are doing pretty well, but it’s been like a long hard struggle for us. We never have thought about it: when we were playing small clubs we were happy so long as people come to see us. We’ve always been happy, and now it just happens that more people are coming to see us than ever. We don’t really think about it because next year we could just drop like a stone, but I can’t really see that happening because it’s been such a slow rise that the decline at least ought to do us a favour and be a bit graceful like.’
Levellers’ tuneful songs are played with a mix of styles inventive enough to incorporate old fashioned dog-breath rock, a spot ofdidgeridoo and a good tilt at folky fiddling, with lyrics that (whisper this in a happening 90s Listings magazine) are decidedly agitprop in their outlook. It’s no ranting mish-mash though, but a carefully selected blend that increasingly tends towards those folky influences. ‘Folk music is something all of us have always liked because the best of it was always rebel music,’ explains
‘We’re not living in the 16th century. We’re not Luddites, but we do believe in
equality and that everything an individual does makes a difference.’
Jeremy, ’not like rock music which was always really safe and leather-trousered. Folk music was a bit more underground, and dangerous. about communities and stuff. When I started listening to punk music I really got into all that.’
‘Communities and stuff‘ is what The Levellers are all about, the abolition of social distinctions, and advocacy of equality. So what with hit records and mega tours, are the band not being a bit tokenistic? ‘No,’ asserts Jeremy. ‘This is the way we live, and that’s about it. We’re not living in the 16th century. We’re not Luddites. but we do believe in equality and that everything an individual does makes a differ- ence; that you should try and do your best and not be led by what others are doing around you. Think for yourself basically, is what we have always said and always done ourselves. We don’t have any sort of message, we don’t tell people we’re right, we just tell them to have a bit of faith in themselves, not even in us.’
Such high-mindedness can have its contra-
THE LEVELLERS FEATURE
‘Folk music is something all of us have always liked because the best of it was always rebel music, not like rock music which was always really safe and leather-trousered.’
dictions. Once you start charging more than £2 for the unemployed to get into your gigs you start to be on the receiving end of those ‘Sell-out’ taunts. ‘I can sympathise with that, you know,’ says Jeremy. ‘The bigger venues you play, the more you have to charge, just so you can put in enough stuff to be loud enough and that. If you look at the size of venues we are playing there’s no one that’s done it as cheap as us, putting on three bands and a circus every night. But in the end it is all just excuses, I can totally sympathise with them, if I was unemployed I probably wouldn’t come to see us.’ [
What with a tenner for what looks to be a ‘ couple of pretty stonking gigs at Barrowland, l the Maker debacle and all, where would i Jeremy draw the line at spreading the Levellers’ message? ‘lfl could use it to better I things I’d do anything, I think,’ he says. ‘That’s people’s responsibility, to try - anything.’ [J
The Levellers play Glasgow Barrow/and on i 27 and 29 September. All tickets for 6 October ' valid only for 27, 7 only for 29. Welter-holders f to be in the venue by 8.30pm. I
W l
The List 24 September—7 October 1993 13