With the Lemon Tree already packed to the rafters, support act Mike Willis was met with a warm reception as he took to the stage. A singer-songwriter specialising in country/Americana, Willis had the crowd wrapped around his little finger from the off, playing songs including A Little Goes A Long Way, Never Over and She Loves Me Anyway. With calls for an encore – very rare for a support act – it seems that the Aberdeen crowd really took a shine to him, and sure enough Willis was mobbed at the merch stand as people queued to meet the man himself.
Bursting onto the stage with Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Hayseed Dixie brought a real party atmosphere to the Lemon Tree. Beginning life as a ‘hillbilly tribute to AC/DC’, the band have grown and accomplished so much more in the past decade. Throughout their two-hour set, classic tracks from across rock history were given the rockgrass treatment including Detroit Rock City, Poison, Walk This Way, War Pigs and Strawberry Fields Forever. Perhaps the biggest cheer, however, was for their amazing rendition of Queen’s seminal Bohemian Rhapsody, which they recorded last year for album Killer Grass.
No mere novelty act, Hayseed Dixie also played a smattering of their own equally brilliant, and often hilarious, tracks amongst the covers. Highlights included She Was Skinny When I Met Her, Tolerance, Moonshiner’s Daughter and I’m Keeping Your Poop, the latter prompting mass arm-and-lighter-swaying from the audience.
Guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle and acoustic bass all made an appearance underneath the band’s rich four-part harmonies, with each musician proving himself to be at the top of his game. At one point every band member had both hands on different instruments, creating a chain, and still they played on to an impeccable standard.
Closing with a rousing rendition of Highway to Hell, and returning for an epic encore of Duelling Banjos, Hayseed Dixie left the room to rapturous applause. Having appeared annually in the Granite City for the past seven or so years, the Appalachian band have gathered quite a following, and it’s easy to see why. Bringing with them a real feel-good vibe, Hayseed Dixie’s performance is all about having fun, drinking their new favourite beer – Brew Dog – and celebrating their four main influences: drinking, cheating, killing and hell!
ES
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