On the edge with The Lemonheads in Brighton

THE LEMONHEADS + BASS DRUM OF DEATH + ALEX LIPINSKI – CHALK 10.10.22

Formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986, alternative rock band The Lemonheads entered the wider public consciousness with their 1992 breakthrough album ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’. Its success was bolstered by a hit single, a brisk and punky cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic ‘Mrs Robinson’, which reached the UK Top 20 and firmly established the band amongst the post-grunge scene of the early 1990s.

A vehicle for the talents of longtime singer and songwriter Evan Dando, the lineup has been fluid and constantly changing over the years. Despite a hiatus between 1997 and 2005, there have been ten studio albums, along with various collaborations and solo projects. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their most celebrated release, the band are busy touring. We catch them at Chalk in Brighton, towards the end of the UK leg. Tonight’s show is eagerly anticipated, and long since sold out.

It’s an early start, so I need to get a shift on to catch tonight’s support acts. I’m sorry to say I miss the beginning of the set for singer-songwriter Alex Lipinski, whose stage time is 6:15pm, slightly challenging for anyone coming here from work. The large room is filling slowly as I arrive, though there are still plenty of open spaces. I rather like what I do hear. He has a sweet tone, and his songs are poignant and wistfully reflective. He accompanies himself on guitar, switching between a left-handed Telecaster and an acoustic. The final number, ‘Closing Time’ is particularly impressive, with his voice really soaring. Alex is promoting his recent album, ‘For Everything Under The Sun’, which I’d be interested to check out.

Alex Lipinski setlist:
‘Coyote’
‘Going Nowhere Fast’
‘Dandelion Blues’
‘Lonesome Train’
‘When Will I Be Home’
‘Closing Time’

alexlipinski.co.uk

Next up are Bass Drum of Death, who take the stage at 7pm. A three-piece from Oxford, Mississippi, they’ve been around since 2007 and have had some admirable success getting their energetically grungy songs placed on film, TV and video game soundtracks. A quick glance on Spotify confirms that ‘Crawling After You’, which featured on ‘Grand Theft Auto V’, has clocked a creditable ten million plays.

House right, John Barrett is the lead vocalist, shaking a shock of curly hair. He plays a fancy looking blue guitar, a vintage Greco, and seems to have his signal split between a Fender combo and a Bassman stack, giving him an absolutely massive sound. House left is John’s brother Jim, thrashing a Jazzmaster guitar and providing some impressive backing vocals, augmented with a bit of processing. Centre stage, drummer Ian Kirkpatrick is getting a vigorous workout thundering around the kit. First number ‘I Wanna Be Forgotten’ opens with a particularly lengthy and determined snare roll.

It’s lively stuff, as you might expect, although there are some surprisingly poppy melodies in amongst the fuzzy guitars. I’m impressed by the big riffing and insistent beat of ‘Left For Dead’, and Jim turns in a stunningly effective backing vocal on the recent single ‘Say Your Prayers’, aided and abetted by the electronic harmonies in the magic box at his feet. They close with ‘Crawling After You’, which sounds exactly like you’d imagine for the soundtrack of a high-adrenaline video game. If this is your sort of thing, Bass Drum of Death have a new album due out in 2023, and an extensive back catalogue to explore in the meantime.

Bass Drum of Death:
John Barrett – vocals, guitar
Jim Barrett – guitar, backing vocals
Ian Kirkpatrick – drums

Bass Drum of Death setlist:
‘I Wanna Be Forgotten’ (from ‘Bass Drum of Death’ 2013)
‘Nerve Jamming’ (from ‘GB City’ 2011)
‘Just Business’ (from ‘Just Business’ 2018)
‘Velvet Itch’ (from ‘GB City’ 2011)
‘Head Change’ (unreleased, from forthcoming album ‘Say I Won’t’)
‘Left For Dead’ (from ‘Rip This’ 2014)
‘Say Your Prayers’ (single, 2022)
‘Shattered Me’ (from ‘Bass Drum of Death’ 2013)
‘Lose My Mind’ (from ‘Rip This’ 2014)
‘Get Found’ (from ‘GB City’ 2011)
‘Crawling After You’ (from ‘Bass Drum of Death’ 2013)

www.bassdrumofdeath.com

It’s approaching the 8pm stage time for the main act of this evening, The Lemonheads. I’m in my customary spot, leaning on the barrier at the front, and it has suddenly become a lot more crowded. The people around me are clearly devoted fans, and are very excited indeed. From reports of previous shows on the tour, we can expect a solo acoustic set from Evan Dando first, and sure enough he appears, toting a Gibson acoustic, to wild applause.

