» Music: Ian McCulloch
Legendary Scouser Ian McCulloch spreads his time between Echo & The Bunnymen & solo shows, as he tells Jeff Hemmings
Over 30 years ago Ian McCulloch, along with Julian Cope and Pete Wylie, made their mark in Liverpool’s burgeoning post-punk scene, first with Crucial Three (who featured all three of the aforementioned) and then, more famously, with Echo & The Bunnymen, a hugely revered band who continue to spread their epic indie-goth around the world.
“I’m a bit knackered,” says McCulloch in his almost impenetrable Scouse accent, blunted no doubt by countless cigarettes and drinks over the years. “It’s a bit humid here, I think I’ll leave for Iceland…” Yes, he’s still outwardly gloomy, and yet his comments are always laced with a deep wit that is the hallmark of his solo shows, which he is increasingly enjoying it seems. “I like getting around England: I love the country lanes; getting in the mode, just me and an acoustic guitar.”
The Bunnymen achieved their fame back in the ‘80s with a string of acclaimed albums and a smattering of hits including ‘The Back of Love’, ‘The Cutter’, ‘Never Stop’, ‘The Killing Moon’ and ‘Bring On The Dancing Horses’, although the outrageous hyperbole that surrounded the release of Ocean Rain (‘the greatest album ever made’) possibly adversely affected the band, and from there on in their fortunes slumped until McCulloch left the band in 1988, only to re-form in 1997.
Nowadays, he divides his time between the band and doing solo gigs here and in Europe. “The gigs I do on my own are a bit Dylan-like, more informal,” he says. “The songs come and go as they please. I tell a lot of stories; it depends on how it’s going at each gig, I play it by ear… Bunnymen songs, my songs, a couple of covers, and a lot of chat. Anecdotes, a few Bowie impressions… it can be an emotional voyage!”
Alongside The Bunnymen, McCulloch has been doing his own thing since the mid-80s when he was asked to record the Kurt Weill penned ‘September Song’ by his label boss at the time. But he only releases new material very occasionally. So far, there have been three solo albums, the last of which was released back in 2003 (Sliding). “I’ve got a lot of songs on the go, but the next album is going to be a Bunnymen album,” he says.
Although he loves to get out and about Liverpool remains his home, as it has been since his birth 51 years ago… “I don’t really have to move – I get to travel a lot, and when I am not there, I miss it.
“There’s no city like it, the people are funny – go just five miles out and it all changes… It’s a positive place. What we are good at is ‘skipping’ each other; the language and accent and the way sentences are intelligently delivered. We’re good at having a laugh…”
An Evening with Ian McCulloch,
Saturday 12 June, Komedia.
