Midnight & the Lemon Boys
Midnight & The Lemon Boys
Marcus Myers • vocals, rhythm guitar
Chris Anderson • bass
Mrs Hoggins • drums
Nick Sayer • guitar
Hi there, this is Marcus, the former lead singer of Midnight and the Lemon Boys and the Kemptown Rockers.
I must say, my eyes got slightly misted up reading about all the different bands at that time, and remembering the faces and places. It all seems so long ago! I still have strong memories of drinking Snakebite in the back bar of the Windsor, buying ‘Specky Blues’ five for a quid, and pogoing to just about anybody at the Vault, Alhambra, Art College Basement etc.
The Lemon Boys were formed in 78 by Nick Sayer (Sago) formerly of Fan Club with Oggs on drums, Chris Anderson on bass and me on vocals and rhythm guitar. We did seem to get a bit of a buzz going and did a fair amount of touring supporting U2, the Photos and the Lambrettas to name a few.
Unfortunately for us, we were never signed and so as far as I know, never actually commited anything to vinyl. However, our then manager Simon Watson (Watto) was known to be a bit of a hoarder and I’m pretty sure he has some kind of archive of photos, demos etc. If you’re out there mate, please get in touch!
Nick had a bad back injury in 1980, so for a year we carried on with the late Tony Maybury on guitar. I’ve only just found out about his death. My memories of him are of a very sweet, quiet bloke who was very easy to be around, who always looked ‘cool’, played an equally cool Rickenbacker guitar, and always seemed to have loads of birds after him.
The band eventually ground to a halt early in 81. Oggs went off to be a full time drummer with the Test Tube Babies, and after a two year gap, Nick formed Transvision Vamp with Wendy James and made a few bob.
I lost contact with Chris, so I’m not sure what he’s been up to. I moved to London and formed Brilliant With Youth, then another band called Hard Rain.
I then played in the Test Tubes for three years as Marcus Mystery before joining Then Jerico for a while. After a few failed projects, I eventually started to do a lot of session work, doing guitar and vocals for various people such as Alisha’s Attic and Belinda Carlisle.
A couple of years ago I moved to southern Spain with my wife. We now live in a small mountain pueblo but I’m still doing gigs in mad little places around Andalucia. If I do get my hands on any info or photos regarding the Lemon Boys or anybody else, I’ll try to forward them.
I hope this has not been too much of a waffle, and I’d just like to say hi to anyone who remembers me!
Love Marcus xx
P.S. Am I right in thinking you were briefly in the Kemptown Rockers, Blotto? Or was I just pissed that afternoon!
February 23, 2012 - 7:11 pm
Hi.
This message is for Marcus. Are you really from Midnight and the Lemon Boys? I am a writer. My first novel, Sister Safety Pin, is about lesbian punks in America. I am now finishing my second novel which takes place in America and England. I saw Midnight and the Lemon Boys when I was at Exeter University in 1980-81 and I have never forgotten you. I was just now writing about Midnight and the Lemon Boys (because I loved that band and wanted it mentioned in the novel). Imagine how thrilled I was to find you online and even get a few tracks! I still have my Midnight and the Lemon Boys badge. If you remember anything or have anything from the gig you played in Exeter (1980-81), could you please get in touch with me? Even if you only remember the exact location and date. I would love to put more information in my novel because I have fond memories of you. Do you have any photos?
Thank you for your time. I really hope I hear from you.
Best wishes,
Lorrie
December 27, 2012 - 3:09 pm
Hi Marcus,
you won’t remember me , but i used to be around brighton and was number 1 midnight and the lemon boys groupie. plyed with tony and marcus for a while and mr cresswell et al.
anyway had my 50th birthday the other night and we played ‘walking back to my place’!. bloody marvelous it was… hope you are well,
david.
