The Levellers

[iwwobblie]

So I know I'm a clueless yank,but I just discovered them and they kick arse.

[Cencus]

The Levellers used to be one of me fave bands. I loved the early stuff, but felt the music got weaker after the 3rd album.

If you like the Lev's I'd recomend you give New Model Army a listen.

[iwwobblie]

I've been into New Model Army since the 80's,but for some reason I never heard the Levelers until recently.

[Cencus]

The Lev's started off playing the travellers festies, and cut thier teeth on that scene for a few years before it was pretty much crushed by the state.

In the U.K. a lot young folk got vehicles and travelled in convoy from site to site, holding free festivals wherever they went. This confrontation came to a head at stonehenge in 85 (iirc). For the previous 24 years there had been a free festy held at the stones, and allegedly if it was held for 1 more year the state would have been powerless to stop it in future years. The battle of the beanfield was as brutal a police action as any seen on the picket lines for years, the travellers vehicles, thier homes were smashed up and confiscated, leaving them homeless. After that the travellers were public enemy no.1 over here, and the police did thier best to put a total end to the traveller scene here. Over time a strange alliance between Travellers & ravers emerged, the travellers providing the venues and the drugs, the ravers the sound system.

After building a strong and loyal following the Lev's managed to move to the mainstream, playing at almost every legal festy and eventually signing to a major. The money made went was ploughed into getting the band an arts studio, which is still there today, helping local artists and bands.

Other bands of note from this scene

Back to The Planet http://www.myspace.com/backtotheplanet
Radical Dance Faction http://www.myspace.com/radicaldancefaction
Ozric Tentacles http://www.myspace.com/ozrictentaclesuk
Culture Shock http://www.myspace.com/civilizationstreet

Basicly it was a scene that embraced every alternative musical style from the previouis 30 years everything from punk to psychodelia