Seriously, is there anything worse than The Levellers?

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Possibly, but not today.

― the D Double signal (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 16:36 (twenty years ago)

There's only one way of life and that involves not listening to the Levellers.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 16:39 (twenty years ago)

The Levellers are one of those bands that I really wanted to like. But, as it turned out, they were positively dreadful.

When it comes to crusty, hirsute, unbathed clog-wearers, I'll stick with the entirely superior and far more rocking NEW MODEL FUCKING ARMY, thank you very much.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

you are a treat!

― the D Double signal (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

Chumbawumba.

― Fishman, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 16:42 (twenty years ago)

the Drovers

― Dennis, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

Live 8 to thread.

― Soukesian, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

Live8 = 10000000 x better than The Levellers.

Testicular cancer possibly worse than The Levellers.

― Taste the Blood of Scrovula (noodle vague), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

the Drovers

The Dovers

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 19:02 (twenty years ago)

i liked the levellers so fupp off the rest of yez.

― Argonaut Lovers, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

Get back to the property your dad owns but you pretend is a squat, crusty.

― Taste the Blood of Scrovula (noodle vague), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 21:41 (twenty years ago)

oasis
stereophonics

no, no one else.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 21:42 (twenty years ago)

"crusty, hirsute, unbathed clog-wearers"?

Hello, Sir Bob!

― Soukesian, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

Catatonia

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

i don't know who they are. someone school me so I can hate them too

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 21:47 (twenty years ago)

the Drovers

A colleague of mine at the TIME news desk used to manage the Drovers.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

I always hated The Levellers, bu they had one good song, eventually. What was it again?

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

It was kind of sentimental.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:04 (twenty years ago)

I remember. "It's a beautiful day-hey-hey". That was okay. Quite easy to sing, on a morning. I like that one, I admit. They are up there with Gabrielle, in that sense.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:06 (twenty years ago)

"Give me just a little a little more time..."

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:07 (twenty years ago)

Beautiful.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:07 (twenty years ago)

What was it? The mid '90s? Oof. I wouldn't have them back.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:08 (twenty years ago)

The Hothouse Flowers

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:08 (twenty years ago)

Oh good lord.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:09 (twenty years ago)

Hey now, I bought a levellers CD for $1 and although I did eventually threw it out, I did get an amusing 8-bit cover/remix of "This Garden" out of it.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:11 (twenty years ago)

The Commitments

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

Brandon Flowers

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

Lenny Kravitz

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:14 (twenty years ago)

The Spin Doctors

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:14 (twenty years ago)

I wish they could all be on Live 8, and then it would be a simple job.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

Tarantula vs. the Levellers.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

Tarantula vs. Lenny

"Well, I'll be runnin'... ooo AAA oo AAA oo well I'll be AAAAAAAAAAuuUGHGGGGGGGGGGFGGFHFGGFGHFGFJGH!!"

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

See, now this is a video I would have no problem in watching. Indeed, I would direct it.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:27 (twenty years ago)

You just need a larger aquarium and a coconut shell.

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:29 (twenty years ago)

The Levellers are a great band who are wrttten off as crusties by the post thatcherite new order controlled media critic automons who don't understand or more probably choose not to understand the intent behind this excellent unpretentious band.

― James, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:33 (twenty years ago)

You have some phelgm you need to cough up there.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:35 (twenty years ago)

Come back when your favourite band gets rid off the Poll Tax single handidly!!!

― James, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:37 (twenty years ago)

Mmmmm. This Deacon Blue needs some more Prefab Sprout and Aztec Camera... *munch munch*

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:37 (twenty years ago)

STOP! LILAC TIME!

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:38 (twenty years ago)

Wet Wet Wet, Adult Net, and Harvest Ministers.

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:39 (twenty years ago)

You are one sick puppy.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:42 (twenty years ago)

I mean, I'm listening to Simple Minds' peerless "I Travel" *right this second* and all this is starting to make me think of fucking Street Fighting Years instead.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

I demand a series of TARANTULA VS. threads on ILM. This has promise.

