Echo & the Bunnymen

Echo and the Bunnymen played before an audience of tens of thousands of music fans at the Coachella Music Festival two weeks ago, but Boston fans were able to enjoy them in a much more intimate setting when they performed at the Paradise Monday night.

The band, which first hit the scene in Britain in the late 1970s with a somewhat gothic new wave sound, played songs from throughout their career during the hour and a half show. Lead vocalist Ian McCulloch's singing voice was as clear and strong as it was 30 years ago and co-founding guitarist Will Sergeant remains an impressive guitarist. Unfortunately McCulloch's speaking voice was mostly incomprehensible, and his frequent, rambling anecdotes had the audience shrugging their shoulders in bafflement.

The Bunnymen kicked off the show with "Going Up," a strong opening number with a heavy bass line and growly vocals. McCulloch wryly commented, "I like this venue. Let's hope this venue likes me."

"Show of Strength" was a menacing rocker, while "Rescue" was slower and more moody.

One of the odder aspects of the show was that McCulloch, Sergeant and the rest of their band performed in almost complete darkness on the stage. Aside from a little ambient lighting here and there, the only time you got a look at the bandmembers' faces was when someone's camera flash went off. It was a strange but unique element that added to the oddball nature of the concert.

About halfway through their set, the band played an excellent version of their 1985 hit, "Bring on the Dancing Horses." The crowd responded enthusiastically, dancing and singing along.

"Rust" was a pretty ballad. It was followed by "Think I Need It Too," one of the harder rockers of the show, and "Zimbo," a dramatic piece of musicianship that was a blend of moody sounds and electronic feedback.

Near the end of their main set, the Bunnymen played two of their strongest songs of the night: the propulsive "All That Jazz" and the slower, eerie, almost Southwestern sound of "The Killing Moon," which demonstrated the band can hold its own with the Smiths and the Cure when it comes to wailed vocals and moody music.

Unfortunately, the band lost some of the goodwill they'd generated during their main set during the encores. "Nothing Lasts Forever," "Walk on the Wild Side" and their biggest hit, "Lips Like Sugar" were dragged out into interminably long, and tedious renditions filled with far too many incoherent ramblings from McCulloch. After an otherwise perfect show, it was a shame to see people heading for the doors before the show was over.

Even with this major flaw, the Bunnymen put on a hell of a show and it was good to hear them sounding as good as ever more than three decades after their start.

Opening act, shaggy haired San Franciscan Kelley Stoltz, put on a terrific set that complimented the Bunnymen perfectly. Obviously longtime fans, Stoltz and his band played lots of good pop-rock songs with jangly guitars reminiscent at times the Bunnymen, early Elvis Costello and Bob Mould's band, Sugar. Their originals included "Midnight Train" and their new single, "Fire Escape," and they even threw in a cover of British singer Peter Miller's 1965 hit, "Baby I've Got News for You." The rare opening act that won the audience over completely.