Taking It To Another Level(ler)...

(art by Giddy!)

One of the most underrated, unheralded bands of the UK has to be the folk-punk rockers known as the Levellers.

There seems to be a slight undercurrent of embarrassment to people admitting they liked this band, which dissipates once they have seen the band play live.

I have been following this band since I was twelve; through my early to mid teens I would follow them up and down the country, and got involved with the socialist and green movement issues that the band spoke out about: The Criminal Justice Act, which would have taken away any youth freedom, hunt sabotage, anti-animal circus protest, and of course the freedom to travel, and be who you want to be - enjoying the green and pleasant land that our country hosts.

Taking their name from the rebels of the time of Oliver Cromwell, which was very fitting at the time when we saw the rise of this band - and yet again today - the Levellers' most classic songs seem to be part and parcel of the UK's anti-establishment, which since the Tory takeover last year, is once again more of a current affair than in times past.

The band formed in 1988 and soon released their first EP, on their own Hag label; Carry Me. This contained fan favourite England My Home. From the word go, the band's strong communist approach ran through the EPs and albums beginning with the debut album, Weapon Called The Word, even though there was a more indie appeal, and vibe, to the music.

In 1990 the band released their most influential and best-known album, Levelling The Land, wherein  they found their feet and became more of a "Sex Pistols with a fiddle player" type.

Levelling the Land had a well-rounded sound; tracks such as Liberty Song and Battle of the Beanfield (about the 1985 police repression against the Peace Convoy, which was attempting to set up the fourteenth Stonehenge free festival), folk ballads The Boatman and The Road and folk-rock crossover tracks like The Riverflow and Another Man's Cause.

The band also landed a U.S. deal with Electra, although they failed to make much impression in the USA; a disastrous tour of the USA in the early nineties left the band disillusioned with America.

My own opinion on this: it's where we can see the difference in free speech, and in living, from our Trans-Atlantic cousins. The Levellers were touching on points which would fail to make any kind of impact in the States, as making a anti-politcal stand within such a huge country which houses so many  different cultures and lifestyles within its land that differs from state to state? At this time The Levs might as well have been talking a different language.

 1992: the band enjoyed a series of successful tours, particularly their debut on one of the main stages of the Glastonbury Festival (although they'd played the travellers' area previously). This secured their place on the large Pyramid Stage for their famous 1994 set (despite jokingly calling Glastonbury owner Michael Eavis a "cunt" over the PA system when they heard he didn't like swearing).  Naughty boys!!

The band finally scored a chart hit with the 15 Years EP, a track which was added to later repressings of Levelling the Land due to its popularity.

1993 was thought to be a bad year for the band.  Jeremy the bassist and song writer, was becoming dependent on heroin, having first taken the drug as an alternative to his growing alcoholism. The creative process was not particularly enjoyable for any of the band who were drifting apart as friends and commuting to the recording studio to lay down the tracks for the album.

The generally gloomy atmosphere that surrounded the band is reflected in the darker tone of the resulting eponymous album (Levellers). Despite the band's dislike of the album, it was a huge hit reaching #2 in the album charts. It also contained This Garden, which has since come to be known as the band's signature song, and peaked at #12 on the UK Singles Chart.  In fact, Levellers contains a number of songs that have stood the test of time, with the negativity felt by the band giving an appropriate emotional tone to the aggressive 100 Years of Solitude (which manages to namecheck just about everything the Levellers considered wrong with the world, from Exxon to the NME), and the melancholy of Julie (which Jeremy wrote about the experiences of a heroin addicted girl).

In 1994 the band purchased a derelict factory in Brighton, the "Metway", and created a self contained headquarters; Hope Street, the lead single from the new album, was the first product to come out of Metway.

The album, Zeitgeist, was released in September 1995, and following that success, Hope Street should have made an appearance on Top Of The Pops; instead the band played the tongue-in-cheek drinking anthem Just The One whilst dressed in tuxedos. Just The One was specially re-recorded for the single release, with legendary Clash frontman Joe Strummer guest-starring on honky tonk piano.

The band returned to the studio in late 1996 and in early '97, we saw the release of the album Mouth To Mouth.

Their first gigs in several months coincided with the Labour Party/Tony Blair's landslide General Election victory on May 1, 1997 (Manchester Academy, and a second show at London's Brixton Academy the following night).

