Ponchos were out in force as Kelvingrove’s Summer Nights at the Bandstand welcomed Liverpool legends, Echo and The Bunnymen. I was lucky enough to catch the first of two nights of swirling gothic rock in the West End. Where the persistent rain showers failed to dampen any spirits.
Glasgow local Zoe Graham kicked the evening off in style. She interacted with the crowd making jokes throughout her set and shared ‘This is really nice for me because tomorrow’s my birthday’. A quick rendition of ‘Happy Birthday to You’ followed as she danced on the spot.
Zoe gave us a bit of backstory on her new track Evilin as she shared that the music video stars her mum in a Fanny Cradock inspired cooking gag. The track is a gem, it feels equally old school and modern with snazzy guitar sections. It was lovely to see an up-and-coming Scot playing alongside a legendary band in one of our historical venues. Keep an eye on Zoe, her musical talent is seriously impressive.
Echo and The Bunnymen need no introduction. The 80’s heroes have a decade spanning career and are adored by their fans. The evening’s gloomy skies couldn’t have been more fitting for the gothic legends.
Ian won the Glasgow crowd’s affection early on as he admitted ‘We sell tickets faster here than anywhere’. This must be what keeps the band returning to Scottish shores and if these two sold-out nights are anything to go by we can’t get enough of them either.
The first half of their set mainly consisted of tracks from 1980 album Crocodile and we sang along with all our might. Yet, it wasn’t until Bring on the Dancing Horses began that we really found our rhythm. Dancing like nobody was watching, and throwing arms to the sky as we sang the chorus.
With the crowd now fully invested in their performance, the band left the stage for a 15 minute break. They encouraged everyone to get a drink and Ian stated he would be opting to ‘Have a contemplate’ instead.
Back on stage, the jokes kept flowing as Ian took a sip from a glass and said ‘That’s not a white russian, it’s white milk. Whole milk’.
The stage was lit in blue for The Killing Moon. The ethereal track is synonymous with the band and their all-time biggest hit. Everyone huddled around the bowl belted the track at the top of their lungs.
An encore of Lips Like Sugar drew the night to a close. The Bunnymen were on fine form and their gig at the Bandstand will be remembered for years to come by all present.
