GWAR, Bunnymen put on bloody good concerts>

Liverpudlian bands are hard to understand. The most famous one, the Beatles, broke up in 1970 at arguably the height of its career. Paul, Ringo, and George reconvened after almost 30 years to offer "new" material through their "Anthology" series. Another band from Liverpool, England, reformed recently after an eight-year hiatus - Echo and the Bunnymen.

REVIEW
	Echo and the Bunnymen Clutch Cargo's, Pontiac May 22, 1997

Led by singer Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant, Echo and the Bunnymen were one of the best bands of the 1980s. From its debut album, "Crocodiles," to its last eponymous album, the group left behind a back catalog whose quality could match any other band's during that time. As it was, Echo and the Bunnymen split up at the height of a career whose zenith was a sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall in 1988. While Sergeant kept the band's name and added a new singer (Noel Burke), producing one insignificant album, McCulloch trudged on with two solo albums. The motorbike death of original drummer Pete Defreitas in 1989 symbolically signaled the end for Echo and the Bunnymen.

Then a surprising thing happened. Sergeant and McCulloch reformed in 1993 under the moniker of Electrafixion and toured America supporting their album, "Burned." Although it was a passable effort with a rougher, harder, grunge-influenced sound, something was amiss. Although they pulled out Echo songs for encores, they still remained Electrafixion. Alas, the three remaining members - McCulloch, Sergeant, and bassist Les Pattinson - reunited, are currently touring America and will present the public with "Evergreen," the first Echo album in more than nine years, in July.

The crowd at Clutch Cargo's was a look into the past, and time has caught up with them. Among the audience were big-haired Goth types, 30-somethings rekindling their younger days and teens in Bauhaus T-shirts trying to turn back the clock to 1983.

After the opening group, Pursuit of Happiness, finished its so-so set, the sounds of tribal chants echoed through the hall. The band made its entrance and started things off with "Rescue," a single released 17 years ago. McCulloch looked and sounded sharp. Sergeant and Pattinson were sonically boosted with the help of a rhythm guitarist, keyboard player and drummer Michael Lee. Next was "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo," one of the group's biggest singles off its last album.

The next string of songs read like a greatest-hits package: "The Back of Love," "The Killing Moon" and the last song before the encore, "Lips Like Sugar." Interspersed among these old hits were cuts off the new album and they sounded fantastic. These guys are nearly 40 years old and they rocked harder than 99 percent of today's new and younger bands.

The encore started with Echo and the Bunnymen's first single off "Evergreen," "Nothing Lasts Forever." McCulloch was a truly great frontman, smoking cigarettes like there was no tomorrow and winking at the crowd. McCulloch was and is the star and centerpiece of the show. At one point, a flying cup of water (or beer) slammed onto the stage, barely missing him. McCulloch simply fixed his hair and playfully pointed out the perpetrator and pulled the trigger of his finger.

The group finished with a psychedelic and extended version of perennial live favorite, "Do It Clean." Fans were hoping that the members would come back for "Bring on the Dancing Horses," but in an instant, they were gone. This concert represented a turning back of time and the band effectively was able to show that the '80s weren't all about New Romantics and New Wave.

06-04-97