These gigs previewed several new songs, including the particularly catchy What A Beautiful Day.

This glorious, instantly recognisable slice of pop-rock has since become a firm live favourite, reaching out far beyond the Levellers' traditional fanbase.

It became the first single release from Mouth To Mouth and reached #13 on the UK chart.

Summer 1997 saw the band play at various festivals in the UK and Europe including a return to Glastonbury Festival, playing an afternoon slot on the Pyramid Stage.

The album had several singles: Celebrate, Dog Train and Too Real (the accompanying promo video of which was directed by cult UK movie director Alex Cox.)

1999 came and went for the band… this was essentially a year-off.

During this time there was a significant change at their record company, as China Records was bought by major label Warner Brothers. Eventually work began on a new studio album, Hello Pig.

The band drafted in Mark Wallis who had worked with Oasis amongst others, to produce the record. This was an obvious change in direction, and the resulting work confirmed this to listening ears.

Happy Birthday Revolution was released as a single, reaching #57 in the charts.

It received possibly the best critical acclaim the band had yet received; however the band's fans didn't particularly like the change in direction. With the relative commercial failure of Hello Pig, both the band and the record company had their excuses to sever their relationship. By mutual agreement, the Levellers and Warner Brothers parted company.

Despite the downturn in record sales, in the live arena the Levellers continued with aplomb.

This included a return to the United States, albeit as a stripped down version featuring only Mark Chadwick, Simon Friend and Jon Sevink playing acoustic shows in February 2001, with the same trio returning to play a lengthier tour in June the same year.

In early 2002 focus returned once again to making new music, with Al Scott returning as producer. After the recording was completed, the band played a short UK tour of smaller venues to preview the new songs, and they were well received by the fans and heralded as a "return to form". Meanwhile, after contemplating releasing the new material on their own Hag label, the band eventually signed a new deal with Eagle Records.

The Come On single preceded the album and just failed to make the UK Top Forty.

Green Blade Rising (originally a title of one of the Levellers' earliest songs) was released in September 2002 and also failed to reach the UK Top Forty Albums.

So once again, the Levellers returned to what they knew best, and went on tour!

Meanwhile, the band, growing weary of the ever more commercial UK festival scene, decided to put on a festival of their own. This would be a return - as far as UK legislation would allow - to the festivals of days gone by which the young Levellers had enjoyed, such as the legendary Elephant Fayre. Green Blade Fayre was the title of the first attempt, and was to be held at Bicton Park, East Devon, England in August 2002. Despite the backing of the necessary authorities, an organised local population managed to persuade the local council (East Devon) to reject the licence application.

In 2003 the Levellers created their own Beautiful Days Festival. The festival is an annual event, taking place each August at Escot Park, near Fairmile in Devon.

Released in May 2005, Truth And Lies is the Levellers' latest record. Mark Wallis returned as producer, with Dave Ruffy, drummer with UK punk band, The Ruts, also contributing at the controls. The album, released on Eagle Records, catches the band in an upbeat mood, highlighted by the first single Make You Happy.  A second single, Last Man Alive, was also released. Following the previous year's acoustic live work, 2005 saw the band tour the UK and Europe as a full electric band once again, continuing through 2006.

They remain supporters of anarchist and green issues. They are strong supporters of the Brighton music scene giving local, young and upcoming bands use of their Metway studio and rehearsal facilities. This has led to a compilation CD and radio shows, Metway Sessions. Bands such as Clearlake and The Mutts have also been given support act slots on Levellers' tours.

Their fan base runs strong; they are loyal, opinionated and enjoy the good times with fellow fans and the band themselves: no pretense, no falseness, just straight up rock n’ roll, to be enjoyed by all ages.

If you get the chance to visit beautiful days next year! do so!! the best family festival you'll ever find in 2012!!

The Levellers are:


Mark Chadwick (vocals, guitar, harmonica)

Simon Friend (1990 to present: guitar, banjo, vocals, mandolin, harmonica)

Jeremy (Jez) Cunningham (bass guitar, vocals)

Charlie Heather (drums)

Jon Sevink (fiddle)

Matt Savage (2002 to present: keyboards, backing vocals)

Sometimes supported by Stephen Boakes (didgeridoo).