Ian McCulloch
7 out of 10 - Enjoyable.
Thursday, May 29, 2003
The Roxy, Hollywood, CA
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“Sometimes his images and phrases gleam like light on water; sometimes they run aground on the treacherous shoals of Metaphysics. They never bore.” Kristen F. Smith.
This is a quote from an author who wrote a dissertation about Ian McCulloch called
THE SONGWRITER AS POET:
IAN MCCULLOCH AND THE PRE-RAPHAELITE TRADITION
It is very interesting if you have an hour or so but I found this quote to be very accurate when it comes to Ian’s writing.
As the curtain came up and the blue spot light came on, the crowd of 30-40 something white males went crazy. Catcalls, whistles and a mass heckling ensued. I couldn’t remember if I was at the Roxy to see the Pussycat Dolls or Ian McCulloch.
Out stumbled the blazer and sunglasses bequeathed Mac. I had become worried on the way to the show because my friend had suggested that the svelte Ian had become portly. Unimaginable to me I was relieved when he sauntered out, cigerette in hand, and took to the mic looking like his usual self. He started out with a lovely hello and began to speak but promptly threw the mic on the ground with a toddle. While Ian stumbled around the stage a roadie promptly replaced the mic with a new one only to have good ol’ Mac toss it off again. It became apparent at this point that Sir McCulloch was not pissed off but just pissed. Drunk. Plastered. The Liverpool Ian poet and front man of the unclassifiable Echo and the Bunnymen was wasted.
I grew nervous and tense as the crowd of fanatics grew louder and more obnoxious with each step that Ian made. As he attempted to take the mic for the third time he spoke with such a slur and accent that I had no idea what he was saying but I found myself giggling uncontrollably. I caught a word here and there, enough to make out what he was saying, only to find it more hilarious as it went on. My three friends and I translated for each other this English language that was hysterical yet incomprehensible. We did catch the point that someone had been giving the great one tequila and would proceed to dose out the shots during the entire performance.
The show was to promote Mac’s newest body of work titled Slideling. Ian’s voice was sore from booze and fags. The first songs were rough around the edges. It was hard to listen to Ian sing with out the accompaniment of Will Sergeant on guitar. After eight Echo and the Bunnymen albums and the off shoot 90’s creation Electrafixion Ian without Will was a great deal to live up to. The first four songs were off the new album. “Love In Veins”, “Playgrounds and City Parks”, “Sliding” and “Baby Hold On” are all classic Ian McCulloch poetic masterpieces. Although the singing was rough I liked the songs and the lyrics were up there with the best of his work. It was ironic that we could not understand the mumbling between songs but his songs were sung so crystal clear.
The riffs are catchy with wordy sing a longs that he is so famous for. After four songs he started to loosen up his voice warmed up considerably. When the first notes of “Seven Seas” were played and Ian started to sing chills ran up my spine. I remembered why I love him so much and how his lyrics were so painfully beautiful.
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Between songs Ian would chitchat with the fans and play songs that related how he was feeling. He did a lounge version of “Take a Walk on the Wildside” and his drunk cry of “Major Tom” came out more like “ground control to Major Ian”. He busted out with “Lips Like Sugar” but half way through couldn’t remember the words and had to have help from the fanatic contingent with the tequila shots. All in all very amusing.
Ian played songs from his first solo album Candleland including the title track. One of my favorites “Proud to Fall” was a huge hit with the crowd. “Flickering Wall” mellowed the crowd out for just a brief moment. Ian did a rendition of “I Want To Be There When You Come” that would have been very moving had he not been staggering around the stage. Ian came back around with new songs “Kansas”, “Another Train” and “She Sings (All My Life)”.
I left before the final encore hoping that I didn’t miss any more shenanigans. Although I miss the old days of Echo and the Bunnymen some if the new songs are worthy of Ian’s finest. I recommend his shows just for the comedy factor alone.
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