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The Levellers are a popular English rock band influenced by punk and traditional English music.They are based in Brighton, England where they were founded in 1988. There are several stories regarding how they got their name; from the Levellers, a radically democratic faction of Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army, or as a reference to 'The Level', an area of Brighton around a flat triangular green in the centre of hilly Brighton, where members of the band used to live, or simply, according to guitarist, Simon Friend, they got it from a dictionary.[1] Strongly interested and outspoken about green anarchism issues the band have built up a strong and devoted fanbase, despite being nearly universally ignored by mainstream critics. The band have been spokespeople for a number of issues including campaigning against the Criminal Justice Act (and its measures against rave parties [2]) and various anti-capitalist and environmental issues. They continue to tour extensively around Britain and Europe but maintain a mutual dislike with the music press which stems from their early days. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1891x1534, 380 KB)This is a publicity photo released as part of a press package. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ...
Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified - by Athelstan 927 AD Area - Total...
This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Alternative rock (also called alternative music or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
China Records in London (1986) China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. ...
Eagle Records is a record label. ...
Mark Chadwick (born 23 June 1966, Münster, Germany) is co-founder, lead singer/songwriter and guitarist of the British band, The Levellers. ...
Jeremy Cunningham (born 2 June 1965, Cuckfield, Sussex) is an English musician, best known as the co-founder and bass player of the contemporary British band, The Levellers. ...
Charlie Heather (born February 2nd, 1964 in West Wickham, Kent, England) is the drummer for the contemporary British rock band Levellers. ...
Simon Friend (born 17 May 1967, Upper Norwood, South East London, England) is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo and mandocello) with the contemporary British rock band, The Levellers. ...
Jonathan Mark Sevink (born 15 May 1965, Harlow, Essex, England) is the violinist (more commonly referred to as fiddler), with the contemporary British band, The Levellers. ...
Matthew Savage (born 23 August 1972) is an English actor and musician who is the current keyboardist of British band The Levellers. ...
For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ...
Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...
Music from the United Kingdom has achieved great international popularity since the 1960s, when the British Invasion peaked. ...
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ...
Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified - by Athelstan 927 AD Area - Total...
Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...
The Levellers were a mid 17th century English political movement, who came to prominence during the English Civil Wars. ...
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. ...
The New Model Army became the best known of the various Parliamentarian armies in the English Civil War. ...
Green anarchism is a set of related political theories that is derived from philosophical and social movements such as social ecologists, feminism, egoism, situationism, surrealism, the Luddites, Anarcho-primitivism, post- and anti-leftists, indigenous, anti-industrialism, and pre-civilized people. ...
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 was an act of parliament brought into law by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...
For other uses, see Rave (disambiguation). ...
This article lists ideologies opposed to capitalism and describes them briefly. ...
For the psychology topic, see Environmental psychology. ...
World map showing the location of Europe. ...
History
1988-1990 Mark Chadwick and Jeremy Cunningham met in The Eagle, a public house in Brighton known for attracting the more bohemian element of Brighton's residents, in 1988. Mark had just left local glam-rock act The Soup Dragons (not the 1990s Scottish band The Soup Dragons of the same name) and Jeremy was trying to sell his bass guitar in the pub, having become disillusioned with the music world. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 558 pixelsFull resolution (1853 × 1293 pixel, file size: 484 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Levellers at a concert in Prague. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 558 pixelsFull resolution (1853 × 1293 pixel, file size: 484 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Levellers at a concert in Prague. ...
This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ...
The Soup Dragons were a Scottish indie rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s, named after a character in the 1970s childrens TV show The Clangers. ...
The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, or using a pick. ...
Discovering that they had a lot in common, including a left wing view of politics and a love of being drunk, they decided to try and reinvigorate their interest in music by forming a new band. Jeremy knew Charlie Heather through their previous band, The Fence, where he had proved himself a skilled but not too showy drummer. He was promptly recruited to this new band. The Politics series Politics Portal This box: Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. ...
