The Levellers,Alabama 3 Live Review @ Civic Hall (Wolverhampton) - 06 Mar 2008

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Live Review

The Levellers are twenty, a bit of a shock for the reviewer who remembers listening to their first album at a friend's house before school. Tonight, back in the present, I head to the Wolverhampton Civic in time to see support act 'Alabama 3' take the stage. Dressed in pristine white cowboy kit, they present country-blues stage personas that alternate between entertaining and insulting the audience. All their blowing hot and cold does eventually provoke the audience into life, not least when they walk the crowd to request Johnny Cash impersonations.

The movement summoned from the crowd for their last song is a gentle breeze compared to the hurricane force reaction as the lights come down for the Levellers – here is the band that the faithful are waiting to see. Jon Sevink is picked out in a spotlight, fiddle poised, and 'England My Home' surges through the venue. The sound system, slightly muddy for the stripped down sound of the Alabama 3, is perfect for the raucous noise that comes from a veteran folk-rock band in full flight. On the intro to 'Battle of The Beanfield', the speaker stacks shake under each pounding bass note, the floor carrying the vibrations to five hundred united hearts and minds - this is an audience who know their Levellers.

'Carry Me', 'One Way' and 'What a Beautiful Day' are all delivered like anthems to a better future and their effect in a large venue is an unmissable experience. The only moment when the crowd seems muted comes in new song, 'Burn America Burn' – perhaps because it is easier to be angry at injustice in England than the abstract idea of 'bad America', or maybe it's just new-song-syndrome. When fans have been singing along for twenty years any new material is bound to take a while to get going.

If the new material doesn't entirely convince then it is only in contrast to a back catalogue of powerful, emotive songs that still sound fresh two decades on. It's an impressive achievement, and makes for a spectacular night.

James Thomson