Aberdeen - Lemon Tree

Aberdeen Lemon Tree 1996

I’d been kinda looking forward to the Slingbacks, because their single All Pop No Star is quite glammy poptastic in it’s own way. The band announce it as the one that was on Top Of The Pops... they fail to mention it was actually TOTP2, and they only showed the video. Sadly A.P.N.S. is the only tune they hold together all night. Dull, absolutely dull. The singer sounds too much like Courtney Love, as well. Still, they seemed like nice enough people at the sound check.

When MLS take to the stage, Jake has transformed from his black leather to a sort of silver suit. Niiice! Very ABC. My Life Story, to me, sound like a ABC with the passion of Dexy’s Midnight Runners, only with more romance and personality in the lyrics. They are one of those bands you dedicate your life to. They are also one of the most stunning live bands you will see. There are few bands I’ve seen live and have had my mouth dropped wide open with astonishment. MLS are just... one of those bands. And then some.

MLS is not just Jake Shillingford and a bunch of anonymous musicians (although I never did get all their names for the interview). Jake is the front-man, sure. The singer who does the high-kicks and stares at his audience, but the rest of the band are the essence of cool... especially ‘The Crow’ (with his funny spiky hair) and the string section. Plus, the keyboard player has the most glittery shiny keyboards you’ll ever see.

Suddenly something very weird happens. During the third song the PA goes down, but the monitors are still on. All the audience are told to leave the venue cos there’s been a fire alarm. The poor band continued playing like professionals, whilst watching all their fans leave! It was quite funny really. We all had to pile outside. The Crow looked a bit bemused and amused, so when I found him standing next to me I asked him if it had happened to them before. He answered, unsurprisingly, "no!". Of course Jake just HAD to go up to the dressing room to retrieve his fur coat. We stood outside in the freezing cold for 5-10 minutes, while the band retreated to their tour bus. When we got back inside somebody shouted at them "some people will do anything to get in Melody Maker!"

The fire alarm must’ve really pissed them off, because they only played about eight songs and never did an encore. That really, really sucked and I left totally disappointed.

Motorcade (mind-blowing!!), however, is when things get really frantic, with a fan blowing the stringers’ hair everywhere. It’s the same with last song, 12 Reasons Why, only this time we are all showered with confetti. They kind of made up for the lack of songs.

Also great were Sparkle (of course!) and the new single, The King Of Kissingdom, which is a bit of a different kind of song for them because it is more ‘typical’ pop orientated and quirky, rather than the usual orchestral bombardment we’re so used to with this amazing band.

The only real disappointments were the lack of songs they played, and the lack of people who were here. I want them to come back and sell this place out, then maybe they’ll stay a bit longer. Come back, guys!

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was created by Chris and is maintained by Richard Harrison