Levellers

Now into their 23rd year the Levellers are a band that unlike most have always remained true to their roots and as a result have continued to garner a strong following for their no-nonsense approach to acoustic story-telling folk-rock music.

The Brighton based collective made Glastonbury history in the summer of 1994 when they yielded the largest stage-front crowd the festival had every seen, as they rolled out track after track from their critically acclaimed album - Levelling the Land.

Next month marks the 20th year since they first released the double disc album featuring the hits for which they are best known including; ‘One Way’ ‘Fifteen Years’ and ‘Liberty Song’. The Levellers will celebrate the album by embarking on a 18-date Levelling the Land tour which kick starts in Dublin on Thursday (3rd March) and will continue on to Bristol, Liverpool, Leeds and Glasgow to name just a few, before finishing in London (Brixton) on Saturday 14th May.

Tickets for all of the March dates are now sold out, and the band have added a further 3 dates to the tour in May.

Multi-instrumentalist and long-standing band member, Simon Friend took time out of rehearsals to talk to Music News’ Victoria Dillingham ahead of the tour.


Music News: Are you surprised by the speed at which tickets have sold for the Levelling the Land tour?

Simon Friend: Yes we are, despite recent gigs we have been quiet for a few years, playing small gigs, but given the strength of the two sets in Scarborough and Bedford (warm-ups if you like) we are really encouraged and looking forward to starting the tour next week.”

MN: What can fans expect from the forthcoming shows?

Simon: Well in essence, as you’ll know, it’s celebrating the 20th year of the release of Levelling the Land so we’ll be aiming to fill it with tracks from the album. In the main it’ll give fans the opportunity to hear all the tracks on the album played live, which is a first for some of them, but we’ve also played around a bit with the band set up. Matt (our keyboard player) for example will be playing more parts in certain tracks and we have tried to encompass more percussion throughout, but ultimately we don’t want to mess around with the original sound too much. We’re really excited about The WonderStuff joining us. They formed around the same time as us, in fact I think it was a couple of years before us, and we have played alongside them a number of times. They’re a great bunch of lads and we enjoy working with them, it’ll be a bit of a renuion for all of us.

MN: Not all bands are lucky enough to have such an expansive back catalogue of hits. How do The Levellers decide what to include and what not to include in a set?

Simon: We with the forthcoming tour we’ve been lucky, as it’s been all about the celebrating the Levelling the Land album, but Jeremy (Cunningham) who started the band way back with Mark, tends to take a lead role in deciding what makes the set list. The rest of us look at it and if one of us isn’t happy for whatever reason, we discuss it openly, but most of the time he knows what makes a great set and we’re all happy with it.

MN: You’ve been with the band for 21 of the 23 years, which means you’ve played a poignant role in laying down some of the classics and favourites, but what tracks do you personally most enjoy performing live most?

Simon: That’s a tough one, as there are so many and I love performing all of them and for different reasons. I think because we really love and believe in the music we write and produce, each one means something different and being a multi-instrumentalist means it enables me to play a different role, which I love. As a musician I don’t think I could ever play music I don’t like, or on demand like say a session musician. It has to be music I love and am into and I think we’re all quite similar in that. I really enjoy playing ‘Together All the Way’ and ‘Carry Me’.

MN: More than 20 years as a band is no mean feat, what do you think are the key ingredients to playing and staying together for that long?

Simon: I think it really helps if you are mates and get on well. We’ve all known each other a fair time and have very similar views on writing and making music , so there’s a mutual understanding and respect. I think the fact helps. All our money goes into one big pot and it distributed evenly, which is how we feel it should be as it ensure we all get an equal share.”

MN: How do you think your sound and material has changed over the years?

Simon: Life changes, scenes change and I think there was a lot of different influences in music during the 90’s, some of which you like and some of which you don’t. I think we’ve pretty much remained consistent and stuck to our roots, which is including a variety of instruments and focusing on acoustic sounds. If we’ve ever felt something needed to be boosted or electrically enhanced we’ve been careful to ensure it’s in keeping with our style and the format we’ve become known for.

