Levellers 'Chaos Theory DVD' album

Whatever you think about the Levellers, prepare to think again. The Levellers and The Sun, strange bedfellows indeed, but then the Levellers have made a habit of confounding expectations. From headline performances at Glastonbury and festivals throughout the world to intimate acoustic shows, the Levellers have long been one of the best live bands around. With a keen political eye and uncompromising attitudes they’ve always led from the front but yet have the sureness of touch to write pop gems like ‘What a Beautiful Day’ alongside the many anthems: ‘One Way’, ‘15 Years’, ‘Just The One’.

2006 marks the fourth year of their own Beautiful Days festival, again blazing a path for others to follow. This year, as always, it sold out the 10,000 capacity on word of mouth alone. 2006 also sees the first release “Chaos Theory” on the Levellers own label ‘On the Fiddle Recordings’.” Chaos Theory” captures the band live on DVD for the first time and amply demonstrates why they continue to sell 50,000 tickets to live shows each year. 2007 will see a new studio album.

‘They'll never last’ Derek Green MD China Records (Levellers old label)

Said the man who (briefly) signed the Sex Pistols to A&M. Wrong again as the Levellers have clearly stood the test of time, the original line-up still playing with a passion and pride that, having seen off many of their early contemporaries, is still setting a standard that many young pretenders find hard to match. The songs too, sound as fresh as the day they were written; a rich catalogue is plundered night after night as Mark Chadwick and Simon Friend belt out classics such as “Men-an-Tol”, “Riverflow”, “Liberty”, “Sell Out”,” The Game”, “Hope Street” and “England My Home”.

Home England may be but 2006 has also seen the Levellers play far & wide: Croatia, Poland, France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Drawn to playing live, like moths to a flame, they’ve also developed a lively acoustic set which has seen them win over new audiences. With headline slots at the Cambridge folk festival and playing at prestigious venues such as Buxton Opera House with guests like Maddy Prior the band have easily re-discovered their folk roots.

‘Beautiful Days’ festival held over three days in August at Escot House & Gardens, Devon, has seen the Levellers joined by acts as diverse as Seth Lakeman, Echo & The Bunnymen, Steel Pulse & Killing Joke. In keeping with Levellers ethos, ‘Beautiful Days’ has no corporate sponsorship, no branding, and no media partner’s - just 10,000 happy festival go-ers.

"Get the f*** out of our dressing room" Damon Albarn

It’s not all been a bed of roses, mutual suspicion and preconceptions have long seen the Levellers and the media occupying parallel but non-communicating universes. That ‘crusty’ tag has long hung around their necks, blinding the reality of a band that for right or wrong have always done it their way. Logic and longevity suggests that the Levellers have proved themselves as a great British band that is now firmly steeped into the public’s consciousness.

As the 20th anniversary approaches in 2008, it’s time to think anew. Those old perceptions, like the noise, died a death when the punks grew up.

‘The Levellers were my favourite act of the whole T In The Park weekend. ‘Simon Rothstein, The Sun, July 2006

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Levellers - Chaos Theory DVD