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[stuartmaxwell]

sorry for the cynical viewpoint here but...

save the lemon tree? petitions and money buckets? these people are completely unreal and are thinking irrationally. its time wasted that could have been spent looking for another job.

this was a boardroom level decision as a result of a decision to remove of capital injections. A change was needed years ago, unfortunately the LT board didnt/were unable to take a firm grip on the ship and steer it in the right direction to make the operation financially viable in any way, shape or form. As im sure Flash can vouch, we are looking at fundamental economics here. This is executive level mismanagement and complacency, and things only lasted this long because the council were (rightfully) convinced that this was of cultural benefit to the city, unfortunately there was pressure on this operation since day one.

a petition with names and £1000 in coppers is not going to change anything

It is a shame for all of the staff and a sad loss of a good music venue to Aberdeen, the LT has contributed a lot to Aberdeen and has always been up there supporting people of all ages with their ventures, wether it be arts, theatre, music, comedy etc It is a sad loss and hopefully something new will arise out of the ashes. Remember what happened after drakes?

Originally Posted by nesta6245

Cheers
Now back to the Lemon Tree. In the paper it's saying the staff are trying to raise a large amount of cash and have 2 weeks to do so. No mention of where I send my money though and how I can help. Madness gig tonight, I would be willing to stand outside the exhibition centre with a bucket before the gig collecting, same for Kaisers on Saturday. This is where they will get the donations, most people going to AECC for a gig will want to help save the place, sure a fair number of them will be LT regulars. To get the biggest benefit there would need to be a lot of us collecting.

Does anyone know how to go about contacting them?

WHeey this is more like it.. As you've probably read in the papers this morning we need £200,000 in order to put in an offer before liquidation in 2 weeks.

this is north scotland - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars

this is north scotland - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars

The campaign will include a ring round this afternoon to potential benefactors for emergency funding .. the likes of Stuart Milne, Tom Farmer Foundation, Shell and past sponsors and past acts etc c, and previous acts that have played. We've set up a bank account under the name Save The Lemon Tree Campaign, The website will hopefully be up by the end of the day so people can make donations and we've already got about 500 signatures on the petition. Thankfully the evening express were outside the lemon tree yesterday when this was going on so the press is good!

Thanks for your support and any help given to the committee is greatly appreciated.. if you want to volunteer you services or your band for a fundraiser.. any suggestions are greatly appreciated! email rebeccablack86@hotmail.com or make contact through the wbsite once it's up. (i'll put a link on here)

Becky

[Jake Wifebeater]

It's no loss. I never set foot in the place as there were never any gigs that tempted me along. The few times I considered going I was put off by the extortionate prices so I'm glad to see it go down the shitter. Sure, it's a damn shame that people have lost jobs over it, but there's far, far too many venues putting on shitty gigs as it is and I've said for ages that Aberdeen is over-saturated by mediocrity and it's far too easy for any bunch of two-bit ding-peddlers to get a gig and kid themselves they're on the way.

Doesn't mean a great deal in the long run. After all the snivelling when Drake's went tits up, it hasn't exactly meant a drying-up of the number of bands starting up, has it? Kinda hoped it would.

[thegossip]

Originally Posted by daveofficer

how much money did the council cut and when?

the council did not cut any money.

they bailed it out in june with £60k, and they continued to pay the £190k annual grant.

its is impossible to keep throwing more and more public money at them.

Close it, and start again from scratch.

[Old Gold]

Originally Posted by -becky-

WHeey this is more like it.. As you've probably read in the papers this morning we need £200,000 in order to put in an offer before liquidation in 2 weeks.

this is north scotland - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars

this is north scotland - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars

The campaign will include a ring round this afternoon to potential benefactors for emergency funding .. the likes of Stuart Milne, Tom Farmer Foundation, Shell and past sponsors and past acts etc c, and previous acts that have played. We've set up a bank account under the name Save The Lemon Tree Campaign, The website will hopefully be up by the end of the day so people can make donations and we've already got about 500 signatures on the petition. Thankfully the evening express were outside the lemon tree yesterday when this was going on so the press is good!

Thanks for your support and any help given to the committee is greatly appreciated.. if you want to volunteer you services or your band for a fundraiser.. any suggestions are greatly appreciated! email rebeccablack86@hotmail.com or make contact through the wbsite once it's up. (i'll put a link on here)

Becky

What happens to the accumulated cash if the full 200 grand isn't achieved?

[Tubthumper]

Is there any plan on what to do with the £200,000 is you ever managed to reach that amount? Surely there needs to be some sort of structure as to what it will be used for and the long term future?

Simply pumping money into a company that's losing money left, right and centre isn't the way forward. I say let it go into liquidation. At least that way, someone with some ideas will maybe come forward and bring something to the table as a way of making it a profitable business.

It's worth trying to save even if it isn't under the same management/structure.. it could resurface as a combination as a commercially viable venue encompasing a separate council funded arts programme which would pay hire to the venue. Myabe it was poorly managed but it's worth saving what it was in essence, an arts organisation wich was a landmark in Aberdeen culture.

I have a job interview this afternoon maxi, if the lemon tree was saved in some capacity that doesn't mean i'd have a job there. i'm just not letting complacency set in yet when there's a chance to try to stage a worthwhile protest for Aberdeen.

[daveofficer]

Originally Posted by thegossip

the council did not cut any money.

they bailed it out in june with £60k, and they continued to pay the £190k annual grant.

its is impossible to keep throwing more and more public money at them.

Close it, and start again from scratch.

that's what i thought but then becky said "the bottom line is that yesterday the council cut all funding" which seems to go against that. hence my question to try and get some solid facts out.

[stuartmaxwell]

why would you plough £200,000 into a bleeding business? what happens the next time it needs money?

it is proper strategy that is needed, not money

[Tubthumper]

Exactly Maxi. A day after it closes the doors and already there is talk of pumping money into it? That just shows there has been no discussions in how to make the LT a viable business, but rather to keep it afloat just now and see what happens. I sure as hell wouldn't give any money to a business that has no long term strategy.