From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org (seven-seas-digest) To: seven-seas-digest@smoe.org Subject: seven-seas-digest V4 #574 Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org Sender: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Precedence: bulk seven-seas-digest Sunday, December 4 2005 Volume 04 : Number 574 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 04 Dec 2005 13:50:24 -0600 From: Theodore Turner Subject: Re: seven-seas San Francisco Chronicle 2 of 2 What a fantastic piece!! Who is the Author?? TT on 12/4/05 1:29 PM, Kristin Smith at blinfool@wyomail.com wrote: > 2 of 2 > > Show of strength > At the encore, I raced out of the club to grab my rare Bunnymen records out > of my friend's car, hoping to have Les and Will autograph them. On my way to > the tour bus, I felt a fist hit the side of my head. Then another in my > stomach. Two thugs had left a gin-and-juice parking lot party to mug me. > "Grab his bag," shouted one. > In a fight-or-flight moment, I pressed the fight button. I was ready to die > for my Bunnymen records that night, kicking and punching with all of my > colors. > Either they figured I wasn't worth it, or maybe they already had a > limited-edition picture disc vinyl bootleg of Echo & the Bunnymen live in > Milan 1984. They let me go, and I slowly approached the Bunnymen bus with a > big black eye, bruises on my body, blood on my face -- and records in my > hand. Pattinson opened the door. > "What the hell happened to you, kid?" He let me in, and for the next three > hours told me tales of touring the world with the original Bunnymen. > Sergeant was there, and at one point I played a copy of my band's demo for > them. They listened to the whole thing and smiled. It was great, even though > the music wasn't. > Just before I left, I told Les what I really believed: "You've got to get > the Bunnymen back together with Mac. It might not last forever, but I bet > there's still some magic left." My eye had puffed out further and blood was > still dripping down the side of my mouth. > Pattinson laughed and wiped the blood from my face with a cold rag. "Thanks, > kid," was all he said. > A promise > Years went by with little music coming from either the Mac or Will-and-Les > camps. Eager to find out what was going on, I called McCulloch's record > company in London. WEA Records executive Phil Knox Roberts, a friendly > fellow, picked up, and I explained my reason for calling. > "This must be your destiny because I never answer this phone," he said. > "Looks like you'll be the first to know that Mac and Will are back making > music together again. Nobody really knows about this but, believe me, the > Bunnymen will be back." > It was my first scoop. > Never stop > In 1997, the three original members of Echo & the Bunnymen released their > comeback album, "Evergreen," complete with a United Kingdom Top 10 hit, > "Nothing Lasts Forever." My mission was complete. > The group toured several times after I graduated from high school and spent > the next 10 or so years in community college. Each time I'd finagle a way > backstage or to the after-party and buy my heroes an Anchor Steam (Will) or > a Tequila Sunrise (Mac). The last time I saw them offstage was in November, > in back of an Indian restaurant in New York after a phenomenal gig on the > current "Siberia" tour. I was invited to do a 29-minute interview. But we > sat all night around the table, with them listening to a montage of my > memories growing up as a Bunnyfan. Vaguely remembering me, Mac and Will > seemed both fascinated and freaked out by my fanaticism. > Having traveled across the country mostly to thank them, I had only one real > question to ask in the "interview," one I'd first thought of back when I was > 12. "Are you guys happy?" > "Am I happy?" asked Mac. "I'm happy today. Are you happy, Will? I'm happy if > you're happy." > Sergeant, staring at the table like a stoic Inca warrior lost in space, > nodded his head. Then they both headed out into the stormy weather of New > York. > These stars are stars 'cause they shine so hard. > > > > ===================================================================== > Bunnymen Online Presence: > http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info > * > http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ > * > http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ > * > http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 > * > > ====================================================================== ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 04 Dec 2005 13:59:46 -0600 From: Theodore Turner Subject: Re: seven-seas San Francisco Chronicle 1 of 2 Sorry...i see the author now....