My first impression is that our hero is somewhat disinhibited tonight, to say the least. Something of a pin-up back in the day, he looks wild and dishevelled, and is clad in a not particularly flattering blue smock dress adorned with a floral decorative trim. Worryingly crazy eyes stare through the long, shampoo-averse hair plastered over his face. He seems in an exuberant mood though, singing along theatrically to the intro music, Ella Fitzgerald’s recording of Cole Porter’s ‘Miss Otis Regrets’.

The solo set starts promisingly, with the amusing lyric of ‘The Outdoor Type’ and the excellent ‘Hard Drive’ from the 2003 solo album ‘Baby I’m Bored’. It’s almost as though Evan has got bored playing it though, as it breaks down untidily, segueing to a few bars of Penetration’s ‘Don’t Dictate’. Maybe someone has reminded him that with the looming 10pm curfew he needs to hurry up, as ‘Being Around’ is performed at a wildly varied tempo with some comically fast strumming. He’s clearly in the mood for mischief, shaking his head in an exaggerated way so as to be singing away from the microphone during an otherwise well-executed cover of Richard Thompson’s ‘Dimming Of The Day’. This disregard for conventional mic technique must be frustrating for the audience further back, and it flares up again during ‘Favorite T’. Where I’m standing everyone is singing along anyway, though they need to be on their toes as Evan throws in a random acapella burst of The Smiths’ ‘This Charming Man’ for good measure.

A few more covers complete this section of the show, its conclusion announced with a big strum out by Evan and a rather impressive forward roll across the stage, thankfully completed without accident or injury. He switches to a venerably road-worn double cutaway Les Paul Junior, and is joined onstage by Farley Glavin, slinging a red Jaguar bass, and drummer Mikey Jones. Together they commence a playthrough of the classic ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ album, in order, much to the delight of the crowd.

It starts well, with the addition of the band imposing a bit more structure to proceedings. Bassist Farley looks serious and focused, the Donald Ross Skinner to Evan’s Julian Cope. Mikey, in recent years also the drummer for Swervedriver, is fluid and powerful around the kit. It’s hard not to be moved by the languid melancholy of the album’s title track, which must be an all-time classic of the indie and alternative canon. ‘My Drug Buddy’ has a similar vibe, though a particularly loose attempt at a guitar solo did detract slightly from its beauty.

Evan addresses his audience between songs in an indistinct mumble. It’s probably as well, as he’s having a rant about Paul Simon in what sounds like rather uncomplimentary terms. I’m not sure what his beef is with the writer of the song that made The Lemonheads famous, although I remember at the time that Evan was miffed about the record company including ‘Mrs Robinson’ on subsequent re-pressings of the album. Evan’s happy to acknowledge Paul Simon’s work though, and gives us a quick burst of ‘April Come She Will’ by way of balance.

The highlight of the second half of the album comes with the big barre chords of the excellent ‘Alison’s Starting To Happen’. At its conclusion, some of the people around me are screaming for it to be played it again, but we move on down the track list. By the end of ‘Kitchen’, Evan seems to have got bored and wants to go off-piste again, much to the alarm of his bandmates. They leave him to it, and we get solo extracts from The Sex Pistols’ ‘Pretty Vacant’ and Johnny Thunders’ ‘One Track Mind’. We’re back on course with a lively rendition of ‘Ceiling Fan In My Spoon’, and the band leaves the stage briefly while Evan conducts a crowd singalong of ‘Frank Mills’, a cover from the musical ‘Hair’ that concludes the album.

One of the crowd has spotted me taking notes, and suspecting I’m a writer, is keen to convey his enthusiasm for the experience.
“This is freedom. You don’t see this anymore. You’ve got to herald this. It’s on the edge and beyond the edge.” At this point Evan is behind the drum kit, accompanying himself on a solo rendition of The Eagles’ ‘Lyin’ Eyes’.

