antiMusic.com: Echo & the Bunnymen - Dancing Horses DVD Review

Echo & the Bunnymen - Dancing Horses DVD Review

by Kevin Wierzbicki

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No one will blame you for seeing the name Echo & the Bunnymen and thinking, "Those guys are still around!?!" The band had their heyday in the States back in the mid-80s with significant radio and video play of the singles "Bring on the Dancing Horses" and "Lips like Sugar" but that was about it.

The story is considerably different in their homeland, the U.K., where six of their albums have gone Top 10, including the Evergreen album that came a full decade after the brief American breakthrough.

At the time this show was filmed in late 2005 the band was touring to back-up their Siberia release and four songs from that effort are performed: "In the Margins," "Of a Life," "Stormy Weather" and "Scissors in the Sand."

The band is not into stage antics; rather they go about their business of creating a lush soundscape for singer Ian McCulloch. McCulloch is barely animated, standing riveted to the stage in front of his microphone for the entire concert save an occasional walk to where his drink is stashed. Yet McCulloch has an incredible stage presence; wearing his shades and taking well-timed puffs of his cigarette, coolly delivering his lines and being in the moment like nothing else matters, he embodies the essence of rock'n'roll front man as envisioned by Lou Reed. He knows he's masterful, too; it's obvious he's not kidding when he introduces the show closer, "Ocean Rain," as "the best song ever." You could say it's a shame that these guys never really impacted these shores but the fact is they are here with this offering now and it's outstanding.

CD Info and Links

Echo & the Bunnymen - Dancing Horses DVD
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