PERFORMING ARTS

Bunnyman: Post-War Kid to Post-Punk Guitarist of Echo and the Bunnymen

by Will Sergeant
Third Man Bks. Nov. 2021. 336p. ISBN 9781734842289. pap. $19.95. MUSIC
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Sergeant, the lead guitarist and founder of Echo and the Bunnymen, looks back—not, as readers might expect, at the years of touring and signing major record deals but at his experiences growing up outside of Liverpool in postwar England. His memoir spans the 1960s to the 1970s, ending with the formation of the Bunnymen. Sergeant focuses on his struggling home life, his English schoolboy antics, and growing up working-class. He immerses readers in the punk and post-punk scenes, describing venues like the nightclub Eric’s from the point of view of an acne-faced teen trying to belong. The figure Sergeant describes is relatable: a true music fan who is shy around girls, wants to play music with his mates, and was heavily influenced by Brian Eno, the Fall, and David Bowie.
VERDICT Those looking for stories of the Bunnymen’s heyday may be disappointed, and there are times Sargent struggles with narrative focus, blurring tenses and scenes. But those interested in the memoir of a boy from Liverpool finding his way into the music business will be pleased.
Reviewed by Rebekah Buchanan, Western Illinois Univ., Macomb , Nov 01, 2021
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