February 18, 2013 - 12:08 pm
Hi David,
Sorry I´ve taken so long to get back to you. Thanks for getting in touch. I´m afraid my memory of that period in Brighton is slightly foggy to say the least, partly due to the excesses of youth and also the many intervening years! However I remember the Lemon Boys as being a truly exciting time, playing on tour with U2 and various other gigs around the country. It was a great shame to hear that Tony passed away a few years ago, he was truly a lovely bloke, and Mr Cresswell went on to do quite well for himself didnt he!
Walking Back To My Place was always one of my favourite songs. I wrote the music and Nick Sayer wrote the lyrics…I think he must have been a bit pissed off at the time! I´m still proud of the solo at the end.
Happy 50th by the way, I´m also 50 now, scary isnt it!
Do you still play? Keep in touch. Marcus
June 28, 2013 - 3:31 pm
Marcus. Me and a friend saw you support U2 at the marquee in 79 I reckon. Just wondered if you were able to remember why you might have started the set with the pronouncement that ‘I love taking drugs!’ Certainly stayed with me and my friend! Not doubting the integrity, but was this your standard intro?
All the best Jon
July 5, 2013 - 12:20 pm
Hi Jon, thanks for getting in touch. “I love taking drugs” was the first line of a song called “Strange Love” written by me and the guitarist Nick Sayer. Although I did dabble with a few joints at that time, I was only 17 and much prefered a pint to be honest! The lyrics were mainly written by Nick and I have no idea why he would want me to sing that line other than it seemed to grab the audience when we started the song with it! We were both into the “Only Ones” and “The Vevet Underground” at the time, so that might have helped. So there you are, a bit of lyrical attention grabbing I reckon, but in your case it seems to have lodged in your memory, so it worked. I hope it didnt encourage you to do anything too illegal!!
All the best, Marcus
May 29, 2014 - 10:28 pm
How brilliant is google! Remember you and your band – saw you more than once at the rock garden, covent garden – made quite an impression on me and probably my slightly dubious friends. Sounds like life’s good with you – well deserved – happy memories indeed. Thank you. Great band. Great songs.
January 9, 2015 - 9:45 pm
Hi All,
I am working on a web site about U2’s early days, I will be adding the “Boy” tour shortly. If anyone has memories of that tour with Midnight & The Lemon Boys I would be greatfull for any memories of those gigs.
http://www.u2theearlydayz.com
All the best Jeff
March 6, 2015 - 6:54 pm
Hi Jeff, Yes I have lots of memories of that time….. I will send you an email when I´ve got a bit of time to write it all down…..I was 17 at the time, very exciting times, when anything seemed possible………….
February 19, 2015 - 10:56 pm
Hi Marcus
Do you remember me and my then girlfriend sponging a lift in the band’s van from the Marquee dropping us off in Putney after the Marquee gigs?
I also saw you guys at the 101 club.
What a great band you guys were, shame there are no recordings.
March 6, 2015 - 6:52 pm
Hi Laval, it was such a long time ago,its all a bit of a blur now! We do have an album to download on Amazon, Called imaginatively “Diamonds the album” . We had to change the name to “Hard Rain London”, as London records signed up another band with the same name 2 years later……..Glad you liked the band, great times at the Marquee!
December 17, 2015 - 11:50 am
Hey Marcus. i was in a band with Nick, Hoggs and Chris in 78 called ‘The Accents’. Shit name, we made it up in a hurry. We used to practice in the vaults. The 3 of them were great, I was the singer and kinda plucky. but then we got a sax player who sang as well and he was kinda jazz/soul which I wasn’t into at all and it changed the whole sound of the band. We only did about 10 gigs and the last one I got totally drunk because I had lost belief in the music and was lying on the floor laughing at the sax player and messing about. With the owner of the Alhambra shouting ‘who’s that girl?, who’s that girl with the Accents? – she’s Banned!’ And that was the end of that. Sorry Chris Hoggs and Nick if you read this!! Oh actually the last drummer we had was Bernie – the rockabilly who went onto ‘Smeggy and the Cheesybits’. we were all just having a laugh really (well not all because obviously some of them went onto much better things.) Funny to hear you are down in South Spain now……..me too!! With my sister Leoni from the Molestors! Do you remember them? All the best.
