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Echo and the Bunnymen's Ian McCulloch Sorry for Slagging Bono
- Posted on Apr 29th 2010 11:00AM by Steve Baltin
In their early '80s heyday Echo and the Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch was never shy about speaking his mind. McCulloch tells Spinner that behavior came from the arrogance of youth. "We always thought we were a cut above everyone else, hence the album title 'Heaven Up Here,'" he says. "'It may be hell down there cause it's heaven up here,'" he adds, quoting his own lyric.But an older, mellower McCulloch has a different view on band feuds. "The competition was won a long time ago, if we were competing with the people I was slagging off," he says. "We won in a lot of ways, but it was never a competition and that's kind of what I realized."
What changed his outlook besides age? "Maybe when I realized that I didn't know the people I was slagging off as people and I'd say things that were below the belt," he admits. Pride also becomes less important with age and that was clearly a motivating factor when he was younger. "It was mainly brought about in the first place with journalists saying, 'What do you think of your contemporaries, U2?' And it was like, 'They're nothing like us in my view,'" he says. "That's what instigated us: 'Can't you see we're the Bunnymen?' It's a Liverpool thing as well to be honest."
McCulloch also wonders if his insults had an effect on Bono. "There are things I've said that maybe made Bono worse and more like the showman, me saying from the word 'go' that I thought he was a buffoon," he says. McCulloch now realizes that wasn't the case, though he can't resist getting one jab in. "He obviously isn't a buffoon. He's a clever bloke and he's written some good tunes -- nothing with any profundity, I don't think -- but some decent melodies," he says.
In the end, the wiser and humbler McCulloch will admit that Bono beat him in one aspect: "He's got at least one more private jet than me."
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The Duchess of Malfi
Awful lot of plumbers and bricklayers hanging around here. You can keep your U2 paste, I’m sticking with the Bunnymen pâté.
June 17 2011 at 6:05 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Rob J.
They have to play club gigs for only $20 a pop out of necessity, not by choice. I'm sure they'd rather do higher profile gigs in larger venues for more money, but do not have the draw.
May 21 2010 at 8:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Kris
If you've never heard of or listened to the Bunnymen, you are missing out on a great band. Their 80's music was fantastic, but the newer music is equally as good - and relevant. Give them a listen. BTW, I just saw them live last night in a club in DC. Amazing show. Tickets were $20, sold out show. Tell me the last time you could see U2 in a club for $20.
May 01 2010 at 10:46 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Denigin
"Nothing with frofunity"??? Is this guy serious? What about, "Bloody Sunday?".
May 01 2010 at 5:08 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
sweetgirl722
I've never even heard of The Bunnymen. How can anyone even take what they say seriously with a name like that. For those of you that stated above...well, there IS more to it than having the right people at the right time. You have to be good in the first place to get those kind of people. I also love how lesser bands have to get their digs in on better known bands to make themselves feel better. If McCulloch didn't feel like listening to anything U2 put out, he could have at least read a lyric or two before making statements saying "He's a clever bloke and he's written some good tunes -- nothing with any profundity, I don't think -- but some decent melodies,"
May 01 2010 at 3:55 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
phil
i just took a bono and wiped my u2
May 01 2010 at 3:08 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
xanthein
2 replies to xanthein's comment
Well its no new shocker a band with more talent is well less known the a really famous band... it happens all the time ... just becasue U2 is way more famous means noing more then they had right people at the right time. look at how many bands have come and gone over the years... and if you look at Echo and the bunny men, and listen to their albums, its a top class band, with far better lyrics and music, and they are still going strong today... it comes down to 90% 0f people arent even really music listeners they are radio drones, and listen to what they are told and is forced fed certan bands... im not saying U2 are crap but they are compared to echo and the bunny men and anyone who knows music, knows this is fact
May 01 2010 at 1:14 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Maia
I would have to agree with you on the aspect of the better bands not being as famous. I love metal (and I mean real metal, not the emo crap that is on the radio) and I've come to find some of the best bands are the ones that those who doesn't like the genre haven't heard of....
May 01 2010 at 2:07 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Mark
Actually, I know a lot about music. People like different genres of music and just because they don't like the genre you like doesn't make their music better or worse than the music you listen to. Diff'rent strokes n stuf...
May 01 2010 at 2:30 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
tmktwo
the so called pompous guy has done some good if you give a closer look. its funny how you never hear bono ripping into anyone else.hey bunny boy stfu and try writing some music we can recognize.we see the guys with no hits are always the d-bags with big mouths.
May 01 2010 at 12:12 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
John
Who really cares? The Bunnymen haven't done anything relevant since '87 or '88. Bono on the otherhand has gone on to become one of rock's most pompous cretins ever!
14 Comments