With Mark on guitar and lead vocals, Jeremy on bass guitar and Charlie on drums, it was decided that something extra was needed to make for a more interesting sound. Jeremy was keen to have a violin player on board as he was impressed by the sound of local angry-folk favourites McDermott's 2 Hours. Jon Sevink, the brother of Mark's girlfriend, was brought in to play the violin, adding a more melodic element to the band's Sex Pistols-esque sound. Mark's flatmate "Bucky" was also brought in to play the guitar, but lost interest in the band fairly quickly and left after a few months. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...
For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ...
The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ...
The Sex Pistols were an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ...
Mark and Jeremy penned the songs that would become part of their first recordings (the audio-cassettes "An Agreement of the People" and "All the Free Commons of England" sold at gigs throughout 1988/89) and the band set off touring Brighton and beyond. They soon built up a large and dedicated live following with their raucous shows; a group of fans known as the "happy hitchers" would hitch-hike around the country, following the band from gig to gig and busking or begging for ticket money. The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. ...
See also Hitch hike for other meanings Look up Hitchhike in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Beggars in Samarkand, 1905 Begging is the practice whereby a person obtains money, food, shelter or other things from people they encounter by request. ...
The first EP recording by the band was put out in 1989. Carry Me which contained the fan favourites Carry Me and England My Home was a comparatively big hit, even getting Radio 2 airplay for the title track (despite the swearing in Carry Me which apparently went unnoticed). In order to play Carry Me live, the band realised they needed to bring in an extra person to play the harmonica as Mark couldn't play the guitar and harmonica parts simultaneously. They recruited Alan Miles to the band to play harmonica as well as guitar and mandolin. Alan also provided backing vocals for the band, being an able singer unlike Jeremy and Jon. The lineup of the Levellers solidified as Mark, Jeremy, Jon, Charlie and Alan, releasing the next EP Outside/Inside and touring with this roster throughout 1989 and most of 1990. To swear can mean either to make an oath, or to utter profanity. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
A mandolin is a small, stringed musical instrument which is plucked, strummed or a combination of both. ...
After successfully releasing the two previous EPs on their own Hag label in 1989, a short lived contract was signed with French record label Musidisc. Their debut album "A Weapon Called the Word" was released on Musidisc in 1990 and has since become one of the few albums to go platinum without ever charting. Unfortunately, the first single from the album, World Freak Show had too few copies pressed by Musidisc; the record selling out but without sufficient copies existing for the song to chart.
1990-1994 After an acrimonious split with Musidisc, the Levellers were discovered by Derek Green (the man responsible for signing the Sex Pistols) and signed to China Records. China Records in London (1986) China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. ...
At this point, Alan became disenchanted by the Levellers' communist approach to money - all of the band's earnings being put together in a fund from which the members were paid the same amount every day. After being refused more money to buy food one day (having spend his day's allowance elsewhere) Alan quit the band. Finding themselves suddenly short of one member, the Levellers' manager called Simon Friend, a young singer-songwriter and at that time a roadie for New Model Army, who had played some acoustic support slots for the band in the past. Simon accepted the invitation to join the band, despite it meaning turning down a chance to be the guitarist for New Model Army. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...
Various denominations of currency, one form of money Money is any good or token that functions as a medium of exchange that is socially and legally accepted in payment for goods and services and in settlement of debts. ...
The New Model Army became the best known of the various Parliamentarian armies in the English Civil War. ...
Around this time Simon and Mark played a number of low key shows as The Levellers 2 mostly performing songs that had been in Simon's repertoire as a solo singer songwriter.
1991 saw the release of their second album, Levelling The Land, which was a massive success, entering the charts at number 14. The anthemic single One Way despite not bothering the Top 40, became a popular song and live favourite for years to come among the travelling and indie community. Levelling The Land is often cited as an all time classic amongst people who were students or travellers in the early 1990s. The Levellers' began to sound more of a well-rounded folk-rock band with the addition of Simon's multi-instrumental skill and the improvements in musicianship amongst all of the band. Whereas All The Free Commons of England sounded like the Sex Pistols with a fiddle player, and A Weapon Called the Word sounded more like gentle indie-rock, Levelling the Land had a well-rounded sound including punk-rock tracks Liberty Song and Battle of the Beanfield (about the 1985 police repression against the Peace Convoy which was attempting to set up the 14th Stonehenge free festival), folk ballads The Boatman and The Road and folk-rock crossover tracks like The Riverflow and Another Man's Cause. Simon's distinctively gravelly voice added depth and volume in backing up Mark's vocals and he began the tradition of taking lead vocals on a couple of tracks per album. Mark's singing also improved from the gruff shouted vocals of their early EPs to a fine melodic singing voice. The band also landed a U.S. deal with Electra, although they have since failed to make much impression in the USA. A disastrous tour of the USA in the early 1990s left the band disillusioned with America and the long haul journeys and lukewarm local receptions endured by touring bands. Levelling the Land was released in 1991 and is the second full length album release by Brighton folk-punk group the Levellers. ...
