Echo & the Bunnymen were one of the foremost alternative rock bands of the 1980s. Enjoying both critical and commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic, they were a huge influence on a legion of bands that followed such as Radiohead, Oasis, Coldplay and Arcade Fire, and to this day continue to be a hugely popular live act with a loyal and committed fanbase.
Formed in Liverpool in the late ‘70s, the group originally centred around singer and guitarist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. The charismatic McCulloch was well-known on the local scene having been in the much-mythologised band, the Crucial Three, alongside Pete Wylie and Julian Cope.
Using a drum machine, Echo & the Bunnymen made their live debut in 1978 and released their debut single the following year. Drummer Pete de Freitas joined prior to the release of their first album, Crocodiles. The band’s moody take on the post-punk sounds of the era saw their popularity rise – a fact confirmed by the release of their second album, Heaven Up Here. Their third album, 1983’s Porcupine, gave the group their first Top 10 single, the majestic The Cutter, which pushed the album to number two in the album charts.
The released the majestic Ocean Rain in 1984, which featured the iconic track, The Killing Moon, which continues to attract fans through its features in films such as Donnie Darko and television shows like Stranger Things. A standalone single, Bring On the Dancing Horses, furthered their appeal after it was featured in the John Waters’ film, Pretty in Pink. Following the release of their self-titled fifth album, McCulloch left the band to start a solo career. Although the remaining members carried on, the death of De Freitas in 1989 clouded the endeavour.
McCulloch and Sergeant began working together again in 1994 under the name Electrafixion. When Pattinson joined them, the trio adopted the Echo & the Bunnymen moniker once more, releasing the acclaimed Evergreen album on London Records in 1997. Featuring the stately, anthemic Nothing Lasts Forever, Evergreen returned the band to the top ten in both the single and album charts.
Their follow up, 1999’s What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? (the second and final records for London Records) is now rightly regarded as McCulloch’s “midlife masterpiece” – a lost classic by Bunnymen aficionados.
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