sic1314

1 x ticket, cost 28.75, sell for same.

Have to admit this is the first Pallas gig in Aberdeen I've missed since 1984. Find the last 2 albums crap and boring respectively and couldn't work up any enthusiasm to go see them at all

Well half the problem with decreasing audiences for LT gigs for regularly reappearing artists is, imho, the fact that it only really advertises to people who go there - if you're online and regularly visit here or the LT website, or don't get sent the brochures regularly, how do you discover what's playing? Goes back to my specious "Bulgarian folk trio" comment - the only people who go to the Lemon Tree are the people who go to the Lemon Tree. The Lemon Tree is the only live venue of its size which everyone in Aberdeen who pays council tax has to partly fund - whatever plays there. As far as I'm concerned it should be providing something for all tastes at some point in the year. I don't think it did when it first opened, but it improved in the late nineties and is now declining in what it offers once more to appeal to a far smaller core of regular users. Must admit I've never been able to figure out how the place ran up the debts it did - the high entry prices (well if they can offer a third off to regulars, how much clear profit are they making on sales?), an overpriced bar and as far as I can tell reasonably healthy attendances at most events it should be a goldmine compared to the commercial operations around town.

To broaden the discussion a bit, can anybody explain why we seem to pay so much for live music events in this country compared to mainland Europe? When I started to go to gigs 20 odd years ago, a concert ticket for a Capitol sized venue was about the same price as buying the latest album by the act you were going to see, and cosequently lower for clubs. T-shirts would be about the same or slightly less. This rule of thumb now seems completely gone by the board and concert ticket prices now seem to rise in 5 stages, although we seem to pay more than the rest of Europe. Festivals are even worse, explain to me how I can get a ticket for a medium sized (40-50,000) festival in Germany for about 40 (including camping), and here you're looking at over 100. Went on a weeks holiday in Holland/Belgium a few years ago, saw a couple of arena gigs, tickets were in the 15-20 range when they would have been at least 25 over here (more now).

Sic 1314 and French Disco. I think you should look a little closer and think a little broader at The Lemon Tree programme. Nickle Creek next week for one. Who else would bring them to Aberdeen. The Rootin' Aboot programme is one of the strongest ever. Dhol Foundation' date=' Culture Clash, Peatbog Faeries, Flook all should not be missed and not forgetting Bonnie Prince Billy. Perhaps it should be accepted that the "cool" bands you're looking for may be playing elswhere. I still think the Regulars Scheme has got to be worth it even if you only go once a month but I wish the buggers would get organised with reminders. One of these days the box are not going to let me use my expired card and that would just be embarrassing. Come on, send out renewal reminders and make us feel wanted lest I cast up we're the wrong sort again!

I think you'll also find the person doing the booking has a pretty big clue and perhaps deserves credit for the place still being in existance at all.[/quote']

Sorry I think your argument is nonsense - I have no interest in any of the acts you mention above, not that I wish them not to play, but a bit of diversity would be appreciated. Looking back, in 2003 I saw 28 gigs in the LT, everything from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to Blue Oyster Cult, then 22 in 2004 and only 11 last year. My musical tastes hadn't changed, I consider them to have broadened considerably with my advancing years, but the choice on offer has noticably declined. As far as I can tell the place is going back to what it was when it first opened, a cliquey arts venue putting on Bulgarian folk trios as opposed to what it should be, a venue offering a range of activities nowhere else will promote. Does anyone here think the regulars scheme does anything other than reduce the overpriced fare on display to the level the tickets should be in the first place? Looking at the current stuff on offer, does anyone think £11 for a Led Zeppelin tribute band is good value?

Oh and I object strongly to any inference that anything I ever want to see is "cool"o_O

It's just glaringly obvious nobody with a clue is booking at the Lemon Tree now, although virtually going bust last year can't have helped.

Just realised my regulars membership expired last week, but as I only went to the place 10 times during the previous one I won't exactly be hurrying to replace it to see the overpriced tribute dross that propagates the place a couple of times as month. Pretty useless that the freebies that used to come fairly often have dried up as well.

Got the latest programme a few days ago, usually find a couple of interesting surprises in the upcoming bit, this time absolutely nothing. Total waste of time

That would be the recently unseen Mendeed

Can't remember the name offhand, but there's a really good metal shop in Dunfermline - sort of like a rockier version of Fopp (cheap unexpected back catalogue) with a second hand section.

G U Medicine are on this tour as well. Who are the local support for here?

The new licensing laws' date=' which include the minimum drink price regulations don't come into force until October, so we have yet to find out how damaging they're going to be. Everyone I've talked to on this issue has their own take on how business will be affected. Personally, i think we'll see a small drop in numbers initially, and then a steady rise as punters pick their clubs on the basis of music and atmosphere rather than special drink offers. We may well take custom off the Priory, the Ministry and similar venues.

Incidentallly, it's a bloody stupid idea and it's going to have very little impact on the problems the police and the public are facing in the city centre. As long as people can pick up 24 cans of Tennents for a tenner, or a bottle of vodka for a fiver from supermarkets then the problems will continue. Everyone's just going to get more tanked up before going out. They'll also save their money for the weekend, when the change in drinks price is irrelevant as there are very few offers available on a Friday/Saturday.

It's an unfair restriction of trade against pubs and clubs, and it's going to mean job losses and an even smaller amount of choice for customers as clubs turn to making their entertainment even more commercial and mainstream in order to attract the masses.

*phew*

Rant over.[/quote']

Couldn't agree more, ill thought out rubbish by people completely out of touch with reality. Can't help wondering if a big chain such as Wetherspoons will try a legal challenge, it does seem like unfair restriction of trade - and I can't help but wonder if we'll see some outlets in places like Stonehaven try and offer cheap weekend nights to try and pull custom out of Aberdeen? Let's face it if folk up here used to go to Brechin then it's not impossible for other outlying towns to do the same - and the police would still have a problem here with buses dropping off paralytic revellers at 4 in the morning!

Now the website is fixed, any chance we'll get a few more regulars offers now?

Scott