The Levellers
They have seen the likes of Blair, Bush Sr. and Jr. rule
the world and they´ve also seen the European Union form and take place as well
as the latest turmoil and uncertainty of UK´s Brexit. In 1994 they played in
front of 300.000 at the Glastonbury Festival. MI6 have investigated them too. They formed back in 1988 and as
we speak the band has moved into their 31st year of existence. Let´s see what
they had to say about the past, present and the future.
The Levellers - Live at Nalen in Stockholm back in 2018.
It´s been a long road for “The Levellers” since the
late 1980´s. You have played countless festivals and toured the world for many
decades now. First of all, how´s the band doing in the year of 2019?
Jeremy: The band is doing well!
We’ve played electric at the Royal Albert Hall and acoustic at the Minack Theatre this year, both amazing venues. More importantly we’ve been
writing/recording a new Levs album. That’ll be out next year, in time for more
touring!
You started the band a couple of years before the EU
would change the political landscape. You also saw the iron curtain collapse
and a new Europe being born. What do you remember from those early years of the
band and what did a young band from Brighton make out of the world they lived
in?
Jeremy: Yes, I remember those
events really well. Levs has always been about people and bringing them
together independent of power structures (we don’t trust any of those said
structures), so the fall of the Berlin Wall was particularly significant for
us...We were actually one of the first western bands into Prague after
the Czech Velvet Revolution, which was amazing! On a darker note one thing
I remember affecting us all was the massacre in Tiananmen Square in China, we
were touring outside/inside at the time and watched it all unfolding at various
universities we were playing. Awful stuff. And then there’s 9/11... we’ve been around a long time! Seen
some shocking stuff + also some amazing things too...
You´ve had the “Hippie”-tag attached since you started
the band. What does it mean for you personally to be in the band, if you avoid
the usual “tags” you have been given by media and their associates? What is The Levellers for you?
Jeremy: The Levellers is what I
do! It’s a vision we had right when we started - even before, maybe- And we
materialised that vision + made it real. It’s amazing! The hippy thing used to
annoy me cos I came from a very punk background, and being called crusty was
just plain annoying. That said, we all liked hippy chicks so we did alright in
that department haha :) I
think we mix so many types of music in with a complete alternative lifestyle
that it's hard to label the band really. I suppose so long as folks are talking
about us still it’s all good!
Is it true that The
Levellers also were under investigation by the MI6 or
is this something that was taken out of context and blown up? Why would an
indierock band be of interest for MI6 one might wonder? How did this affect
you?
Jeremy: We were indeed under
investigation by Mi5/6! Basically we were on the poll tax protest that turned
into a riot in London back in the early ‘90s. Also we were due to play a free
show at a big squat in Peckham after the March, so while we were protesting we
also were handing out flyers for the gig. Anyway, we survived the riot - just! Violent protest was
more common in those days…And the gig went off great. But, unknown to us, our
flyers had been found in arrested protesters and all along the route of the
‘riot’ too. That got mi5 interested as they were trying to infiltrate and
eliminate ‘subversive groups’. This was Thatchers Britain remember. So, we were followed by the Secret Service for a whole
summer tour. Some in uniform intimidating venue owners, trying to get our shows
banned. Some undercover talking to fans and eventually to us. Mark
eventually called them out - an undercover officer has to identify him/herself
if asked to do so, and Mark busted one who was playing him with drink for
information... After that they kinda left us alone. I think they realised
eventually that music was our weapon and we still have free speech in Britain
so they couldn’t really do anything...Crazy times tho!
The Levellers - Live at Nalen in Stockholm back in 2018.
If we take a look at the music you´ve created, there´s
an unavoidable folkish mood to your compositions blended with some punk and
rock ´n roll. Many times your songs is like a fast train that both brings some
chaos and calmness once the train has swept by the station it didn´t stop at.
