Evan Dando, Heineken Green Energy Festival

Evan Dando loped unnoticed onstage with his guitar, and it took ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ for people to sit up and drift slowly into the former Lemonhead’s frontmans’ gentle suburban slacker tales. But there remained an uncomfortable feel amongst the Midnight at the Olympia /Bank Holiday Weekend crowd – the fully seated arrangement, with people constantly squeezing in and out of seats on the way to the bar, causing numerous

disturbances in the course of his soft acoustic set.

About halfway through the atmosphere really relaxed into what transpired to be a very good gig indeed. Evan himself loosened up via a poignant ‘Favourite T’ and the crowd got off on the major Lemonhead hits – ‘Into Your Arms’, ‘Outdoor Type’ and a vibrant ‘Big Gay Heart’ sparking a bit of grooving in the isles.

Oddly, the pleasant atmosphere was shattered at the very last minute when Evan angrily berated an audience member for some real or imagined slight – “You red-headed mother, come and see me backstage” – and from the tone of his voice it didn’t sound like a chat up line. Still, we can only be thankful no-one was silly enough to shout for ‘Mrs Robinson’.