& link to article.....I'm dumb. TT on 12/4/05 1:27 PM, Kristin Smith at blinfool@wyomail.com wrote: > 1 of 2 > > http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/04/PKGC9G0L9L1.DTL > > ECHOES OF A BUNNYFAN > Delfin Vigil > Sunday, December 4, 2005 > In seventh grade, I wrote an essay titled "Why Echo & the Bunnymen are the > Greatest Band in the F -- World." > I expected either an A for coherently writing about what I passionately > believed in or an F for failing to follow directions. I'd have been happy > with either grade. But the teacher simply drew a big question mark above the > crossed-out swear word. Like so many others, she didn't know what to make of > Echo & the Bunnymen. > As the Liverpool band's singer Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant set > sail into the turquoise lights of San Francisco's Fillmore on Monday in > support of "Siberia" -- their 20th album together (and sometimes apart) > since the band formed in 1978 -- that question mark seems to stick around > like a prickly porcupine. How is the world supposed to honor a group whose > songs would be an inspiration for Coldplay, the Flaming Lips and films like > "Donnie Darko"? > Heaven up here > Kevin Keiper, the cool kid down the street, got me hooked. It was 1987. I > was 12 years old, sifting through Kevin's "modern rock" record collection, > which included the Cure, the Smiths, Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen. > The Cure was cool, but I couldn't wear the requisite lipstick and > fluorescent makeup without getting smacked across the face by my father. The > Smiths had something to say with "Meat Is Murder," but life seemed > incomplete without carne asada. And Joy Division's Ian Curtis clocked out > too early to light up my life. > That left Echo & the Bunnymen. On their record sleeves, they looked more > like longshoremen or merchant marines than mere rock stars. McCulloch, the > tipsy captain, led his men with guts and passion, making city after city and > stereo after stereo just a little more magical and romantic year after year. > Between 1980 and 1984, Echo & the Bunnymen recorded four albums, each more > critically successful and hit-filled than the last. Their greatest moment, > I'd say, was "The Killing Moon," a song so perfect and timeless it sounds as > if it could have been written a hundred years earlier, maybe on a ship lost > at sea. > But soon after I jumped onboard, the ship sank. Drummer Pete de Freitas died > in a motorcycle accident, and McCulloch sailed off on a solo career. After > the mutiny, the Bunnymen Bounty voyaged on with a fill-in singer. As a > stowaway fan, I felt I had to do something to save all of our souls. > King of kings > We were waiting with our best suit coats on. My best friend, K.C., and I cut > class at Benicia High School to catch a glimpse of McCulloch heading into a > sound check for his 1991 solo gig at Slim's in San Francisco. After we'd > been waiting several hours, a taxi pulled up and out stepped our hero into > the fog-filled South of Market afternoon to shake our hands and sign our > records like a slugger heading to batting practice. > The conversation was short, and so were we. > "Lovely weather we're having, eh," said Mac, towering over us. I pumped my > fist and whispered to K.C.: "Yes! He loves cold weather." > The conversation quickly ended, but the night of our lives had only just > begun. > McCulloch performed a semi-acoustic but completely romantic set that > included a Leonard Cohen cover and three Bunnymen classics. I stole his > guitar pick and set list and drank his glass of "water," which turned out to > be vodka. > But something was missing. > "Where's Will? He misses you!" I shouted, knowing full well that the two no > longer spoke. > "Will? I haven't seen him in years." > His long pause and the fact that he'd answered my question made me believe > that Mac still cared about his fellow Bunnyman, and maybe my good vibes > could help them reconnect. At least I hoped so. > Don't let it get you down > When Echo & the Bunnymen came to California in 1992 without McCulloch, I had > mixed emotions. But more important, I had a mission: I believed I could help > get the real Bunnymen back together. > The problem was that they were playing a cheesy club called the Rage, in a > Sacramento strip mall. It was 21-and-older only, and I was 16. I called the > club in the middle of the afternoon and said I was a friend of the band. > Before long, original Bunnymen bass player Les Pattinson was on the phone, > laughing at my scheme. Impressed with my passion, Les said he'd put me on > the guest list -- as long as I promised not to drink. > The first thing I noticed when I showed up was that no one in the crowd was > wearing any cool Bunnymen coats. One guy actually danced around in a white > rabbit costume, waving around a carrot as if it were a cigar. Blasphemy! > Toward the end of the set, during a rendition of "Silver" -- a sacred song > from 1984's "Ocean Rain" album that McCulloch rarely sang live -- the club's > electricity went out. Noel Burke, the replacement singer, joked that it was > "an act of God." > "You're damn right it is!" I shouted, apparently the only person sober > enough that night to know something wasn't right. > > > > ===================================================================== > Bunnymen Online Presence: > http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info > * > http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ > * > http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ > * > http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 > * > > ====================================================================== ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ End of seven-seas-digest V4 #574 ********************************