Echo and the Bunnymen May Perform Two Full Albums on 2010 Tour

Echo and the Bunnymen singer Ian McCulloch has big plans for his band in 2010. "I want to do our first two albums back-to-back," he tells Spinner of early '80s classics, 'Crocodiles' and Heaven Up Here.' "It's a master class for anyone who's ever been in a band that isn't quite as good as the band I'm in. These albums are the blueprints for being in a cool rock band."

The US tour will resume next March or April, says McCulloch. He's not quite sure how it'll work, what with promoting the band's new album, 'The Fountain,' too. But in the meantime Echo and the Bunnymen are looking forward to their annual hometown gigs in Liverpool this month. "Our Christmas shows have become something of a tradition for our Liverpool fans," McCulloch says. "Our die-hard fans come along, shout and sing along. This year, our fans have seen us back on the telly and heard us on the radio again. It's like, if we're on telly, they're on telly. It's a shared triumph. We're a people's band."

The Liverpool shows, which take place at the Liverpool Academy, Dec. 17-19, cap a year of touring ups and downs. The lowlights included the cancellation of the Bunnymen's show in Dubai due to McCullough losing his voice and the cancellation of their main US tour in November due to issues with the IRS. "It was a managerial decision and that's as much as I know," says McCullough tersely. "We are our biggest fans, so we're disappointed too. I think it gives us time to set up the album properly, though. Plus people get to save their money for Christmas."