Echo & the Bunnymen at the KROQ "Weenie Roast" Live Review, Irvine Meadows, CA, June 15th 1997

It was still bright daylight when the Bunnies trudged onto the Irvine Meadows amphitheater stage. The Southern California crowd clapped vaguely, and Mac nodded his appreciation, somewhat reluctantly, at the half assed welcome. The boys never looked their best in daylight - bright California sunshine was just taking the piss. Out hissed the dry ice, which only served to make the staging seem even more ludicrous.

This market dictated "pecking order" is a plain fact of the US commercial music industry; the chaps have still to regain their crown, a few more sales yards must again be covered before the "powers that be" (within the hallowed halls of radio station KROQ) deem them worthy to play, once again, silhouetted against a velvet sky. Such is the lot for the reunited heroes of a long forgotten battle. It was surely a cruel blow to stomach. Bunnymen music is crafted as a soundtrack to dark and wondrous things, not (like some of the Orange County garbage that accompanied them on the all-day bill) as an incidental backdrop to the "white trash junk food munching" activities of most of the vaguely uninterested crowd. Still, the boys made the best of it, and the songs still shone brighter than the rapidly clouding afternoon sky. The classics were flawlessly delivered; "Lips Like Sugar" opened the set, followed by "Bedbugs & Ballyhoo" (both big US favorites.) An extended rendition of "Do It Clean" sounded awesome, as did "People are Strange" receiving rapturous applause. The new album was proudly represented with "I Wanna' be there when you come" which was received very favorably by the, now completely won over, crowd. The highlight for me was "The Cutter" which sounded as vibrant and fresh as it did on first hearing nearly 15 years ago.

"...can you tell those cunts backstage to shut the fuck up..." complained Mac, obviously the high-tech solution to rapid band rotation was not working (successive bands being rotated after each other on a giant circular stage.) The sound check for the next "sausage factory delivered" act was apparently rather loud, and Mac was certainly not shy about voicing his disgust at this brutal and decidedly inelegant management of the day's proceedings. I can't say I blame him. It was awesome to see the guys playing together again, but they left the stage with the distinct impression that Los Angeles was not their first venue of choice.

Photography by Jennifer Jeffery