Weekly > Reviews
The Lemonheads - Leeds Metropolitan University
I’ve seen a few bands myself in recent years that have been on the comeback trail after a few years in the wilderness (usually because they got a bit cash strapped and have no other way of making money) and I’ve also spoken to people who have seen similar bands.
Where as the Inspiral Carpets and The Pixies still cut it for me when I’ve seen them, I know The Farm and The Happy Mondays have been fairly shambolic, strangest of all was the Wonderstuff who playing the same venue, charged £15 for a ticket and promptly played about 70% of new songs with only the odd classic thrown in and amongst.
So I was a little bit wary about buying tickets for The Lemonheads gig, throw in the fact that tickets were £16 and the two previous occasions I was supposed to see them Evan Dando has not managed to make it to the stage, I think that’s fairly understandable.
They are though a band I’ve always had a soft spot for over the years though and I did really want to go to the gig, luckily I was granted a last minute reprieve when I got a phone call mid afternoon from their PR company to tell me that I was on the guest list.
When you are getting a gig for free it does take the pressure off the evening being as big a success for me anyway, it’s not like I’ve parted with hard earned cash, but even in these circumstances I was really surprised by how good they were on the night.
Playing as a three piece and with no female backing vocals at all (one of the few criticisms I had, I was waiting for Juliana Hatfield to pop up at any point for her vocals) the band were tight and Dando on the whole barring the odd blip sounded as good live as he did on record.
- The Lemonheads
- Leeds Metropolitan University (9th October 2006)
- Category: Live
- Label: Vagrant Records
- Support: 747s
- Reviewed by: Kev
- Published on: 29 Oct 2006
- Comments: 0
- Beat Surrender Rating:
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Add to favouritesSet wise the band got the mixture right, a fair smattering of new songs in and amongst a quality selection from the back catalogue including my favourite Alisons Starting To Happen. The highlight though was probably midway through when Dando was left on the stage alone and played around six acoustic numbers including a brilliant Outdoor Type and the ever-lovely Being Around.
A band that it is genuinely good to have back, especially as the new material is up there with the best of what they’ve previously done and Evan Dando still looks the same as he did back then (a cross between Captain Caveman and Chewbacca with a guitar) which will please his female fans. Well worth checking out folks if they call near you, a definite trip down memory lane.
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