The trend of bands playing one or more of their classic albums straight through at a live gig has been growing in recent years.

The likes of Suede, Sonic Youth and Belle & Sebastian have already done it and now Scouse legends Echo and the Bunnymen have got in on the act, playing the the whole of first two albums, Crocodiles (1980) and Heaven Up Here (1981).

Though this probably means die-hard fans get to hear songs played they‘ve never heard live before, it does remove much of the spark at the O2 Academy. All the usual elements are there for a great gig, with the band lit to make it look like they’re shrouded in a desert haze, a guitar sound that comes over like a tidal wave and a note-perfect stage set. It’s just hard to get excited if you know what song is next and in three songs time.

Still, the Bunnymen are entertaining with frontman Ian McCulloch in fine form throughout. And, as they work their way through the albums, you can really hear how much of an impact they had on the likes of Oasis and the Stone Roses. After playing the albums from start to finish, they return briefly to dip into their other material, with a particularly riotous version of The Cutter geeing up what had been a pretty mellow evening. All those who are not complete Bunnymen devotees will have left with a new sense of respect for the influence the band have had and continue to have over indie rock, but without the sense of adulation and euphoria that the best gigs have.