The band returns, augmented by the addition of Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond) on a stunningly retro Burns Flyte guitar, shaped like a rocket. His amp rig features two Carlsboro Stingray heads, which make me feel very nostalgic indeed, and it quickly becomes apparent that he is an awesomely talented player. He completes three numbers as a special guest, including two covers of songs by The Bevis Frond, which I really enjoy. Leaving to warm applause, he receives a glowing tribute from Evan, describing him as having “…defined the late 80s psychedelic movement of England”.

Moving on as a three-piece again, Evan seems agitated during ‘Hospital’. He’s lost his guitar pick, and doesn’t seem to notice a whole row of them in a holder on his mic stand. A friend watching from the photographers’ pit directs him to it, and as a reward gets to strum the strings while Evan fingers the chords. There’s some vigorously applied wah wah on ‘Break Me’, whose title seems prescient. There’s a problem with the equipment, and Evan is quickly overtaken by what I imagine to be a mixture of paranoia and frustration, bizarrely thrashing his unplugged (and still live) lead against the stage and the kick drum head. There’s a buzzy hiatus, with much plugging and unplugging of effects, before the now desperate frontman manages to topple a Marshall stack whilst tugging to disentangle an alternative lead. It’s all a bit of a shambles, and there’s some booing from sections of the crowd.

Having watched Evan trash all his own gear, Nick Saloman comes on and gamely offers him use of the beautiful Burns Flyte. I’m concerned whether it’ll make it through unscathed, but Evan seems to have got it back together enough to play a few more songs. There’s a tasty wah solo on ‘Style’ and a lively romp through ‘Stove’. The 10pm curfew is looming, and somehow we’ve made it to the end. By popular demand, Evan leads a crowd singalong of ‘Big Gay Heart’, then drops the mic and disappears backstage.

It’s been an interesting evening. Some people are ecstatic, and some clearly disappointed. I meet my friends on the way out, one of whom is reading out tweets from patrons who have left early, grumbling that it’s the worst gig they’ve ever seen. Free thinking visionary? Misunderstood genius? Drug casualty in-waiting? I must admit I rather enjoyed the show. In a sometimes bland world of slickly presented entertainments, it was refreshing to revisit the chaotic spirit of grunge. And what a back catalogue!

The Lemonheads:
Evan Dando – vocals, guitar
Farley Glavin bass, vocals
Mikey Jones – drums, vocals

Evan Dando acoustic set:
‘The Outdoor Type’ (Smudge cover)
‘Hard Drive’ (Evan Dando song, from ‘Baby I’m Bored’ 2003)
‘Being Around’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993)
‘Dimming Of The Day’ (Richard Thompson cover)
‘It’s About Time’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993)
‘Favorite T’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993)
‘Backstreet Girl’ (Rolling Stones cover)
‘Your Home Is Where You’re Happy’ (Willie Nelson cover, from ‘Creator’ 1988)
‘Withered And Died’ (Richard Thompson cover)

‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ set – (all from ‘It’s A Shame about Ray’ 1992)
‘Rockin’ Stroll’
‘Confetti’
‘It’s A Shame About Ray’
‘Rudderless’
‘My Drug Buddy’
‘The Turnpike Down’
‘Bit Part’
‘Alison’s Starting To Happen’
‘Hannah & Gabi’
‘Kitchen’
‘Ceiling Fan In My Spoon’
‘Frank Mills’ (cover from the musical ‘Hair’)

Full band set:
‘Old Man Blank’ (featuring Nick Saloman – The Bevis Frond cover, from ‘Varshons 2’ 2019)
‘The Great Big No’ (featuring Nick Saloman – from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993)
‘Lights Are Changing’ (featuring Nick Saloman – The Bevis Frond cover)
‘Hospital’ (from ‘Car Button Cloth’ 1996)
‘Break Me’ (from ‘Car Button Cloth’ 1996)
‘Into Your Arms’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993)
‘If I Could Talk I’d Tell You’ (from ‘Car Button Cloth’ 1996)
‘Style’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993)
‘Stove’ (from ‘Lovey’ 1990)
‘Big Gay Heart’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993)

www.thelemonheads.net