“Oh Darling sugar honey. When it was nice and sunny. And when I had some money. We would go and see Echo and the Bunny. Men.”  (Reflections in a flat: Half Man, Half Biscuit)

Well it certainly wasn’t very sunny and the beer was expensive but nevertheless I took the good wife to see the legendary Bunnymen in Hartlepool on Monday (9th August 2010). And despite the rain and our dwindling finances we had a great time. Ian McCulloch was in usual fine form deciding on whether or not Hartlepool should be twinned with Liverpool. (The heart and the liver?? I think you had to be there!!!) The order of the set list. And why they weren’t playing Ocean Rain when they were right beside the sea? Good question Mr McCulloch. It would have been an excellent song to finish with although Lips Like Sugar is still fantastic at any time. Their set was heavy with tunes 25 years old or older. Some might ask why they keep going? Some might wonder why they aren’t much bigger than this?

Back in 1984 when they had just released their masterpiece; Ocean Rain. Which they duly gave to the world under the banner of “the greatest album ever made”!!! They were up there with the best. Many thought it was they and not the likes of U2 who would go on to conquer the world. So, why is it that Mac anc Co are playing for free in Hartlepool and Bono and the boys are charging £100 a ticket to see their 360 degree show? And that more people are willing to pay the £100 than turn up for nothing? The world isn’t fair is it? Maybe it’s because Mac described Bono as a big fat Irish mountain goat back in the 80s because of his tendency to climb up the speaker stacks at every given opportunity. Or that their next album Echo and the Bunnymen took more than 3 years to come out and really wasn’t worth the wait. Who can say? It just seems to these ears that the Bunnymen have a catalogue of absolute classics and I don’t think they get the credit they deserve.

Saying all that though there was a fair crowd in attendance on Monday night. Mainly 40 something blokes who obviously still hold the bunnymen close to their hearts. Rescue, The Cutter, Zimbo, Bring on the Dancing Horses, Villiers Terrace and Do it Clean captivate the audience. Macs between song banter gets roars of approval as well as plenty of laughs. He introduces Nothing Lasts Forever as the greatest song ever written and he could well be right. “Time’s running out the door you’re running in” is surely one of the best lines ever. He even gets to mention Roy Hodgson who has recently replaced his beloved Rafa as “The Coach”. Overall a great nights entertainment and we head home with happy hearts. So even though  it wasn’t sunny and our pennys are running out we did go and see them and I am sure both Nigel and Neil would have approved.

Lips Like Sugar @ The Tall Ships:  http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1250291715773#!/video/video.php?v=417987986935&ref=mf

Echo and the Bunnymen:  http://www.bunnymen.com/

Hartlepool Tall Ships:  http://www.hartlepooltallships2010.com/

Half Man, Half Biscuit:  http://cobweb.businesscollaborator.com/hmhb/

(Photo and video clip both courtesy of Carl Hinde. Used with many thanks)

By peter on August 12, 2010