Echo and the Bunnymen embarked on their “songs to learn and sing 2024” tour starting at the sold out LCR in Norwich.
Opening the night was Erica Nockalls, I loved the mesmerising mix of vocals, violin, guitar, and fun beats used throughout this set. Erica and guitarist Jean-Charles Versari’s vocals beautifully complimented each other, and I could have listened to the two of them singing together all night.
Erica Nockalls @ The LCR, Norwich. Photo by – Kayleigh Francis
The lights went down and the Echo and the Bunnymen bunny logo was projected at the back of the stage. Opening with ‘Going Up’ the background quickly changed to display a forest and the crowd immediately sprung into action and were singing along. The singing didn’t stop throughout the whole night, at times I could hear the crowd louder than frontman Ian McCulloch, although he was extremely quiet and few fans did shout that the microphone needed to be turned up.
The show was split in to two sets allowing fans to go for a toilet break and grab a drink from the bar without missing any music. I had thought that the crowd was loud during set one but set two they were really proving that they had so much more to give. A man standing near me had been shouting repeatedly that he wanted them to play ‘Heads Will Roll’. Then when McCulloch announced that they were playing a song that they rarely play live and he introduced it, the crowd ramped it up even further, with a mosh pit starting in the middle of the room and roars of excitement, it was clear this was a room full of die hard fans.
Echo & The Bunnymen @ The LCR, Norwich. Photo by – Kayleigh Francis
After the seldom-performed track ‘Heads Will Roll’, the band launched into one of their renowned hits, ‘The Killing Moon’ commonly known for featuring in the cult classic film ‘Donnie Darko.’ There is no doubt to me that everyone in the room knew the words to this one, whether you were a die hard Bunnymen fan or not. The band allowed the crowd to sing a chorus earning a grateful salute from Ian McCulloch.
Echo and The Bunnymen ended their set with ‘The Cutter’ followed by ‘Lips Like Sugar’ and finally the tour debut of ‘Ocean Rain’. The tour name Songs To Learn & Sing was adhered to as the crowd sung along to every single track. It was an impressive start to the tour and I’m sure it will continue to make a lot of fans feel extremely nostalgic.