New age travellers or Peace Convoy are a peculiarly British social phenomenon consisting of people who often espouse New age and Neopagan beliefs, and who travel between music festivals and fairs in order to live in a community with others who hold similar beliefs. ...
In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by perceived independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. ...
Folk rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ...
This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...
The New age travellers or Peace Convoy were a group of people who often espoused New age and / or hippie beliefs, and who travelled between music festivals and fairs in order to live in a community with others who hold similar beliefs. ...
Dancing inside the stones, 1984 free festival. ...
Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic - President George Walker Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...
Throughout 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). Mixing tracks from their first two LPs with a couple of more obscure songs (like the rock/spoken word crossover Dance Before the Storm) and a storming high speed cover of Charlie Daniels' The Devil Went Down to Georgia, the Levellers popular performance 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). The band also 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. The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest[1] greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. ...
Charlie Daniels performed at a USO concert at Camp Victory, Iraq on April 10, 2005 Charles Edward Daniels (born October 28, 1936 in Wilmington, North Carolina) is an American country music, Southern rock, and jazz singer, fiddler, and guitarist. ...
Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis, CBE (born October 17, 1935), is an English dairy farmer, most famous as the founder of the Glastonbury Festival. ...
The Levellers generally consider 1993 to be a bad year for the band. Jeremy was becoming dependent on heroin, having first taken the drug as an alternative to his growing alcoholism. Feeling overworked and unmotivated the band nevertheless felt obliged to try and write a new record to capitalise on their growing popularity. 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. Suffering writer's block, the band filled space on the new album by covering Dirty Davey (an early track by McDermott's 2 Hours) and recording an old track originally written by Simon while he was still at school (Is This Art?). 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. In fact, Levellers contains a number of songs that have stood the test of time as fan favourites, 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). Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), headquartered in Irving, Texas, is an oil producer and distributor formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. ...
Not to be confused with the Canadian music magazine Music Express The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. ...
1994-1998 1994 saw the Levellers really hit the big time, as their appearance at the Glastonbury Festival attracted the biggest stagefront crowd that the event had ever seen. The Levellers and their friends had spent the morning flyering the crowds at Glastonbury to advertise their later show and, having already become favourites with independent music fans and travellers across the country, this tactic paid off when the crowds surged to the pyramid stage to see the band. Their performance, which finished with festival favourite One Way, was a massive hit with the crowd and is constantly referred to as a high point of the band's career. Their landmark performance of One Way was recently included on a video of Glastonbury's finest moments and is available online[3] Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ...
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest[1] greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. ...
In 1994 the band purchased a derelict factory in Brighton, the "Metway", and created a self contained headquarters. The buildings housed their offices, fan club, rehearsal area, a bar and a recording studio (initially equipped with gear bought from Tom Robinson). The move to Metway (the name of the clock manufacturer who originally built the factory) enabled the band to operate on their own terms as far as possible. Spare space was given over to other Brighton musicians and small craft businesses. Weekly anarchist newspaper SchNEWS also set up their office in the building. Look up abandonment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ...
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. ...
Tom Robinson (born June 1, 1950, in Cambridge) is an English songwriter and broadcaster probably best-known for the UK hit songs 2-4-6-8 Motorway (1977), Sing If Youre Glad To Be Gay (1978) and War Baby (1983). ...
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ...
Anarchism is a generic term describing various political philosophies and social movements that advocate the elimination of hierarchy and imposed authority. ...
SchNEWS is a weekly anarchist publication published in Brighton, England as a double sided A4 newspaper and an online edition. ...