October 26, 2018 - 5:46 pm
Hi Kirsty
I never knew of The Accents. Do you have any demo or live recordings, or photos?
Thanks
June 28, 2019 - 11:48 am
Hi Kirsty, Marcus here…sorry its taken so long to get back to you! Yes I remember you and your sister well, although I don’t remember Ogs and Nick playing with you, but then again it was so long ago….
They were exciting times…with fond memories of The Alhambra and The Windsor pub and all the other watering holes! Did Chris Anderson play sax with you?
Everything was a bit alcohol and speed driven back then, which is probably why my memories are a little hazy..
The Lemonboys did a reunion gig at The Albert in Brighton recently, and it was great to catch up with a few of the old crowd. When I say reunion, it was only me and Ogs from the original band as Chris Anderson was sadly recovering from illness, and Nick Sayer has gone awol….apparantly he lives in Brighton, but has gone a bit Syd Barret and doesn’t keep in touch with anyone…
Yes I live out in the south of Spain now near Ronda in Malaga province… are you anywhere close?
Anyway, lovely to receive your message, and good to hear you are well..
Marcus xx
May 24, 2016 - 9:36 am
Happy days.
Was at the gig at Jenki nsons with U2 and thought you were better.
The joy of youth!!!
August 13, 2018 - 4:51 pm
Hi Phil
Do you by chance still have the poster or ticket stub for that gig, I would love to post them if you do? My web site is about U2’s early gigs, and the other bands in Ireland at that time. Any memories of that gig would be more than welcome.
Jeff
August 29, 2018 - 11:41 am
HI PHIL, Ian Wilson from Wasted Talent who represented my band (midnight and the lemon boys) and early U2 is writing a book about those days.Ive recently done an interview with him about those first tours we did supporting U2, all over the UK. Its going to be a great book!
August 14, 2020 - 12:41 pm
Thanks! We were! A lot of good that did us!! Hahaha
October 26, 2018 - 5:45 pm
Is it possible to get hold of any audio recordings or demos of live or studio tracks if Midnight and the Lemon Boys? Also of The Kemptown Rockers that u, Marcus, were in with Nick too?
Also do u have any pictures of The Kemptown Rockers?
Thanks
January 2, 2019 - 3:12 pm
If you check out the website “Punk Brighton” They have a whole section on the Lemonboys,lots of live recordings to download. I haven’t found any photos of the Kemptown Rockers yet, they must be out there!
June 28, 2019 - 11:24 am
We now have a FB page of Midnight & the Lemonboys…… hopefully we´ll get more stuff on there. We do have music, recorded live. For some unknown reason towards the end, Nick decided to change or name to “Jewels Shine Darkly” I think it lasted a few weeks!
April 9, 2020 - 10:27 pm
Hi Marcus, oh my goodness you were the empitamy of cool back in 1980. I was at the art school in Brighton and midnight and the lemon boys were the main band to follow. I was just thinking about Chris Anderson today and so looked you all up on line.his brother Mark used to be at the art school too.I managed a local band called some of the desert and one of our greatest hits was supporting you guys…the crowd were a lot bigger than we normally had.so brilliant to read about you and this brings back so very hazy happy memories.stay safe in Spain in these troubled times and best wishes to you
Yours Rachel Heady
March 5, 2022 - 11:00 pm
I remember the Lemon Boys well Marcus. Some great gigs with a fantastic atmosphere, I Love Taking Drugs was a fabulously decadent song (maybe inspired by the “speccy blues” I sold you). I lived in Silwood Terrace in the room below Nick. 😀
April 15, 2022 - 2:48 pm
Ha nice one Graeme…speccy blues were great! The song you refer to was actually called Strange Love, and the lyrics were written by Nick.
He had a weird fascination with heroin, although I´m pretty sure he never took it!…We were fairly clean living, just the occasional pill and spliff, but quite large amounts of alcohol!…Young and innocent!