Levellers
Mark Chadwick is looking a bit more rounded these days but is still in impeccable voice ably supported on vocal duties by the boiler suited Dan Donnelly.
Colchester duo, The Meffs start the proceedings this evening and they don’t hold back, they come out full throttle, with all of their guns fully blazing and they have already got many in the room on their side even before the first chord and drum beats are struck and judging by the amount of (The Meffs) t shirts being worn they already have many admirers in the house and it’s not too difficult to see why as they soon whip the atmosphere up, with many of the audience nodding, jigging and singing along in full approval. They don’t half knock out a tune between them, with Lily Hopkins (guitar) and Lewis Copsey on drums. Their songs are in the main three-minute wonders, with an odd two-minute song thrown in for good measure. It’s a blistering set, bringing comparisons in my head to The Undertones and Royal Blood, with their frenzied fuzz pop electric guitar and fierce drumbeats, both of them are belting it out in equal measures. They also find time to cover both the X Ray Spex track, Identity (it sounds quite magnificent) and also The Prodigy’s, Breathe.
Fair play to them both, they have certainly woken those of us up that have been hard at it this week and judging by this performance alone, they will do well in their musical careers.
Levellers open up with The Fear and it’s a blistering start to their set with the pre-gig voice over proclaiming that confidence is high and indeed it is. It has it (confidence) written all over the entire show from start to finish, with one belter after another pumping out of the amps. It’s already a rip-roaring show, but will they keep it up.
Hope St is up next, and everyone is having an absolute blast.
Fifteen Years, Battle Of The Beanfield, The Game, The Road, The Boatman, Liberty Song, One Way and Far From Home all fill the evening air with much drama and great excitement as the banging tunes just keep on coming. One Way, almost see’s the roof lift off the LCR such is the atmosphere in here just now.
Mark Chadwick is looking a bit more rounded these days but is still in impeccable voice ably supported on vocal duties by the boiler suited Dan Donnelly. Let me tell you this, it is extremely warm in here tonight and I am in my shorts, I hate to think of just how hot it is inside that outfit!
Jeremy Cunningham (bass) is as amusing to watch as ever and clearly having as good a time as we are, Jon Sevink’s unmistakable fiddle playing skills add something quite amazing to the band’s sounds, he has unique skills and qualities and its quite remarkable to both listen too and watch him at the same time. He is the Levellers sound; the man has his trademark stamp written all over it.
The madness goes up a great big notch as The Boatman’s reprise kicks in with the crazy Benny Wain entering the fray with his fluorescent hair and multi coloured didgeridoo, it’s all a bit barkingly mad and crazy, but at the same time is a brilliant spectacle, musically and visually (I’ll have whatever he’s been drinking!).
With all of the various conflicts going on around the planet, Another Man’s Cause is still a poignant reminder of the damage that wars do to so many people, some thirty-four years after its initial release and forty-four years after the war that it’s written about raged on in the Falklands.
Levellers are a truly fantastic live band, it’s been a tremendous show that would’ve easily of scored them a nine out of ten, but a mark has to be deducted due to the behaviour of some of their fans, who seem to think it’s absolutely fine to treat fellow gig goers with utter contempt, aggressively pushing and shoving others around in their attempt to have what they deem to be a good time. People of a certain age, really do need to learn to show some respect and at the same time, could do with bloody well growing up!
They close the show with The Riverflow, and I am out of there faster than Linford Christie at his peak as it draws to its close, before I get another elbow in my back for good measure.
As a band, there are not many, better bands around that are still original in more ways than one after four decades.
