The Lemonheads | The Bevis Frond
Electrical Ballroom, Camden
twenty seventh August 2025
The primary of two nights on the Electrical Ballroom for The Lemonheads on their Come On Really feel The Deep Finish tour options flashes of brilliance, glimmers of mayhem.
It’s a disgrace about… artwork. Typically. It’s a subjective factor. A go to to the Nationwide Portrait Gallery earlier immediately stirred a well-known puzzlement — genius artwork for one particular person might be only a huge frown for one more. Completely different views. Makes life extra attention-grabbing. The identical might be mentioned of tonight’s set by The Lemonheads; for some, as one particular person mentioned afterwards, Evan Dando is a genius and “only a actually eccentric performer”, for others, together with his well-documented historical past, any sniff of the erratic generally is a fear.
Earlier than the eagerly anticipated arrival of The Lemonheads comes help within the type of psychedelic indie rock band The Bevis Frond, shaped round 40 years in the past in Walthamstow. It’s a strong and unpretentious set delivered to a out of the blue heaving room. Singer Nick Saloman is instantly likeable, clearly humble and genuinely delighted to be again in Camden, near the place he used to run a document retailer. It’s a no frills method — pleasant between-songs chatter: “I’d higher put me glasses again on…” — and completely executed laid again rock songs with a powerful ‘60s psychedelic really feel.
Saloman’s abilities and tunes are effectively underpinned by Louis Wigett on bass, Dave Pearce on drums, and the notable guitar abilities of Paul Simmons (particularly on Pale Blue Blood), delivering a brief set of six or seven songs with touches of Eagles, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd right here and there. A kind of glorious units, the place you instantly hearken to all of the songs once more whenever you get residence, questioning why you’ve not listened extra. The standout is He’d Be A Diamond, lined by quite a few artists together with Teenage Fanclub – however each track is nice.
There’s a way of chaos because the habitually unkempt Evan Dando arrives on stage, intentionally scattering the contents of his bag throughout the stage and (not for the primary time tonight) fumbling round a bit, earlier than placing a coat on. It’s the start of a set of contrasts — the place throughout breaks between songs chaos appears to reign, however as quickly as he begins singing and enjoying once more, he appears anchored and calm. The immediately recognisable, lately barely extra raspy, voice continues to be wealthy, and the much-loved Lemonheads sound is strong. It onerous to inform if the moments of rambling and, typically, incoherence (even he admits “You by no means know what you’re going to get” and “I’m attempting to get by this”) are all a part of his artwork or whether or not one thing is genuinely amiss. However within the second, when he’s strumming and singing, he will get visibly transported and the songs shimmer out of him.
Stability is introduced by the rhythm part, largely undaunted by Dando’s antics, the riffs and licks supporting the intelligent lyrics coming thick and quick by the scruffy hair. The set’s divided into three distinct sections, the primary taking us straight by the Come On Really feel The Lemonheads album, with simply a few songs lacking. So many good songs on that document: Into Your Arms, Large Homosexual Coronary heart, Being Round, Paid To Smile, Relaxation Assured. Quintessential Lemonheads. There’s a small mosh on the entrance and it’s 1993 once more.
The second part is solely solo Dando. With The Jello Fund, issues take a flip for the shambolic once more, with its unstructured piano solo (Les Dawson anybody?) that on the album might have been symbolic of Dando’s drug taking or the pressures of fame, however which tonight causes some foot shuffling and uncomfortable glances. Is that this efficiency artwork or ought to we be apprehensive? Is he okay to be left alone on the stage? He reads some poetry, kicks a mic stand over, tells some barely discernible mumbled tales about David Bowie, Primal Scream, and a plumbing conference. After which, out of the chaos, we’re out of the blue spellbound with the utter attraction of Frying Pan or The Out of doors Sort, sung again phrase for phrase by a contented viewers, mesmerised as soon as once more.
The spell is damaged by Dando leaving the stage for an extended cigarette break. There’s a push for the bar, individuals are drifting. Once they come again, the third part opens with the fuzzy rawness of In The Margin and Togetherness Is All I’m After, each from the extremely anticipated Love Chant, due out in October — the primary Lemonheads studio album in 20 years. The welcome arrival of anthem It’s A Disgrace About Ray pulls focus squarely again to the stage and we’re absolutely invested once more. Anybody ready for My Drug Buddy or If I May Speak I’d Inform You is unfortunately upset. However the present ends in a ultimate flurry because the glad riffs of Confetti and Hospital wash over us, plus finale Deep Finish, the primary single from Love Chant that might simply be mistaken for early Lemonheads.
Flashes of brilliance, glimmers of mayhem. This night time of artwork, this charming shambolic expertise, regardless of the perspective, will stick with us for some time. Lodged in hearts and minds.
“If I make it by immediatelyI’ll know tomorrow, to not depart my emotions out on showI’ll put the cobwebs again in place…”
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All phrases and pictures by Naomi Dryden-Smith: Louder Than Warfare | Fb |Twitter | Instagram | portfolio
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