The Blockheads – Lemon Tree, Aberdeen

The Blockheads were in Aberdeen two years ago and put on an excellent show so expectations are high.  This time they have James Brown In Annie as support, apparently explaining the band name would take an hour, so they do not do so.  However they do entertain with a fabulous set including similarly intriguingly named songs such as Sponge, Tigers and, Shake and Vac.  Baz Gordon plays guitar and shares the vocals with Jennifer Todd.  They have a funky sound and are talented musicians, especially Rosalind Orr on saxophone.

This is a three date tour for the Blockheads, which they have called Reasons to be Cheerful: 49 Years of The Blockheads 1977-2026. A fellow audience member first saw them live in 1978 and has travelled north to be here.  To start with is a lone saxophone, before the rest of the band join Davey Payne on stage.  We are all so busy enjoying his gorgeous playing that clapping their arrival is very much an after thought.  The band line up has changed several times over the years, with the most notable difference being the lack of Ian Dury, but twenty years after his passing we accept that Mike Bennett has taken the role of lead singer for the past few years.

Their set includes many of the hits such as Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3, Billericay Dickie, What a Waste (complete with “Dad joke”) and obviously Hit Me WIth Your Rhythm Stick.  Even the BBC banned Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll makes an appearance, although now this seems quite tame compared to some of the lyrics we hear in modern day songs. As with last time we finish with the band’s self named song and Lullaby For Frances; although last time they were round the other way, finishing with the rowdy Blockheads rather than the softer lullaby.

One song sticks out as not being quite Ian Dury-esque.  Mainly as it mentions ADHD which was not really a term we used back “in his day”.  The music for Why Me? was written by Chaz Jankel so it does fit in nicely with the set, however the lyrics are by Mike Bennett and tell of his exploits living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  The video is well worth checking out as well, it is on Youtube. 

There is nothing quite like a Sunday night yelling “Oy! Oy!” in your Doc Marten boots, even if some of us are older now and like to do it in a nice seat up the back.  There were more bouncy people up front and arms thrusting in the air, but we definitely all have something to be cheerful about as we make our way home.

Reviewed on 29 March 2026 | Inage: Maria Robertson