 | | Reviews | | |  THE LEVELLERS ACOUSTIC
Poole Lighthouse
November 29th 2004
There's a punter wearing an Armchair Anarchist t-shirt in the Lighthouse lobby. How apt. Dissident idealists The Levellers remain passionately committed to making a stand but it is somewhat unusual to see them doing it while sitting down. Will warm bottoms on comfortable chairs and a chastening absence of electric instruments mean The Levellers will lack the heart-quickening kick that comes with volume, sweat and flailing moshpit dreadlocks? The answer is no.
The Levellers' more recent studio albums haven't sold well beyond the band's established fan base, which makes the demographics of tonight's audience all the more surprising. The Crusty stereotype of yesteryear is in retreat (although noisily appreciative pockets of this subculture linger on) and here tonight are entire families (some with toddlers) and an awful lot of people who either know the hits or who merely anticipate being driven into a state of involuntary footstomping derangement by Jon Sevink's rallying fiddle. Drummer Charlie Heather has downsized his kit and Guinness-swigging singer Mark Chadwick is on acoustic guitar but The Levellers (recently augmented by Matt Savage on keyboards) sound like they mean business.
No wonder the crowd is in a lather. Early on, the over-enthused take leave of their seats to leap about at the front only to be ushered to the side of the auditorium by well-intentioned security staff. As the night draws on the throng at the foot of the stage grows ever larger and more boisterous, the number of "Armchair Anarchists" at the rear ever smaller. Acoustic power, eh ? The Levellers have always been "Green" but surely they can now afford to become even greener by dispensing with electricity altogether.
Although The Levellers air new songs including the intriguing Last Man Alive and the caustic anti-Iraq war tirade Not In My Name it's the old stuff and the hits which induce mayhem, particularly What A Beautiful Day, possibly the nicest, happiest and highest-charting song ever written about the desire to blow up the Houses Of Parliament. No doubt The Levellers will be using acoustic gunpowder.
Kevin Maidment - December 2004
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Folk & Acoustic