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 became another huge hit, charting at #2 in the week of its release. Bouyed by the initial success, manager Phil Nelson persuaded China Records to advertise the album on TV and, unusually, the album hit #1 in its second week on the chart. The third single released from this album took Levellers to their first Top of The Pops appearance, playing 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 The Clash' legendary frontman and long time Levellers hero, Joe Strummer guesting on honky tonk piano. For the upcoming Smashing Pumpkins album, see Zeitgeist (The Smashing Pumpkins album). ...
China Records in London (1986) China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. ...
For other uses, see Television (disambiguation). ...
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart television programme, made and broadcast by the BBC. It was originally shown each week, mostly on BBC One, from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
John Graham Mellor (August 21, 1952 – December 22, 2002) better known as Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead singer of the English punk rock band The Clash. ...
Honky tonk was originally the name of a type of bar common throughout the southern United States, also Honkatonk or Honkey-tonk. ...
Another extensive tour of Europe and the UK was embarked upon in the later part of 1995, culminating in a one-off "Christmas Freakshow" at Sheffield Arena on 18th December. This was recorded by BBC with eight songs being broadcast at a later date on BBC R1. The 1995 "Total Chaos" Tour effectively came to an end on 7 February 1996 at Blackpool's Empress Ballroom with a show that was filmed for the video release, Best Live: Headlights White Lines And Black Tar Rivers. The arena in ice hockey mode The Hallam FM Arena, originally named the Sheffield Arena, is an arena hosting concerts and sporting events in Sheffield in England. ...
The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ...
This page redirects from Radio 1. See Radio 1 (disambiguation). ...
is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...
It has been suggested that South Shore, Blackpool be merged into this article or section. ...
1996 was a relatively fallow year in contrast to the Levellers' hard working career to date. Every show on the 1995 tour had been recorded with a view to releasing a genuine "live" album with no studio overdubs. Jon Sevink tasked himself with listening back to every moment recorded on tape, picking through them for the best performances of each song they'd played. The resultant album, Best Live: Headlights White Lines And Black Tar Rivers was released simultaneously with the aforementioned video of the same name in August 1996. As the title suggests, it served as an effective compilation of the best work of the band to date, whilst not being a "greatest hits" package of previously released studio material (although the band are thought to have never been happy with the record company coined "Best Live" part of the title). The album reached #13 in the UK album charts. A less extensive UK tour was undertaken in September/October to support the record's release. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...
Jonathan Mark Sevink (born 15 May 1965, Harlow, Essex, England) is the violinist (more commonly referred to as fiddler), with the contemporary British band, The Levellers. ...
The band returned to the studio through late 1996 and early 1997 when the album Mouth To Mouth was recorded. 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 was finally released in August 1997 and entered the UK album chart at #5. The album spawned several more singles, Celebrate, Dog Train and Too Real (the accompanying promo video of which was directed by cult UK movie director, Alex Cox). Mouth to Mouth is the fifth studio album by The Levellers. ...
The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ...
For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency...
A general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election. ...
is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ...
Harris Manchester College, formerly Manchester College, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom; it has the emphasis on mature students. ...
Brixton Academy The Brixton Academy is a large music venue in Brixton, South London with a capacity of 4,921. ...
Mouth to Mouth is the fifth studio album by The Levellers. ...
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest[1] greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. ...
Alexander Morton Cox (b. ...
One Way Of Life: The Very Best Of The Levellers hit the shelves in September 1998, a year which had been fairly inactive until that point. The album was a traditional "greatest hits" package of the hit singles, with two new songs, Shadow On The Sun, and a cover of punk band Zounds' Bozos which was released as the first single of the campaign. Additionally, One Way and Carry Me were re-recorded and a re-mix of Too Real was included. A limited edition digipak format was released with an extra five-track CD of "acoustic" versions. A long and successful tour journeyed the length and breadth of the UK in November and December. However, the last two dates at Brixton Academy and the triumphant homecoming at Brighton Centre had to be pulled when Jon Sevink fell ill. These dates were re-scheduled for February 1999. The release of the greatest hits album was accompanied by a video collection of promos, also called One Way Of Life: The Very Best Of The Levellers, and the band's official biography written by George Berger titled Dance Before The Storm. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...
Zounds were an English anarchist band formed in 1977 from loose jamming sessions around the Reading area. ...
