In the late 80s Folk-punk Was About as fashionable as a pair of your dad's old Y Fronts. As far as most people were concerned -and especially those music weeklies -punk was finished, spent, completely zonked out. It wt deader than Monty Python’s parrot. Only it wasn’t. Like many forms of roots music re-popularised in the 80s - like reggae and country -folk in its new. punk-inspired form was not about to lay dorm and die when interest shifted elsewhere. And the reason us simple: ordinary people liked it too much. It is essentially rebel music. Not rebellious in the sense that it directly challenged governments or shocked or outraged the moral majority, but because it provided A warm and welcome refuge for disaffected revellers who liked it because it provided a warm and welcome refuge for young disaffected revellers, who liked its vague anti-establishment stance and its emphasis on friendship and fun.
As a result hippy-ish punky raggle-taggle had unwittingly become the focus of a groundswell of political and moral frustration. However, when the Pogues - the central axis of the movement, though never champions of the more hippie elements began their slow decline with 1989's peace and love album folk-punk lost its leaders. Sensing the end of an era, but not, strangely. the beginning of another one. Journalists put the lid on the whole phenomenon. and began looking north to the indie/dance sounds emanating from Manchester. This is why, sadly, they missed out on the Levellers early years and the whole subculture and loyal live following that had since grown up around them. Make no mistake - the Levellers are massive. They score top 10 albums and singles, they play huge sell-out concerts across Europe and whether they like it or not they are the figurehead for the crusties and travellers the anarcho punks and hippies, the festival lovers and bean- butter eaters, the young and disenfranchised and the just plain bonkers.
Students love em. In the summer of 1992 at the Glastonbury Festival they played to the biggest stage front audience the event had ever seen, and only then did the music papers start to wonder what the hell they were missing out on, and only then did the band decide that they didn't need the publicity the music weeklies were now willing to afford them. Touch ! For the leaders the of vast underground movement, the Levellers have fairly prosaic origins. They began life in early 1988, when bassist Jeremy Cunningham and drummer Charlie Heather met up with fiddler Jon Sevink and guitarist/singer Mark Chadwick two regulars at their Brighton local - the Eagle. Charlie and ex art student Jeremy were veterans of local indie bad the Fence (though they don’t like to boast about the fact) who’d achieved some recognition with Frozen Water/Exit issued on the Brighton-based label the previous year (HAG 1 5/87 500 only £30). Following that groups demise a few months earlier, the pair were thinking of giving up music altogether, as indeed was Mark who was feeling equally respected after his split with another gang of local wannabees Sweet Dragon. But following a short period of musical inactivity the foursome’s interest in performing was rekindled by, among other Inspirations the raucous folk -punk local Brighton act McDermott's Two Hours whose gigs were attracting a wide cross-section of music fans hell-bent on drinking copious amounts of alcohol and generally having a good time.
Not averse to the odd pint and a good ole hoe down themselves the lads decided to start their own folk inspired group though they were keen to use it positively. as a vehicle to address contemporary social issues. Echoing New Model Army's choice of name they christened themselves the Levellers after a radical section of Oliver Cromwell's Civil followers who advocated republican politics End the freedom of worship Within z short time the group had penned t fresh set of folky originals- and with the help of OE second guitarist the mysterious -Bucky embarked on a series of local gigs. Their ability to marry rousing melodies to a robust weave of clattering drums and punchy guitars s immediately won them following and before long they were playing to larger crowds than their erstwhile influences. Although like the proverb - Murphy’s McDermott's Two Hours couldn't have been too bitter - especially s the Levs covered their sprightly 'Dirty Davey' on their eponymous, self titled third album.
From the outset the Levellers had enrolled the support of Hag Records' boss Phil Nelson an M A student at Sussex University who’d started the label with the money from his British Academy grant Now acting as their manager he began helping the band to get gigs across the South where the group promoted themselves with a brace of demo tapes. The first, entitled ‘All The Free Commons Of England’ featured a handful of studio tracks while the second ‘An Agreement For the People’ coupled a further five demos with several songs recorded at a one off gig in Amsterdam. Unsurprisingly these are the feathers in the cap of any self-respecting Levs fan and today tend to change hands for around £20 apiece By early 1989 the Levellers who by this time were gigging with a vengeance had sold around 500 copies of each tape and were keen to immortalise their t alents on vinyl. Nelson's Hag Records was still up and running so with their manager’s help the group splashed out on a session at the Old Barn in Croydon with s view to putting out a 12- EP in the spring with producer Phil Vinall at the controls the Levellers taped what would become a lasting jewel in their crown ‘The Last Days Of Winter’ a frantic jumpy call to arms on which Mark spits out his manifesto of positive pacifist action against a backdrop of furious rattling drums and wheeling guitars and violin. Strangely the group thought ‘Last Days’ was inappropriate as a lead track and returned to Brighton to record the equally striking ‘Carry Me’ together- with two more songs ‘What’s In My Way’ and the chilling ‘England My Home’ with producer Mark Waterman. On its release in May 1989 the ‘Carry Me’ EP caught the attention of Cathi Unsworth at Sounds who gave it s glowing review. ‘It even got a couple of plays on Radio 1. recalls Phil Nelson . despite the fact test it contained the line too f**ked to fight. I don't think anyone noticed that. Within a few weeks, all 1000 copies had been sold out.
