Shooting from the lips

What is it with rock stars and Mexican food? Last week I had Grandaddy cooking Beef Fajitas in my gaff, and now Ian McCulloch’s threatening to throw a hissy fit unless someone brings him some Guacamole, immediatamente!

“Don’t they have fucking avocados in Ireland?” he asks in supremely snotty fashion. Twenty-two years after first arriving on the scene with his long coat – and even longer face – the good news is that the Bunnyman-in-chief is as prickly as ever.

“Yeah, I’m still the same awkward cunt as I was in the ’80s, which is why I’m able to keep doing what I do,” he reflects. “I listen to most of the stuff that passes for decent music nowadays and think, ‘Fucking ‘ell, we’ve a duty to save people from this!’ The Clash, the Velvets, the Bunnymen…we’ve all had that Us against The World mentality.”

Having floundered somewhat in the late ’90s, McCulloch & Co. are back with a peach of an album, Flowers, and a Junior Fan Club that includes Muse, Stereophonics and Liam Gallagher.

“He’s alright he is, Liam. I don’t think they ever set out to rip us off but, yeah, there are certain aspects to Oasis that we were doing 20 years ago. It’s nice to have people like him acknowledging the debt, ’cause there’s been a tendency to write us out of ‘80s music history in favour of The Smiths.

“Why did that happen? ’Cause we always called a spade a spade and wouldn’t cuddle up to the Hairy Cornflakes and Kid Jensens of this world. As far as I’m concerned, the BBC’s as bad now as it ever was. A prime example being Jo Whiley who’s got no taste at all.”

There’s a school of thought that suggests if McCulloch hadn’t been so disdainful of the media, it would’ve been the Bunnymen rather than U2 who cracked America.

“A lot of it was down to naivete,” he pleads by way of mitigation. “I had no idea, for instance, what a ‘meet and greet’ was. Until after a gig in Chicago, that is, when this record company bloke kept dragging me away from the bar to shake hands with X, Y and Z. Having been told by me to go shag himself, he screams, ‘You Limey fuck, McCulloch. You wanna be more like that other band from Liverpool, U2.’

“It wasn’t so much failing to conquer America, as not wanting to. I imagine it was always U2’s dream to sell-out Madison Square Garden, whereas we were much more interested in what was going on at home and in Europe.”

The only time when McCulloch’s cynicism fully evaporates is when he’s talking about Liverpool FC – “I still can’t believe we won the fucking treble!” – and hobnobbing with his heroes.

“One of my fondest memories of Dublin is meeting Leonard Cohen at a Jury’s Inn here,” he reminisces. “I found out from (MCD’s) Denis Desmond where he was staying and booked in. He’s a real gentleman, and dead funny to boot.

“I said ‘hello’ to Lou Reed and hung out for a while with David Bowie, who’s another top bloke. I want to do something with him on my solo album, but I’m too frightened to ask!”

Due for release in early 2002, the opus will more than likely include a collaboration with Fun Lovin’ Criminal Huey Morgan.

“Schedules permitting, we’re going to duet on a song called ‘Crackerjack’,” McCulloch divulges. “Having spotted the three of them at a club in Los Angeles, I went over and said, ‘I think your music’s great, and you’re the second coolest band on the planet.’”

No prizes for guessing who’s numero uno. Another name that’s been mentioned in record company dispatches is Courtney Love.

“It’s dependent on whether she wants to do it, or if I change my mind! She loved the Bunnymen but, not getting very far with us in the tapping off department, had to settle for The Teardrop Explodes! She gets a real going over from people, but I like her. And her band.”

Finally, the $64,000 question. Who’s going to win the Premiership this season?

“If Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen both manage to keep fit, Liverpool. If they’re crocked, though, it’ll be fucking United again.”

Echo & The Bunnymen’s Flowers album and 4-CD Crystal Days 1979-1999 retrospective are both out now