Live Review

Levellers – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

• 13th Nov 2014

So what occasion are the levellers marking this year with their latest tour? Well it was the double greatest hits album of course. So into London they come once more for a set of fan favourites at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. And as ever it’s a packed house and generally full of a lively crowd as one expects from a levellers gig. Great fans supporting a great live band, and still to this day of the best live bands at any mid-size venue you are likely to see.

The Selecter had a decent amount of Ska time beforehand to warm the crowd up. And stage times are surprisingly well kept. In fact so well kept that the Levellers get on stage early! It’s a 90 minute booked set and they don’t make much of a fuss about getting right on with it.

You’d think 90 minutes isn’t ling for a “Greatest Hits” gig… but you’d be surprised just how much material they can plough through in a short space of time. And being a “Greatest Hits” gig it’s almost pointless to name check songs. Rest assured they left no stone unturned along the way.

Of course at a certain interval you can expect some glow in the dark paint accompanying a didgeridoo, and the band did at least two encores
Kudos also has to go out to Simon Friend for making sure that the crowd played nicely with each other.

All in all another exception performance or some of the best live music you are ever likely to hear. If you haven’t been to see them yet – be reminded they pretty much tour all the time. It’s affordable, it’s friendly and it’s entertainment at its best from a band passionate about their music and performing it to their fans.

Venue: Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Support Band: The Selecter