Home town gig marks 30 years

Nov 21 2008 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

ONE of Liverpool’s most celebrated bands will play in the city next week for a homecoming birthday gig.

Echo and The Bunnymen will celebrate their 30th anniversary with a hometown show at the Echo Arena on Thursday, November 27.

The band, accompanied by a full orchestra, will be performing their classic album Ocean Rain in full, as well as songs from their upcoming release and classic Bunnymen tracks.

The post-punk outfit’s first ever show took place at Liverpool venue Eric’s in 1978.

Frontman, Ian McCulloch, said: “Because of the overwhelming response to our sold-out Royal Albert Hall Ocean Rain show in September, I decided we should take it around the world to New York, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and Moscow among other cities.

“And obviously my home city, the place I love and live in, had to be there!”

A spokeswoman for the tour added: “This promises to be a seminal show at a fantastic new arena in a city with a magnificent musical heritage.”

The band were highly influential in the 1980s with 1984’s Ocean Rain reaching number four in the charts.

They also achieved top 10 success throughout the decade with hits such as The Killing Moon and The Cutter.

Tickets are available at www.gigsandtours.com or by calling 0871 220 0260.