Echo and The Bunnymen were back at Newcastle City Hall with their “Very Best of Echo & The Bunnymen 1978-2026” tour which celebrated the songs that have brought the group twenty top 20 hits and nine top 20 albums spanning across their legendary career.

It is always pleasing to note that they were clearly glad to be back at Newcastle City Hall and as is customary Ian McCulloch invariably likes to banter with the crowd and always recalls early on how he travelled to Newcastle City Hall to see David Bowie from way high up in the balcony.

He began the gig standing with his customary brooding shades and overcoat before bringing a seat on later due to a previous back injury. The Liverpool band played 1 long enjoyable set starting off with Going Up, Heads will Roll, All that Jazz and Crocodiles from their iconic 1980`s album before launching into the first real singalong The Cutter which had the expectant and baying crowd singing in total unison.

This was quickly followed by another communal singalong on the haunting favourite Seven Seas with Will Sergeant on magnificent form with his staccato pulse hitting guitar riffs from his black Rickenbacker. The band then followed with Nothing Lasts Forever which beautifully morphed into a cover of Lou Reed’s iconic Walk on the Wild (Tyne!) Side with all the crowd singing the chorus line. Further impromptu improvisation by Ian McCulloch followed with Bedbugs and Ballyhoo and then Villiers Street morphing into the iconic Doors Roadhouse Blues with everyone bellowing out the immortal words “Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel” and then Bowie’s Jean Genie.

At this stage, the crowd was now in full voice with the charming melody of Bring On the Dancing Horses with a superb motif as backdrop and then one of the most exquisite and mythical pop songs ever written The Killing Moon with Will Sergeant excelling on his

12 string playing on his red teardrop guitar. The haunting gothic laden lyrics were written and sung by Ian McCulloch and it was released on their 1984 album Ocean Rain and so inevitably the crowd quickly launched into “Under blue moon, I saw you So soon you'll take me Up in your arms, too late to beg you” as the first chords rang out.

The first encore was Lips Like Sugar with its driving rhythm and layered guitars followed by the second encore of Ocean Rain from their 1984 career best masterpiece which both had the crowd singing all the way until the end before having to brave Storm Dave on their way home to the metro.

This really was a nostalgic, sacred and timeless gig which celebrated the band’s post-punk and neo-psychedelic darkly created legacy and most pleasingly and totally contrary to recent reviews, Ian McCulloch sang in fine voice and Will Shephard was at his majestic best despite the band having formed nearly 50 years ago.

Stewart Douglas