The First Time with Ian McCulloch

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Interviews with major artists revealing the moments and songs that shaped their careers.

6 Music's Matt Everitt presents in-depth, exclusive and revealing interviews with major artists revealing the pivotal moments and songs that shaped their lives and their careers.

The First Time With...: Ian McCulloch

Ian McCulloch

BBC Radio 6 Music - The First Time With..., Ian McCulloch

Matt Everitt chats to Ian McCulloch about the key musical moments of his life.

With this year's 6 Music Festival taking place in Liverpool, Matt Everitt chats to one of its famous sons, Ian McCulloch, about the key musical moments of his life.

To tie in with this year's 6 Music Festival taking place in Liverpool, Matt Everitt chats to Echo & The Bunnymen frontman, Ian McCulloch about the key musical moments from his life.  

Since releasing its debut album, ‘Crocodiles’ almost 40 years ago, the band has earned a place in guitar music history for forging “grandiose soundscapes out of punk energy and pop poetry” - a distinctive combination of attitude and sound that has influenced many bands that have followed in The Bunnymen’s wake.
 
In this candid conversation, McCulloch reveals the group’s beginnings, including the shambles of their first gig which that turned out to be the making of them, plus the singer’s struggle with shyness in those early days that remains to this day, despite outward acts of bravado.

McCulloch also share the early influence of The Fall and Leonard Cohen on their sound, the life-changing impact of first hearing David Bowie and then seeing him  perform Ziggy Stardust live (including a fascination with his eyebrows), as well as, of course, a deep recognition of how Liverpool’s rich musical heritage has helped shaped the group.   

Plus, McCulloch recounts a strange night out with another of his musical heroes, Lou Reed, along with insights into how Echo & The Bunnymen’s much-loved songs, like ‘The Killing Moon’ and ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, came into existence.

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