Some influences most surely be the likes of Billy Bragg and what the world
normally describes as “protest singers”. What else has influenced you that
might perhaps not be as obvious to the casual listener?
Jeremy: We usually cite our
influences as Christie Moore, Mc Dermotts 2 Hours, the Clash, the smiths, Neil
Young, led Zepplin, public enemy, Bob Marley ... its all about what’s being
said and the attitude than any one musical genre.
You are truly a band of gypsies when it comes to
touring and playing your tunes live. What is most stressful, live concerts or
getting the right takes and mixes in the studio?
Jeremy: Both are stressful! In
different ways....playing an important show is nerve wracking, or if we haven’t
played for a while. And indeed trying to get the perfect recording is also
tense - Specially as we record live too. We’ll do overdubs etc after if
necessary, but the basic takes arr usually live in the studio. This is what we do tho.
It’s stressful at times but still the best fun u can ever have!
It sometimes feel like The Levellers is a institution
on it´s own. Since 2003 you have your own festival “Beautiful Days” which have
no sponsorship or branding. Has this changed or do you still keep your vows of
it being a purely non-commercial festival? Also which year did you enjoy the most
so far?
Jeremy: Yep, BDs has become an
institution haha! It’s still pretty much the same. It’s gotten a bit bigger - mainly
the size of the site, to give folks as much space as possible. But the ethos is
still the same - that’s why people like it! Currently were
concentrating on recycling as much waste as possible and getting the site free
of plastic (especially water bottles etc). We’ve got a plan that has several
parts- we’re working our way thru that…So in a few years we should be plastic
free and recycling around 80% or more waste. We’re also discouraging folks from
bringing potential waste in the first place...So that’s what we’re up to with
BDs at the mo. I couldn’t say a fave year -
they’ve all been great, even the wet ones!!
One of your many monumental songs is “100 Years Of
Solitude” from the album “Levellers” released back in 1993. What was the
inspiration for that song and how did you come up with the chords for the
chorus?
Jeremy: The inspiration for that
song was a book of the same title by Gabriel Garcia Marcez. Tho the song story
is nothing like that book. It’s actually about the dangers of judging things/people on
appearance. And the loneliness of that isolation where u feel no one´s taking
any notice of what you’re saying. It’s a typical Levs rant at the world! I
wrote the lyrics and Simon wrote the music - so you’d have to ask him about
those chorus chords. I’ve always thought it quite clever he used the same
chords as the verse but in a different time/order... good economy of use!
Needless to say, the whole band did the arranging after the basic song was written.
It was one of the first we wrote for the Levellers album, along with "Belarus"
(which is one of Mark’s ).
Some bands has a unique and specific member of the
crew that can´t be replaced that easily. With you it´s of course fiddle player
Jon Sevink that gives you that additional boost and melodic layers on top of
the bass, drums, guitars and additional synths and percussions. Have you ever
performed live without your fiddle-ist? Would you rather cancel a concert or
would you still go on with the business as usual?
Jeremy: We have done shows
without Jon. Our friend Ben Paley stood in for him when Jon broke his wrist a
few years ago. Bens a great player - he was in McDermotts 2 hours - so it
wasn’t a problem for him! Was weird for us tho! Generally we’ll cancel/postpone a
show rather than get a stand-in for one of us - unless it’s completely
unavoidable. Levs is ALL of us - simple as
that.
When comparing with the early days of the band,
starting in the late 1980´s and up until now, what has changed most all this
years with being in a band and working as a professional musician?
Jeremy: Nothing’s changed with us
really...we gotten older haha! Plenty things have changed around us and our
music has developed accordingly we’d like to think, but we still got the same
basic vision and ideals as when we started.
Time to wrap things up for this time. What plans does
the future hold for The Levellers?
Jeremy: Like I said earlier the
Levs are in recording a new album this year. That’ll be out next year, with
accompanying tour(s) - that’s our plan really. BDs continues in too...Onwards
+ upwards!
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