The Levellers - Levelling the Land , (just listen to it and that's it?)

Sporky

DannyP said:

Sporky said:

I was never that keen. I thought there was one song of theirs I liked a bit but it turned out to be (IIRC) The Waterboys. 

That'll be Fisherman's Blues.

I believe you are correct.

Creed_Clicks

I see on Bandcamp they have a full live version of LTL plus extra tracks. Might check that out instead if they’re better live !

Kittyfrisk

Creed_Clicks said:

I see on Bandcamp they have a full live version of LTL plus extra tracks. Might check that out instead if they’re better live !

Good idea, but they might not necessarily be recorded better live.
You had to be there maaaaan  

Wazmeister

Gassage said:

Me, building pyramids in Tourhout Belgum, Levellers 1993.

Great reminiscing and photo mate.

DuploLicks

My group of pals had this on constantly in the early 90s along with A Weapon Called the Word. 

I listened to LTL last year and the songs are still catchy & energetic but I found the lyrics a bit cringey political. By comparison The Waterboys did it in a less grating way. 

In saying that I’ll stick LTL for another listen this week 

Budgie

Gassage said:

Fuck- this thread has really had an emotional impact on me- and for that I am very thankful.

Just listening (and strumming along to) Another Man's Cause- the middle eight in that is still one of the most fabulously crafted change ups in a 3 chord song ('now she wonders at it all' etc...). Chadders had a great voice.

You should check out their annual ‘Beautiful Days’ festival in Devon. It’s a great weekend and super-relaxed for a ‘modern day’ festival. It’s sold out for this year as it’s the festival’s 20 year (!) anniversary but definitely worth a visit next year etc.

Pjon

JonnyBgoode said:

Saw them at Bristol Poly first (or was it already a Uni then..) round about 1989 and there were about 30 people in the audience. Saw them many times at festivals and gigs after that as they got bigger and bigger. My mate went out with one of the girls who followed them everywhere, though she was a bit nuts.

I saw loads of bands at Bristol Poly (87-89) but I can't remember who any of them were or whether they were well known, then or later, and pretty certain that I must have missed The Levellers. I might have remembered because it was only 91 when I got into them. 

I've seen them live quite a few times over the years. I thought they went off the boil a bit a while ago, but seem to have found their magic again recently. They were the last band I saw just a few weeks before lockdown, and they were excellent and I recently saw Mark Chadwick doing a solo acoustic set at the Great British Folk Festival. He was at the bar at 7, when we started drinking, and had obviously been enjoying himself when he got on stage late that night, saying something along the lines of  'as long as you've got confidence nothing else matters'. He was a bit ramshackle, but very entertaining. He might have lost some of the audience when he gave his thoughts on the government.  

Cryptid

A mate's brother passed me a cassette of A Weapon and LTL when I was 13 - it had a profound effect on me and was the driving force in me picking up the guitar. It sparked a sort of melancholic nostalgia for a time/place/culture/scene that I was born too late to truly experience or be part of. 

Haven't listened to them in years before this thread, what a trip to revisit. I don't think I realised how much they shaped my social and political views and values as a teenager. 

@MagicPigDetective Men-an-Tol is one of my faves too. Inspired me to visit the fabled megalithic site and spend the night there with some mushrooms. 

Jfingers

This thread reminded me of my youth. @Gassage what decade were you born in?.

I was born in the late sixties. I had lots of friends that did the crusty thing.

My most terrifying experience with hot knives was when scoring some nice hash from a much older person he insisted I did two in a row. I handled it well and lived to tell the tale.

Now here's a musical interlude...

LastMantra

Gassage said:

I actually pity kids missing out on this level of sheer debauchery and hedonism these days.

Hot knifes in a camper van at a levellers concert?!

\m/

lustycourtier

For fans of the levellers/waterboys should check out my mate Ian Prowse and his bands pele/Amsterdam. Massively underrated. 

 https://youtu.be/RNs4vXusWNQ

 https://youtu.be/DzLun3oWmso