Ocean Rain - Ocean Rain Tour

Ocean Rain Tour

On 16 September 2008, Echo & the Bunnymen played a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London playing the album with the backing of a 16-piece orchestra. Two similar concerts subsequently took place at Radio City in New York City on 1 October 2008 and at the Liverpool Echo Arena on 27 November 2008. These concerts were played with a 10-piece orchestra which was conducted by Rupert Christie. The posters used to advertise the concerts have the image of the band from the cover of the album overlaying an image of the venue. Further concerts took place in Europe and North America during 2009.

The concerts were received well. Simon O'Hagan, reviewing the London concert in The Independent, described it as "a moving, memorable evening" and went on to describe McCulloch's voice as "torn silk" and "magnificent". Giving the London concert five out of five stars, Angus Batey, writing in The Guardian, described "The Killing Moon" as a "dizzying high" which was "topped by 'Ocean Rain' itself, where the strings are held back until the end of the second verse so that they hit with a euphoric punch of almost physical intensity, sunny melodic optimism piercing the lyrics' chiaroscuro of storm clouds and 'blackest thoughts'." However, Adam Sweeting, for The Daily Telegraph, said the orchestra "often didn't add much beyond a vague sonic sludge".

Reviewing the New York concert for Rolling Stone, Jim Allen described Radio City as an "appropriately dramatic, grandiose setting", and added that McCulloch "was in fine voice, growling and sneering wondrously". Reviewing the Liverpool concert, Jade Wright wrote in the Liverpool Echo that McCulloch "was on form – one part Lou Reed, one part Oliver Reed, with a bit of Jim Morrison thrown in for good measure."