― donut e-goo (donut), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

Okay, buddy, you're asking for it...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:45 (twenty years ago)

I thought this was the site that liked political music? Or maybe only when it's sexy art school faux Tamil Tiger posturing rather than fabulous music pushing impassioned rhetoric to the fore. The Levellers have funded sixty forests made of renewable trees and have been behind a series of events that have raised such subjects as The Coalesr Tarrif, Land Battery and Flying Pikets in the public conciousness to pretty much pandemic levels of conciousness. When did Neil Tennant build a school with his bare hands?!

― James, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:45 (twenty years ago)

Okay, donut, here ya go:

Tarantula vs. Lenny Kravitz

Have fun.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 23:48 (twenty years ago)

That Ordinary Boys single is failry high up my hate list at the mo, although it would have to go some to beat the Levellers...

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Thursday, 16 June 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

Some nice satire there, James. I particularly enjoyed the way you threw in some dodgy spelling to complete the effect.

― Taste the Blood of Scrovula (noodle vague), Thursday, 16 June 2005 08:48 (twenty years ago)

I lived in Brighton around the time 'Levelling the Land' came out and saw them a few times, just before and after they 'broke', have to say they were pretty amazing live then, they had a clear message but still entertained. After that I lost interest pretty quickly though...

They used the money they made to collectively build the Metway studio in Brighton which has been a resource for local bands as well as giving space to local anarchist projects like Schnews etc...

― thomas, Thursday, 16 June 2005 08:59 (twenty years ago)

Does any of this compensate for "Just The One" with Special Guest Joe Strummer?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 16 June 2005 09:46 (twenty years ago)

Who are The Levellers?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 16 June 2005 12:15 (twenty years ago)

This lot.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 16 June 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

Pfft, I can't dance to that! Dud.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 16 June 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

Dancing is a manifestation of Stasist servility. Ahumanism will do away with such inessential frippery.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 16 June 2005 12:25 (twenty years ago)

Name one good act that the Metway studio has been involved in.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Thursday, 16 June 2005 13:41 (twenty years ago)

The Levellers, the band page.

If you know a pub or bar where the owners would play Truth & Lies for their customers, email us their name and the venue name & address then we’ll send them a promo copy of the new album.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 16 June 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

Now why does no-one who's actually any good make offers like that?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 16 June 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

Alas, indeed.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 16 June 2005 14:00 (twenty years ago)

"Name one good act that the Metway studio has been involved in"

i dunno, have a look:

http://www.metwaystudios.co.uk/feedback.htm

(FWIW Bemsha Swing were great, we played with them once, don't know whether they still exist)

― thomas, Thursday, 16 June 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

11 Levellers 15 Years (EP) May 1992
12 Levellers Belaruse Jul 1993
12 Levellers This Garden Oct 1993
17 Levellers Julie (EP) May 1994
12 Levellers Hope St. Aug 1995
16 Levellers Fantasy Oct 1995
12 Levellers with special guest Joe Strummer Just The One Dec 1995
24 Levellers Exodus (live) Jul 1996
13 Levellers What A Beautiful Day Aug 1997
28 Levellers Celebrate Oct 1997
24 Levellers Dog Train Dec 1997
33 Levellers One Way (re-recording) Feb 1999
34 Levellers Wild As Angels EP Jan 2003
38 Levellers Make You Happy Apr 2005

not as big as i'd thought, but they were pretty massive among a certain tranche of society (students).

amazing. presumably "there's only one way of life and that is your own" (how has this not been used in a shaving foam ad?) was on the first ep?

― Dean Gaffney's December (history mayne), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:33 (sixteen years ago)

I don't think it was, I think 'One Way' came out before that but didn't chart.

― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:48 (sixteen years ago)

not as big as i'd thought, but they were pretty massive among a certain tranche of society (students).

they meant nothing at my shitty school at the time, but were A HUGE DEAL at the private school up the road. i think they suck balls, but i've heard they're a pretty positive force i nBrighton, and their studios are apparently ace and cheap.

― I don't think this is funny..Much Clown Love Ya'll! (stevie), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:51 (sixteen years ago)

A HUGE DEAL at the private school up the road

lol yes. i was at a private school, and the older boys liked: james, ride, the levellers.

