowd to the familiar verses and choruses. Basically, to have a good time listening to the acts in front of me.
As we stood to hear Echo & The Bunnymen play last night, we were met with the familiar refrains of Will Sergeant on lead guitar, standing alone stage left with the occasional glance over the shoulder as the next song was keyed up.
On keyboards Mike Smith effortlessly keeps the tunes nice and tight, while stage right, we have the rhythm gang, tightly packed, looking cool and collected, drummer Simon Finley, rhythm guitarist Peter Riley and Stephen Brannan on bass. All five are integral to the sound of Echo & The Bunnymen.
However, for many, it’s lead singer Ian McCulloch that is at the beating heart of the band.
Writing this post while replaying the album versions of the songs played on the night, there is a haunting melody to his delivery that makes Echo & The Bunnymen songs stand out. Along with great songwriting, it’s a voice that helped set the band apart from many of their contemporaries.
As he nears his mid-sixties, the vocal range isn’t what it was. Should that be unexpected? There’s a croakiness to his singing.
And yet, it is all the more compelling for this. If we want a prefect rendition of the songs we know, then going to a gig is always likely to disappoint.
There was an intensity to every note played, every word sung. They are old pros at this game and in this game, they gave the audience everything they wanted and more.
The set list itself was peppered with songs from the band’s back catalogue. Some ‘Classics’ as the humble Ian was happy to tell us. Some less familiar. All captivating.
The audience exchanges between songs were short, strong city accents providing their own language barrier. In a twenty-song set, punctuated by an interlude halfway through, one abiding memory remains, a personal favourite, Nothing Lasts Forever.
On the evidence of last night, there are still a few more good nights to look forward to from the band. Let’s enjoy the memories of the albums recorded, of the gigs played and of the nights we all sang along together.
Support Act Zoe Graham
Birthday girl, Zoe Graham opened the night with a set full of self written tracks, backed not by her band, but by a soundtrack coming from one of the many means of technology that has made music sound so full over recent times.
She’s certainly not short in confidence and definitely added to the list of ‘look out for future gigs’, maybe next time with her band in tow around her.
Well worth a listen to.
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