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Lemon Tree No More???


StewCat

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what do you expect?

people are pissed off that it's closed, pissed off at the way it was managed, pissed off at the financial losses, pissed off at the costs being passed onto the punters and pissed off at the seemingly apathetic marketing campaign that the venue seemed to be adopting as it's policy.

and, to top it all, the only post in the thread from a employee (albeit former) is placing the blame at the door of the paying public!

.

I 100% agree

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I have to echo other comments about the lack of promotion. The last gig I went to at The Lemon Tree was Steve Phillips. I'm a big fan of his, but I only found out about the gig the day before by looking on The Lemon Tree website to see if Steve Earle might be playing as part of his 2008 tour.

The previous time Steve Phillips had played it had been packed out, mainly I guess due to its early promotion in the brochure.

The real downer here is that Aberdeen is going to miss out on a whole raft of artists who are too small for The Music Hall but too big for The Tunnels etc. So get set to head for Edinburgh or Glasgow to see loads of your favourite artists. :down:

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Lemon Tree

I'm gutted that it's closed. My ska band supported The Beat there last year, and I remember feeling really proud that I was going to play at the Lemon Tree. It had some prestige, and was hoping to maybe play there as a headline act one day. I hope that someone out there will be able to rescue the venue somehow.

My thoughts are with the poor Lemon Tree staff who have lost their jobs just before Christmas.

I have a fiver too :-) and perhaps we can help the Lemon Tree staff with Christmas contributions such as cuddly toys and socks? ?(

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The real downer here is that Aberdeen is going to miss out on a whole raft of artists who are too small for The Music Hall but too big for The Tunnels etc. So get set to head for Edinburgh or Glasgow to see loads of your favourite artists. :down:

i don't think so cos moshulu can have those size of gigs. i think the competition from moshulu/tunnels is one of the reasons the lemon tree is closing. i used to go to the lemon tree all the time but recently there seemed to be fewer and fewer gigs for me. it wil be a shame not having a change of venue for gigs but i'm not that surprised about the closing

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Mug for paying that kinda money? Thats how much it costs...

Once again u have opened that trap of yours without reading...i was 'whinging' about management saying that these local gigs were not profitable...

Yeah you got me though...once again...a professional venue that sends out the contract 2 days before gig an then pays out more than a month after the gig when it states in the 'PrOfEsSiOnAl' contract i would be paid in 14 days...

8-)

I can tell you now 1500+ and 2.50 per ticket was not the normal fee for venue hire in the lemon tree

you are a mug because you paid that money, you are also a mug for not bargaining. you got major lolled

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not really surprised at all. I remember a couple of years ago when they had that problem with a certain manager. . . They found around 50,000 worth of uncashed checks in the former manager's desk drawer.

I also remember being told that they were paying 100 to 200 to bands for playing lunch time gigs, when the place was empty? Whats that about? Last time i played in front of around 250 people at the wishbone ash gig and only got 50. Only 40 after they charged us to use their amps - we had to as the gig was only confirmed literally two days before.

So yeah, i'd put it down to shite management.

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Gutted about this news. I started going to the Lemon Tree when the Aberdeen Music scene was really exciting and the big bangs were being held at the Lemon Tree with the likes of The Dawntreaders, The Lorelei, Tinderbox, Atom Flask, Sunfish etc etc all playing. Have seen some excellent touring bands there, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Sigur Ros, NME Brat Bus tour, Fugazi and been to some great club nights, Juice and Lowlife.

I have loved playing at the Lemon Tree in the past and Darth Elvis gig at Elvisness this year was probably one of the most fun gigs I've ever played.

I hope someone takes over the venue so it can remain a vital part of the local music scene and wish the best of luck to the staff!

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i don't think so cos moshulu can have those size of gigs. i think the competition from moshulu/tunnels is one of the reasons the lemon tree is closing. i used to go to the lemon tree all the time but recently there seemed to be fewer and fewer gigs for me. it wil be a shame not having a change of venue for gigs but i'm not that surprised about the closing

With respect to Moshulu, I really don't think it's appropriate for a lot of the type of artists that the Lemon Tree used to attract, ie folky/jazzy/country stuff. Stuff for "older" audiences.

Moshulu's fine for a rock audience, but I can't imagine 40 and 50 somethings going there to see, oh I dunno, Ralph McTell or somebody like that, at least not in it's present state. That said, now there's a gap in the market it's perhaps an opportunity for Moshulu to step in if it can tidy itself up a bit?

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Yeah the lunchtime gigs were weird. We played to about 15 folk eating lunch who left about halfway through. Felt really bad hitting the distortion pedal, felt like we were ruining their lunch haha. So yeah, dead gig, free to get in, we got 150. It never made sense.

thursday & friday lunchtime events were sponsored by 3rd parties

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[delurking]

Damn, that's harsh timing.

Whatever your opinions on the LT, the strength of feeling here sure does show how important its potential was to all of us. It's the willingness to take long views and short risks in programming that made the place so successful for so long, and long may that outlook continue in whoever fills the gig gaps.

Along with whichever twiglet-haired jangle merchant from Loreleiland posted upthread, I was at the opening gig too, and managed to work there for over 10 years (can you say Cherry 2000?). It was the most amazing place to be, and all the arguments here about business profit / subsidy / competing with other venues are thrashed out for great reason, precisely cos the place the LT occupied was one of injecting public money and talented people into an arts market that crossed all the boundaries traditionally dividing audiences of different genres, hopefully to create something that gave everyone more than they bargained for (sometimes even in a good way ;) ) It was a real privilege being there at a time when this seemed to be working (no idea about recent years, left the LT 6 yrs ago or so and Aberdeen 2yrs).

All that's just my opinion of course, I was never party to any of that stuff, you just couldn't spend time there without soaking up the love...

My point I guess is we shouldn't loose focus on how Aberdeen, or any city, can benefit from this kind of outlook. And equally, take em to task over it mercilessly ;)

Sic Transit Gloria Tuesday, I guess...

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The Lemon Tree was so much CLEANER than Moshulu! :(

Yeah, they were both pretty much the same size, but The Lemon Tree was just so much nicer.

I do agree with the lack-of-promotion comments; the majority of gigs I went to in there I didn't see a poster for said event 'til I was actually there.

Here's hoping it picks itself up again, or someone else picks it up and makes it even more successful gig-wise.

I don't want to see Fopp AND The Lemon Tree both go in the space of a year. :(

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Have to admit, the last few things I've been to see at the 'Tree haven't been as well attended as I would have expected - The Research gig for one. I have a feeling promotion may have a stake in it, I didn't even know the above gig was on if it weren't for word of mouth 2 days beforehand.

I will be very sad to see it close its doors :( and I hope if it gets bought over that whoever takes it on does a decent job at it.

(And where the hell will the FMAs go for 2008? ;))

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