Around this time. the Levellers hitched up with Charlie Myatt which proved to be an important step forward in the group's bid to develop a wider fan base. He'd only been an agent for a short time when we met him. but he came down to Sussex to see us and was immediately bowled over with what we were doing, explains Nelson. He became a very close ally, especially over the next couple of years when record company interest was nil and folk-punk was regarded s the least popular music around. We got ignored, and Charlie and I were the two people bottling away against this tide of indifference
With Charlie quickly securing dates on the prestigious UK college circuit and, further afield in Scotland. Ireland and Holland the lads decided that fifth member was required to flesh out their sound - Bucky' having disappeared several months earlier, after only a few weeks with the band. The job was offered to Alan Miles. A skilled mandolin player and guitarist. whose presence added further texture and warmth to ever developing songs like I Have No Answers and Barrel Of A Gun. Come the late summer, and the Levellers were itching to record again. Following the success of the First EP, Phil Vinall was recalled to the mixing desk, and the group laid three tracks appearing on the Outside Inside' EP, issued in October 1989. This 12" captured the Levs in a belligerent mood, with the stomping, Motown folk-punk of the title track doing nothing to suggest a musical mellowing. Even so, the band still nurtured a quieter side, which surfaced most clearly on Hard Fight', an acoustic lament that underlined the Sowing strength and maturity of Mark's vocals, and confirmed the Levellers' growing anti-establishment stance. With Outside Inside' repeating the success of Carry Me', the band were beginning to attract the independents. though none could offer the level of financial support the Levellers required. Then a friend suggested that they approach the French label. Musidisc. which had just set up offices in London. To their surprise, Musidisc were eager to sign them and, what’s more. appeared to have s genuine liking for their music.
We had to take their offer seriously, explains Nelson, because we just didn't have the money to record on album. We thought we knew enough between us to make a relationship work, so we signed to them for what was to be a three-Album deal. In the events the agree ment resulted in only one. In the early months of 1990, the band entered Loco Studios in Wales with Waterboys producer Phil Tennant, to tape the songs which would later appear on their debut Album, 'A Weapon Called The Word’ Initial sessions were a success, spawning fresh versions of tracks like Carry Me, Outside Inside and 'I Have No Answers', as well its a bath of newies including No Change and Blind Faith. While Tennant's Production embedded a gentle sheen to the vintage material. Mark's forthright vocal delivery and the band's death rattle exuberance lent the recordings an air of urgency and honesty, reflecting their live energy and funkiness. Issued in May, the album split critical opinion, though those who liked it revered its brash earthly music and message "And the band are still pleased with it", adds Nelson.
For a taster single, Musidisc lifted the opening track, the barnstorming back-to-basics rocker "World Freak Show" but, due to admin problems, it didn't appear until June. The group were understandably peeved, especially as the label used two (now already available) album tracks as B-sides. They could now do little except watch the 45's sink without a trace. To make matters worse, Alan Miles had quit the bans a few weeks earlier, ground down by the relentless live schedule, leaving them with the task of finding another accomplished folk instrumentalist to fill the gap.
Fortunately, a replacement appeared in the form of Simon Friend an established musician on the accoustic/folk circuit, who brought to the band several of his own compositions which were quickly incorporated into their set. With Simon in tow, the group headed on a European tour with New Model Army who's lead singer, Justin 'Slade The Leveller' Sullivan had previously worked with Simon. It almost ended in disaster when bassist Jeremy lost the use of one arm. However, by drawing on Simons talents as a multi-instrumentalist, the band were able to honour their commitments as the all-accoustic 'Levellers II", who have since been revived to rescue gigs in the event of power failure etc..
In October 1990, a second Musidisc single appeared, coupling the anthemic 'Together All The Way', witha claustrophobic, hypnotic version of 3 Friends, judiciously smothered in an intense cacophony of violin, electric mandolin and pumping dance rhythms. In some quarters it was hailed as the first acid-folk record. Scary or What!!
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