― Dean Gaffney's December (history mayne), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:52 (sixteen years ago)

Not a fan btw, I had to endure the Alarm in the 80s, didn't really want a second helping.

x-posts yeah I've heard that too

― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:53 (sixteen years ago)

oh god they're going to be next year's anti-cowell facebook protest group option aren't they

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:54 (sixteen years ago)

lol yes. i was at a private school, and the older boys liked: james, ride, the levellers.

lol that was me. Not so much James tho tbh.

In my defence I went off the Levellers very quickly once I left school, so it must've been peer pressure. That's my excuse anyway.

Still like Ride.

― Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:56 (sixteen years ago)

xp I don't think anyone under the age of 25 could sing you a Levellers chorus but Killing In The Name still has some traction - so I doubt it

― an hesher (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 11:10 (sixteen years ago)

Exactly the sort of thread title I needed first thing this morning. And the discovery that Alex in NYC actually knows me IRL, in all likelihood.

― cee-oh-tee-tee, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:44 (sixteen years ago)

(xpost) how about if the 2010 X Factor winner's song is a Levellers cover?

― HUH? not appropriate (snoball), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:47 (sixteen years ago)

post-gummo, anything is possible.

― Dean Gaffney's December (history mayne), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:49 (sixteen years ago)

There's only one
way of life
and that's
Simon Cowell's
Simon Cowell's
Simon Cowell's!

― HUH? not appropriate (snoball), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:54 (sixteen years ago)

^^^ j/k, not a serious endorsement of Simon Cowell's lifestyle.

― HUH? not appropriate (snoball), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:58 (sixteen years ago)

their uncanny ability to fall just short of the top 10 that often is pretty lols

― mdskltr (blueski), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 13:00 (sixteen years ago)

15 Years is a great song

― anagram, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:20 (sixteen years ago)

Did this sort of music have a name?

― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:22 (sixteen years ago)

Crusty. Sometimes confused with but imo marginally different to Raggle-Taggle.

― You treat your step-mother with respect, Pantera (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:28 (sixteen years ago)

Wasn't it Fraggle?

― The people of Ork are marching upon us (Matt #2), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:29 (sixteen years ago)

Nah, Fraggle was stuff like Mega City 4 and Family Cat, squeaky sub-Ramones pop punk

― You treat your step-mother with respect, Pantera (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:30 (sixteen years ago)

No, Crusty was the name (derived from the people involved in the scene having an aversion to baths and suchlike). xp

― anagram, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:31 (sixteen years ago)

Oh yeah so it was. Be sure not to confuse crusty with crust punk (aka crust) though.

xpost

― The people of Ork are marching upon us (Matt #2), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:33 (sixteen years ago)

never been a fan myself, but i can't be rude as one of them has a son in the same school class as mine

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Friday, 18 December 2009 18:24 (sixteen years ago)

They had a few decent songs imho although listening to them now is a tad cringey.

Carry Me, 15 Years, Beautiful Day, Liberty Song, and Battle Of The Beanfield are all decent, and they were great live a couple of times I saw them. I don't think they were ever cool though where they? Eternally naff.

― mogiaw, Saturday, 19 December 2009 02:48 (sixteen years ago)

Riverflow too was decent. Their more raggly-taggly tunes were way better than that indie dance stuff they also peddled.

― mogiaw, Saturday, 19 December 2009 02:51 (sixteen years ago)

I liked "Fantasy" and "This Garden". Otherwise, well... mandolin overkill, maybe....

― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 19 December 2009 13:41 (sixteen years ago)

They did a passable version of The Devil Went Down To Georgia at their live shows (I bet it was actually shit but it brings back fond memories of my lolstudent days, I haven't given them a passing thought for approx 13 years).

― ailsa, Saturday, 19 December 2009 14:06 (sixteen years ago)

So are they like the British Dave Mathews Band?

― filthy dylan, Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:10 (sixteen years ago)

If Dave Matthews was a grubby Trustafarian with a diddly aye di do fetish, yes.