Brixton Academy The Brixton Academy is a large music venue in Brixton, South London with a capacity of 4,921. ...
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ...
Jonathan Mark Sevink (born 15 May 1965, Harlow, Essex, England) is the violinist (more commonly referred to as fiddler), with the contemporary British band, The Levellers. ...
1999-2006 Save for a handful of live dates, 1999 was essentially a year-off. During this time out of the limelight there was a significant change at their record company as China Records was bought by major label Warner Brothers. China Records in London (1986) China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. ...
Time Warner Inc. ...
Work eventually 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. A complex production coloured the album, with much less of the tell-tale signs of a Levellers record as had gone before. Happy Birthday Revolution was released as a single, reaching #57 in the charts. Just prior to the album release the band promoted their own OTF Weekender. This was held on the Isle Of Wight with two big shows at the Ryde Ice Arena and a "secret" acoustic show held at a much smaller venue. Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. ...
The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire. ...
Ryde, seen from Ryde Pier and showing the twin spires. ...
Hello Pig was released on Monday 4th September, 2000 and went to #28 on the chart. 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. Time Warner Inc. ...
Despite the downturn in record sales, in the live arena the Levellers continued with aplomb. They worked through a heavy gig schedule through late 2000 and 2001. This included a return to the United States, be it 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. Look up aplomb in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Mark Chadwick is an American stunt double. ...
Simon Friend (born 17 May 1967, Upper Norwood, South East London, England) is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo and mandocello) with the contemporary British rock band, The Levellers. ...
Jonathan Mark Sevink (born 15 May 1965, Harlow, Essex, England) is the violinist (more commonly referred to as fiddler), with the contemporary British band, The Levellers. ...
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 40. 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 40 Albums. Once again, the Levellers returned to what they knew best, and went on tour! Eagle Records is a record label. ...
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 that 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. United Kingdom legislation comes from a number of different sources. ...
The Elephant Fayre was held in the stately home of Perry Eliot, St Germans, Cornwall, from 1981-86. ...
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. ...
Regardless of this disheartening first adventure, in 2003 the Levellers did create their own "Beautiful Days Festival". The festival is an annual event, taking place each August at Escot Park, near Fairmile in Devon, England. The Beautiful Days is a music festival that takes place in August at Escot Park, Ottery St Mary, Devon. ...
In February 2004, Levellers played a special acoustic gig at the Buxton Opera House. Although they had played a couple of shows in a similar format, this particular show saw the full band being joined onstage for collaborations with Maddy Prior, Nick Harper, Nick Burbridge and Rev Hammer. Buxton Opera House is in The Square, Buxton, Derbyshire. ...
Maddy Prior is a British folk singer. ...
Nick Harper performing at the De Montfort Hall Summer Sundae Nick Harper (born June 22, 1965) is an English singer-songwriter/guitarist who has developed a cult following. ...
The show set the tone for the rest of the year, with the band appearing at many festivals through the summer in the acoustic guise. These festival dates included their first visit to Glastonbury since 1997, where they captured another audience record on the Avalon Stage. The year was rounded off with an acoustic tour of UK theatres. The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest[1] greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. ...
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. The Ruts The Ruts were a reggae-influenced British punk band notable for the 1979 top 10 hit Babylons Burning (right). ...
Eagle Records is a record label. ...
Present Levellers' Chaos Theory live DVD was released in December 2006. The 2 disc set features a full electric live show from Reading Hexagon and a disc of extras including the 1993 tour diary/concert Part Time Punks, an acoustic gig at Buxton Opera house and more.
The band are a hard working live act, continuing to sell out venues and festivals all over Europe each year. Festival success continued in 2005 when, despite the continued lack of attention by the media, the band set another stagefront audience record at Glastonbury, this time on the Jazzworld stage. The band's hard work has brought them a large, committed, dedicated fanbase with a significant online presence, evident at websites such as the "Alternative Levellers Message Board". The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest[1] greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. ...
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. Anarchism is a generic term describing various political philosophies and social movements that advocate the elimination of hierarchy and imposed authority. ...
Green politics or Green ideology is the ideology of the Green Parties, mainly informed by environmentalism, ecosophy and sustainable economics and aimed at developing a sustainable society. ...
