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[saf-one]

Originally Posted by Dave

The thing is, the Lemon Tree is a far superior venue to both Moshulu and the Tunnels in almost every respect. In terms of comfort, service, accessibility, sound quality, cleanliness and atmosphere (on both busy and more relaxed nights) it beats both of them comfortably. What they've been lacking is the wherewithall to challenge other venues in terms of volume and quality of gigs due to their situation.

If the Lemon Tree were to be run as a business, along the same lines as Moshulu or The Tunnels, and didn't have to worry about their commitments to community programmes and workshops and experimental theatre and all the other loss-making projects it housed it would give them a serious run for its money.

I still believe that the loss of the Tree, even in its present state, will be a massive loss to the music community. It offers something that neither of the other two venues can, and that's a touch of class. Moshulu and the Tunnels are both grungy and very basic in terms of facilities. That's OK for folk like us, we're used to it, but the Lemon Tree often put on gigs that attracted a different, more, er, (diplomatic hat on) respectable crowd than the usual Aberdeen gig-goers. I can't imagine seeing Chris Hillman, or Bert Jansch, or Odetta, or indeed anyone of that status in the folk/blues/jazz/country sector being staged effectively with the same sense of occasion anywhere in Aberdeen but the Lemon Tree. That's a very big market which is perhaps divergent from the Aberdeen music scene as we see it, but the loss of the LT will be keenly felt in those circles.

Well said.

(PS. I apologise for some of the bad language in my previous posts - Its been a stressfull day)

[Hogisbald]

Originally Posted by Bigsby

The council subsidy for the AECC is much, much more than the Lemon Tree ever got.

Indeed, I can imagine it is a much bigger budget but the AECC has appeared to be making more effort as of late.

Two very different venues I agree.

[breakzrus]

this is fucking pish, the lemon tree was awsome! sssssssso many legends have played / performed there. ohhhhhh those days of radioskool - best of my life. fact.
But by the looks of the efforts been made by supporters and staff hopefully this will only be a temporary close down.

[saf-one]

Originally Posted by breakzrus

this is fucking pish, the lemon tree was awsome! sssssssso many legends have played / performed there. ohhhhhh those days of radioskool - best of my life. fact.
But by the looks of the efforts been made by supporters and staff hopefully this will only be a temporary close down.

Radioskool was class!! Loved that night.

We can only hope.

[all_his_engines]

I simply can't believe that more people don't see the closure of the Lemon Tree for the absolute tragedy that it clearly is, and also for the massive blow to the Aberdeen music scene that it represents.

In the last year alone, I've attended about a dozen totally amazing gigs there, and there were many more on the cards for 2008. To compare LT to Moshulu or The Tunnels is foolhardy, as it was (as has already been pointed out) a vastly superior venue in almost every way, and attracted a wider range of performances/crowds. Also, it had a great reputation among artists. Danny Schmidt, an American artist who played there a couple of weeks ago, told me that the main reason he came to Aberdeen was the good things he'd from other musicians about the Lemon Tree.

After the experiences I've had playing there with No Pasaran, I had to agree wholeheartedly with him that the LT staff knew how to take care of performers. Not only was the sound always superb, but they treated us like guests, rather than the unwanted nuiscance that a lot of venues appear to think musicians are.

I don't hold with any of this talk of wasting public money. If ever there was a project that needed to have as much public money poured into it as possible, it was the Lemon Tree. That's what taxes are bloody well for! The loss of this venue in particular is a mortal blow for any reputation that Aberdeen may have had as a city of the arts. It simply means that far less music/comedy/theatre performers will come this far north, and I think we can all agree that's shockingly bad news.

PS: Aberdeen is the only city I've ever been in where people will balk at paying £15 to see a relatively well-known band. That's standard fare pretty much everywhere else, people. It doesn't do Aberdonians' reputation for being misers any good.

[Jim Stax]

Councillor Clyne rounded off a nice article in the P and J today with a fair and realistic point...

"Now people have that much more choice of places to go and see music and comedy and theatre, and maybe it has served its purpose.

"Hopefully we can say that the Lemon Tree gave a kick start to the performing arts scene we have in Aberdeen today, and that will live on, even if the venue itself doesn't."


Not so sure about the Theatre bit but I would say he wasn't far off the mark.

Can I ask what happens to any money raised through donations if the 'Save The LT' thing doesn't work? Seems like folly to me to pour water into a leaky bucket. There was a similar scenario around Drakes. Decisions were made by myself and others that it just wasn't a viable business to inject cash into hence the closure. Hard but right choice!

[Alan Cynic]

I'm with all_his_engines on this one.......I tend to think there's some council subterfuge going on.

[chilli]

Originally Posted by Twojoe

Councillor Clyne rounded off a nice article in the P and J today with a fair and realistic point...

"Now people have that much more choice of places to go and see music and comedy and theatre, and maybe it has served its purpose.

"Hopefully we can say that the Lemon Tree gave a kick start to the performing arts scene we have in Aberdeen today, and that will live on, even if the venue itself doesn't."


Not so sure about the Theatre bit but I would say he wasn't far off the mark.

Can I ask what happens to any money raised through donations if the 'Save The LT' thing doesn't work? Seems like folly to me to pour water into a leaky bucket. There was a similar scenario around Drakes. Decisions were made by myself and others that it just wasn't a viable business to inject cash into hence the closure. Hard but right choice!

that would be fine in itself if Aberdeen Council wasn't pumping millions of squids into AECC

if the folk that are trying there damnest to do something positive in the last 13days of The Lemon Tree, let them try, if there is money left they can have a firework display in the rain & what they will have is damp squib, just like what the Aberdeen music scene will be like post LT. Popular BLAND will win the day.

Whatever will happen next..............

[stuartmaxwell]

Originally Posted by chilli

just like what the Aberdeen music scene will be like post LT. Popular BLAND will win the day.

Whatever will happen next..............

we had a grim outlook when drakes closed its doors for the last time, and look at the progress that was made!

every cloud...

[Ollie]

i want to die