May 1981 – Tiffany's Last Stand

 

May 1981 – Tiffany's Last Stand

Bu Pete Clemons

This return visit by the Bunnymen was not in the cavernous sports hall of the Lanch, where they had played previously, but in the more salubrious surroundings of Tiffany's. Apparently Tiffany's was now deciding to close its doors to 'rock' gigs which sees the disappearance of another venue in a city already desperately short of good places to see gigs.

However if this was to be the last gig there then it certainly finished things on a high note. Gone is the camouflaged stage and full combat gear, gone is the smoke and dry ice; instead the Bunnymen take the stage dressed informally and throughout the lights are used only very sparingly.

It's a bold step to take as such a drastic change means that they are now relying entirely on the music to hold attention for the hour long set which they play. It means that the band are less remote than they were and easier to relate to.

Instead of the traditional set-up the band formed a line across the front of the stage, drummer as well. There are now five members as on some songs a person who, I am reliably informed, was formerly a roadie for the band plays guitar or keyboards. Far from swamping the songs, a third guitar makes for a very full sound on those numbers for which it is used.

The set was composed on a fairly equal mixture of old and new songs which will, presumably, surface on the soon to be released second album. McCulloch is a natural front man with his boyish, impudent good looks and his contained emotional renderings of the songs.

On several he left the guitar work to the new boy and performed with as much passion as the late great Ian Curtis. His voice is one of the most distinctive to have emerged from the plethora of new bands about and comparisons are impossible to make.

However, on one or two of the slower numbers a slight Jim Morrison influence can be detected. If any one member deserves special mention then it must be Pete de Freitas the drummer. His sound is a very crisp and clear one and the sparing use of the cymbals made that sound so much more effective.

Apparently he was suffering from an injured hand but I for one didn't notice at all. It seems to be something about Coventry, as last time they were here bassist Les Pattinson was unwell and only just made the encore, and this time all of the band were slightly under the weather.

De Freitas' stuttering rhythms are certainly the best thing this side of PIL's 'Flowers of Romance'. However it is unfair to single out only one number - the clipped guitar on 'All that Jazz' was immediately danceable whereas at other times there were distinct memories of Tom Verlaine's playing on Television's second album 'Adventure'.

The new songs blended very well with the older stuff but since McCulloch's scouse accent prevented me from catching all of the titles, you'll just have to wait for the album to come out and find out for yourself. They played all four songs from their current live EP in addition to several tracks from 'Crocodiles' - 'Rescue' standing out as the classic which it will surely become.

The audience, although not a capacity one, responded warmly to the set and the band played two encores, finishing with the same haunting melody which accompanied them as they took the stage. I wonder what Special's person Terry Hall, seen skulking at the back of the hall thought of it all. 'Is this the blues I'm singing?' asks McCulloch. Whatever it is, it'll do very nicely thank-you, Ian and thank you Tiffany's.