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ...
Clearlake are a indie-rock band, based in Brighton, UK. The members of the band are: Jason Pegg (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Sam Hewitt (keyboards, guitar, vocals) David Woody Woodward (bass, guitar, vocals) Toby May (drums) // History The band formed in 1999, and released their debut single, Winterlight, in January 2000. ...
The Mutts were a rock and roll band from Brighton, England. ...
Meanwhile, the five Warner-era studio albums have been remixed, given new packaging and will be re-issued on the Rhino label on 16 July 2007. They will be preceded by a reissue of the (remastered) single What A Beautiful Day on 25 June 2007. Warner Bros. ...
is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
Summer 2007 has a busy schedule of 28 festival appearances in the UK and Europe, including Bestival, Wychwood, Rock Ness and Fflam.
In 2008, Levellers will celebrate their 20th Anniversary; a new album is in the pipeline.
Members
The Levellers - current lineup circa 2006. Front: Mark, Jeremy. Middle: Simon, Charlie. Back: Matt, Jon. Sometimes supported by Stephen Boakes (didgeridoo). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1920x2216, 2063 KB)This is a press-release photo by Iona Bateman This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their work or product in the media, such as advertising material or a...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1920x2216, 2063 KB)This is a press-release photo by Iona Bateman This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their work or product in the media, such as advertising material or a...
Mark Chadwick (born 23 June 1966, Münster, Germany) is co-founder, lead singer/songwriter and guitarist of the British band, The Levellers. ...
Simon Friend (born 17 May 1967, Upper Norwood, South East London, England) is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo and mandocello) with the contemporary British rock band, The Levellers. ...
Jeremy Cunningham (born 2 June 1965, Cuckfield, Sussex) is an English musician, best known as the co-founder and bass player of the contemporary British band, The Levellers. ...
Charlie Heather (born February 2nd, 1964 in West Wickham, Kent, England) is the drummer for the contemporary British rock band Levellers. ...
Jonathan Mark Sevink (born 15 May 1965, Harlow, Essex, England) is the violinist (more commonly referred to as fiddler), with the contemporary British band, The Levellers. ...
Matthew Savage (born 23 August 1972) is an English actor and musician who is the current keyboardist of British band The Levellers. ...
This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...
Ex-members - David Buckmeister (guitar) appeared in the first line-up of the Levellers in 1988 but left after a few months.
- Alan Miles (guitar, mandolin, vocals) joined the Levellers on guitar and backing vocals in 1989, appearing on record on the album "A Weapon Called the Word". Replaced with Simon Friend in 1990.
Solo recordings and side projects - Simon Friend had worked on one previous solo recording prior to joining the band: a demo cassette called "Hérne an Cara" which contained eight tracks - recorded mainly at Dog Kennel Studios in November '89, but some were recorded earlier, in August 1989, at his home. Three of these tracks became Levellers songs on the next album, and three more were recorded for albums after. The Levellers versions have slightly altered lyrics, and sound quite different. These tracks include "Battle of the Beanfield", "Social Insecurity", "Is it art?" (renamed "Is This Art?" later), "Cardboard Box City", "Another Man's Cause", and finally "To Be A Freeman" (later becoming "The Boatman"). Other tracks on this tape that have never been re-recorded are "Danny's Road" and "The Deceiver". Although this tape was intended to be private, and never to be released, there are occasionally copies sold on eBay. No copies have been uploaded to the internet, however, probably due to the respect of the fans owning a copy of this tape.
- Jeremy Cunningham and Charlie Heather have recently worked with McDermott's 2 Hours, playing bass and percussion respectively on McDermott's albums The World Turned Upside Down, Claws and Wings and Disorder.
- In 1991 the Levellers acted as session band on Rev Hammer's recording Industrial Sound and Magic and still often support Rev Hammer in live performances.
Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ...
Rolling anarchy "Rolling anarchy" is a trademarked symbol of the band. It is comprised of three sickles placed so as to form the letter A, recognizable however the logo is rotated. For other senses of this word, see Trademark (disambiguation). ...
Using a sickle A Adam is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool typically used for harvesting grain crops before the advent of modern harvesting machinery. ...