― We Built This City on a Small Industrial Slum in Los Angeles (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:15 (sixteen years ago)

and if The Levellers had actually sold a bajillion records

― mdskltr (blueski), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:16 (sixteen years ago)

early 90s uk indie really was bollocks (apart for 30 something nostalgic ex-students on ilx obviously)

― Pfunkboy : The Dronelord vs The Girly Metal Daleks (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:24 (sixteen years ago)

mind you, the levellers were even worse in the mid 90s with their britpop stuff.

― Pfunkboy : The Dronelord vs The Girly Metal Daleks (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:24 (sixteen years ago)

more like a left-wing/anarchist/green... dropkick murphys? there probably isn't a comparable band.

the wiki has more info than i ever knew: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levellers_(band)

― Dean Gaffney's December (history mayne), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:25 (sixteen years ago)

idk herm, did they really go britpop?! they just remained shit iirc.

― Dean Gaffney's December (history mayne), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:25 (sixteen years ago)

they did get more radio play because of britpop though, for being a proper band with real instruments.

― Dean Gaffney's December (history mayne), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:26 (sixteen years ago)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8YGb1ZOYGpM/SFabbfxGTvI/AAAAAAAAAW4/NZGuONs2mXo/s320/special+brew.jpg

they released an album named after a drink associated with street drunks

― Dean Gaffney's December (history mayne), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:28 (sixteen years ago)

well they definitely changed their sound from more a rock with fiddles kinda thing to a more straightforward pop. But aye, they remained shit.
It was the guys vocals that made me hate them more than anything. He was a similar style to the seahorses chris helme (but obv not as bad). I remember Green Day sounded like the levellers for a while too(i think it was Warning).

Imagine the levellers had become a huge influence instead of radiohead across the world. *shudders*

― Pfunkboy : The Dronelord vs The Girly Metal Daleks (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:29 (sixteen years ago)

xp
Id rather listen to
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YyackLxSzQM/SK5dV5Wu1RI/AAAAAAAAB0g/6efw6Bo1sec/s400/bad%2Bmanners%2Bspecial%2Bbrew.jpg

― Pfunkboy : The Dronelord vs The Girly Metal Daleks (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:30 (sixteen years ago)

Minority is the GD song that most heavily recalls the Levellers for me I think

― flashback to 2007: with this guardian blog (DJ Mencap), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:38 (sixteen years ago)

yeah that rings a bell

― Pfunkboy : The Dronelord vs The Girly Metal Daleks (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:44 (sixteen years ago)

early 90s uk indie really was bollocks (apart for 30 something nostalgic ex-students on ilx obviously)

I deny all accusations.

And I am categorically not going to see Ned's Atomic Dustbin play God Fodder tonight. No sir.

― Colonel Poo, Saturday, 19 December 2009 18:14 (sixteen years ago)

I thought you were going to some hardcore punk show?

― Pfunkboy : The Dronelord vs The Girly Metal Daleks (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 19 December 2009 18:15 (sixteen years ago)

I was going to see Concrete Sox & the Subhumans, but Concrete Sox have cancelled and I've seen the Subhumans loads of times already. And then I saw the Ned's thing was on and thought "eh why not"? (Don't answer that, it's rhetorical)

― Colonel Poo, Saturday, 19 December 2009 18:16 (sixteen years ago)

two years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SlQNIe2Xk0&feature=plcp

didn't know Ricky Gervais was fronting these guys now

― syntax evasion (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 20 September 2012 07:08 (thirteen years ago)

I was going to start following the Levellers on the tour before they supported NMA, but it got cancelled when the drummer damaged his arm playing football.
At the time they were ok a folky punky crew from Brighton, less overtly poppy than they became later possibly less overtly preachy too.
I've enjoyed live sets from about the time that I've listened to since but really didn't like what they were coming out with when they became popular. & have been in places where I've had to listen to later stuff.

I think that NMA tour really popularised them or at least started their popularisation, they crossed over to suddenly having a lot of NMA fans following them from gig to gig, then word of mouth presumably gathered speed until they were the alternative band flavour of the month.

I remember meeting them through Salad From Atlantis another Brighton based band. These were also pretty UK hardcore but incorporated some Turkish/Middle Eastern flavour to their guitar playing. Not sure what happened to them.

― Stevolende, Thursday, 20 September 2012 08:15 (thirteen years ago)

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