When I found out from BandsinTown that Echo and the Bunnymen would be performing, it was a no brainer. There tour would kick off on July 30 at The Observatory Santa Ana. It was even mentioned in USA Today that week. I’ve never been to the Observatory, so I arrived early and luckily I got a great spot in the pit.
The Fans Chat with Me
I met some new friends who are also into this new wave genre. I was able to squeeze some questions in before the concert started with these dedicated fans.
My first fan chat was with Dina from Irvine. Watch the YouTube Video Clip below.
I scouted the audience and came upon Lynne from Huntington Beach. She said, “Echo and the Bunnymen have been around for 30 years and I’ve been looking forward to this moment. I have liked them since my 20s..They are a killer band along with The Cure, and Duran Duran. And I’m here to witness them play their famous songs ‘Never Stop’, ‘Lips like Sugar’ and ‘The Killing Moon’ “
Another fan named Angela from San Dimas mentioned what she liked about EB- “They have this beautiful gentle but passionate sound. You have this soft guitar rhythm branded with strings of orchestra in the background…bringing voice that resonates throughout every single song and it brings out so much emotions and so much depth.”
The Concert
Echo and the Bunnymen started about 30 minutes after the opening act. I could feel the audience was getting restless. But the minute they showed up, the room just filled with high octane energy and engaging loyal fans.
I was surrounded by fans mostly dressed in black that reminded me how it was to be growing up in the 80s. Everyone was anticipating the impressive catalog of songs that EB has given us Gen-X’ers.
Ian McCulloch, the vocalist, appeared on stage. He still had his signature look– his shades, semi spikey hair and a jacket and blue jeans. It was steamy hot at the venue which I didn’t mind, but to see Ian in that wardrobe, I felt even hotter.
I was stoked that after 30 years this English rock band still had their signature sound and rocked the The Observatory. McCulloch’s voice was still heartfelt and solid. I heard he was sick that night and that explained why there were honey, wine, water, and milk on stage.
The Crowd
The concert had a clever balance of old classics and contemporary releases. The band engaged with the crowd and the whole house became a chorus, not to mention when EB played The Killing Moon and Lips Like Sugar. This is one great thing about going to this kind of show….there is so much love as these are fans from 30 years ago. They grew up up in this culture and clearly get so carried away because it takes them to a different time. For them, this is like their personal anthem.
Don’t get me wrong, I also saw Millenials there… standing beside me and they even knew the songs better than I did. I asked these one 20 something fan, how’d you know EB’s music? …you weren’t even born during those times, and they replied, “These are good songs.”
Encore!
EB played an amazing set, but the audience wanted more. They had 2 encores. The first one was “Lips Like Sugar” and the second one was the cover of “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed. The song took us back to psychedelia and the audience started to sing the chorus “Doo do doo do doo do do doo…” repeating it. I thought that was a great bonding moment among us.
Conclusion
Although I enjoyed every minute of it and EB rocked the house, the lighting bothered me a little. I was in the pit, but I could not see the face of McCulloch. On the other hand, the lighting captured the stylistic mood of the artist. I just really wanted to see his face, so I had no choice but to use the flash of my camera.
So there I was after more than 30 years, his music will live in my heart for a very very long time. I would love to hear from other fans.
Do you have any special memories of Echo and the Bunnymen you would like to share?
I feel the same with what you wrote. Love your blog and photos. 🙂 It was a pleasure meeting you!
Thank you Dina. One of the most fun concerts I have ever been not to mention I met a new friend. Looking forward to see more 80s shows with you.
I enjoyed the concert. They had good tunes and the vibe in the audience was great. My only issue was with the audio. Somehow from where I was standing in the back, the bass was just overpowering and drowned out everything else.