MN: As a band you’re renowned for voicing your opinions on everything from environmental, humanitarian to political issues and the general state of the country. What causes do you align yourself with today and do you musicians are encouraged to a greater or lesser degree to express this in their music now than 20 years ago?

Simon: I think some of the causes we support and feel passionate about 20 years ago are still very much a concern today. It’s still pretty hectic out there, soldiers are still fighting in wars that in my opinion we shouldn’t be involved in. There’s unrest globally, just recently we’ve all read about the problems in North Africa and there have been just as many problems closer to home with the student riots. Without wanting to say ‘I told you so’ it just seems ironic that a lot of what we sang about all those years ago is just as relevant today.

MN: Can music make an all important difference to the world?

Simon: I think it’s very dangerous if you think you can change the world with a song, don’t get me wrong it’d be nice if you could as a bi-product maybe, but I do believe everyone has a right to write and sing about what they want to. If they have a voice or an opinion on something, particularly if it effects the wider public then they should be free to express it. That’s not to take away from the impact music can have and a good example of this is Bob Geldof and Live Aid and subsequent concerts. If you look at a lot of folk music, traditional folk music, there’s a lot of protest in it. I think music can be used as a platform, but I don’t think you should ever assume you’re big enough to change the world through it.

MN: As a band you’ve no doubt adopted different influences, but what artists/bands have influenced you most over the years?

Simon: There’s lots of music that I like and listen to. I still listen to a lot of folk-rock like Led Zeppelin, Neil Young and Black Sabbath. I enjoy listening to traditionally folk music too, although a great deal of it is not in the mainstream, I’m really not a mainstream kind of guy, I think I’d be lost as to what’s in the charts and popular at the moment, although I have heard Mumford & Sons and like what they’re doing at the moment. Otherwise I find the charts and music played on popular radio stations all a bit samey.

MN: Is there anyone in the popular music scene at the moment that stands out for you or that you feel is brings something different to the industry.

Simon: Yes, I think Paolo Nutini is a very talented guy with an amazing voice that stands out. He’s a 24-year-old who can project the voice of his age one minute and sound like an 80-year-old black man the next, it’s extraordinary and amazing. He’s got a great sound and I really enjoy listening to him. I do like Newton Faulkner and he used to drink in my local, so I know him and really respect his music. I think Seth Lakeman is also very original and love listening to him as well as Chris Wood.

MN: What if anything does the current mainstream music scene lack for you?

Simon: Hmm, I think there’s a distinct lack of electric guitar nowadays and I’d like to hear more of it. There is so much music out there at the moment and unfortunately not all of its being played on the radio stations, so not everyone’s getting to hear it. The same kind of music seems to be forever being played, most of which I’m just not a fan of. I can’t stand the X-Factor, I think it’s extremely dangerous to launch someone to that level of fame in such a short space of time. I think Susan Boyle is an example of how dangerous reality shows such as XFactor and Britain’s Got Talent can be. Some of these people just aren’t ready for that level of fame. I think you need to spend a number of years building up to that to really appreciate the value of it all and to be able to manage it as an individual, it doesn’t suit everyone. That said, if it takes something like XFactor to discover a hidden, raw talent then it can be a positive.

MN: What can we look forward to from the Levellers post this tour and in the coming months/year.

Simon: We have a very busy year ahead of us especially with having added 3 extra dates to the tour which will take us through to May. We still run the Beautiful Day festivals, and are also working on new material which fans might get a taste of at our forthcoming gigs. I think we’d like to release a couple of singles by the end of this year and have a new album out in 2012. We’ve committed to shutting ourselves away later this year to write and record. We still rehearse at The Metway – a derelict factory in Brighton which houses the band’s offices, fan club and studio – but we also have a couple of retreats in Yorkshire and the West Country which we escape to and switch off totally, no mobiles, nothing. It’s the only way!

Additional dates for which tickets were still available at the time of going to press are as follows: Leicester -Thursday (12th), Sheffield - Friday (13th) and London - Saturday (14th) May. To secure tickets - Tel. 0844 477 2000.