The now annual trip to Somerset House, and this year we had the undoubted pleasure of seeing the Lemonheads play there. The day after a surprising appearance at a small festival in Suffolk, here they were to close the series of gigs. Somerset House itself was as beautiful as ever, the weather always seems to play along for the series of gigs here, making them extra specially hot summer nights. Fantastic food available inside as well, they really seem to be concentrating on doing all this properly.
The Sleepy Jackson were the support band, an Australian band with unfeasibly large and Elvis-like hair, especially on the lead singer. Their album from a couple of years ago was well-liked critically if not popularly, and hearing their set, I did indeed remember a couple of the songs from it. All very pleasant, and when combined with supporting the Lemonheads, ingredients for a very happy crowd! By the end of their set, they really had the crowd on their side, which should help sell a few more copies of their new record.
After Evan's solo spot in the middle of the set, the band returned to play 2 songs from the forthcoming Lemonheads album, due for release this autumn. The first sounded like a classic return to songwriting form, a cross between familiar Lemonheads stuff, but with some definite influence from what has happened in the 10 years since they last released an album.
Closing the set with Rudderless is never a bad way to go, and so the audience went home happy. The reviews seemed to approve of the Lemonheads, both old and new. I most certainly approved, and can't wait for the extensive touring that Evan Dando promised, to support their new album. Their new material is very long awaited indeed!
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