The symbol is often featured on Levellers merchandise and at concerts. It is usually surrounded with the text "Whoever puts their hand upon me to govern me is a usurper, a tyrant, and I declare them my enemy." Look up Usurper in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
Discography
Albums Released in April 1990, A Weapon Called the Word was the debut full-length album by The Levellers. ...
Levelling the Land was released in 1991 and is the second full length album release by Brighton folk-punk group the Levellers. ...
The untitled/eponymous album was the third full-length release by Brighton-based folk punk band the Levellers. ...
For the upcoming Smashing Pumpkins album, see Zeitgeist (The Smashing Pumpkins album). ...
Mouth to Mouth is the fifth studio album by The Levellers. ...
One Way of Life is a Best of compilation by The Levellers. ...
Singles - Carry Me (5/1989)
- Outside/Inside (10/1989)
- World Freak Show (5/1990)
- Together All The Way (10/1990)
- One Way (16/9/1991) 51
- Far From Home (2/12/1991) 71
- 15 Years (18/5/1992) 11
- Belaruse (5/7/1993) 12
- This Garden (25/10/1993) 12
- Julie (9/5/1994) 17
- Hope St. (7/8/1995) 12
- Fantasy (9/10/1995) 16
- Just The One (18/12/1995) 12
- Exodus (Live) (5/7/1996) 24
- What A Beautiful Day (4/8/1997) 13
- Celebrate (13/10/1997) 28
- Dog Train (15/12/1997) 24
- Too Real (9/3/1998) 46
- Bozos (19/10/1998) 44
- One Way '98 (1/2/1999) 33
- Happy Birthday Revolution (9/12/2000) 57
- Come On (16/9/2002) 44
- Wild As Angels (13/1/2003) 34
- Make U Happy (18/4/2005) 38
- Last Man Alive (12/12/2005) 147
- What a Beautiful Day (25/6/2007)
Videos and DVDs - Great Video Swindle (November 1992) - Live gig recorded at Barrowlands, Glasgow, Scotland in May 1992. The gig is interspersed with band interview footage. (VHS only, deleted)
- Best Live: Headlights White Lines And Black Tar Rivers (August 1996) - Live gig recorded at the Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England on February 7, 1996. (VHS only, deleted)
- One Way Of Life: The Best Of The Levellers (October 1998) - Collection of videos to the band's singles.
- Chaos Theory (October 2006) - Recording of a live gig at Reading Hexagon plus extras including acoustic performances with Nick Burbridge, Maddy Prior and Rev Hammer and a tribute to the Clash with Billy Bragg.
The Barrowlands (more properly The Barrowland Ballroom) is a major dance hall and concert venue in Glasgow, Scotland. ...
is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...
Steeleye Span are a British folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Stephen William Bragg (born December 20, 1957), known as Billy Bragg, is an English musician renowned for his blend of folk, punk-rock, and protest music, and his poetic lyrics dealing with political as well as romantic themes. ...
Notes and References - ^ Simon Friend explaining the origins of the band's name: Simon Friend interview at the Hebredian Celtic Festival
- ^ See the song Warning on the Julie EP
- ^ The Levellers play One Way to the biggest every stagefront crowd at Glastonbury
All facts on the band history taken from the official biography: Berger, G. (1998) Dance Before the Storm: The Official Story of the Levellers. Virgin Publishing, London.
See also Daniel Donnelly (born 1974) is a New York based singer-songwriter. ...
The Wonder Stuff are a band originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England. ...
New Model Army are an English rock band. ...
The Outcast Band were an alternative roots rock band from Surrey, England who notched up over 500 live shows around the UK and Europe across their 5 year lifespan from 1991 to 1996. ...
3 Daft Monkeys are a world-influenced acoustic band from Cornwall, UK, consisting of Tim Ashton, Athene Roberts, and Jamie Waters who combine vocals, fiddle, 12-string guitar, bass guitar and foot drum. ...
There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...
External links - The band's website
- The Levellers message board
- Beautiful Days Festival website
- Levellers' official Myspace page
- Official website featuring free MP3 download from Chaos Theory DVD
- Levellers PR - for press & media enquiries
- Official Levellers You Tube site
- Official Levellers photo site
- Levellers' videos and tunes at Myspace
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