Thirty years after touring the U.S. in support of World Without End, guitarist/songwriter David Newton of The Mighty Lemon Drops received a VHS tape in the mail. On it: professionally recorded footage from the band’s gig at at Chicago’s Cabaret Metro in May 1988.
The footage, which can be seen below, includes performances of that album’s “No Bounds” and the single “Inside Out,” which helped propel World Without End to No. 1 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart.
Newton tells Slicing Up Eyeballs that he first learned of — but did not see — the pro-shot footage during the Mighty Lemon Drops’ final U.S. tour, in 1992, with the bands Material Issue and Too Much Joy. The group’s tour manager on that run, who was from Chicago, mentioned he’d done the lights at the Lemon Drops’ Cabaret Metro show in 1988, and that he had some footage from it.
That was back in 1992, but, Newton says, he has since reconnected with the band’s old tour manager, “and, after 30 years, he recently mailed me this VHS tape. Funny old world.”
Check out that vintage footage below of the Mighty Lemon Drops at their commercial peak in the U.S.
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- Free MP3: David Newton (Mighty Lemon Drops) & Thee Mighty Angels, ‘In Love and War’
I really enjoyed this band quite a bit. I’ve always hoped some kind of reunion would happen so I could see them play live one more time.
Got the chance to see them twice (90 & 92). They were a really great live band! Too bad their success was so short lived.
“You can’t stop my heart from turning inside out.”
I saw them live in Dallas a few times, met Paul Marsh too. 88-89
They opened for Love & Rockets this show. And then, I was into the Mighty Lemon Drops.
I can’t wait to see more of this live video- I am probably in this (in the crowd) what a great night