A live album which is full of reinvention and feels both familiar and refreshingly different.
The Levellers have always been known for their raucous energy, politically charged lyrics, and folk-punk spirit. ‘Collective/Live’ captures the band in a new phase, showcasing their musicianship with rich instrumentation, heartfelt harmonies, and a raw energy that proves they’re just as compelling in a more acoustic-driven setting. The Levellers’ signature sound is given a fresh twist—stripping things back for intimacy while maintaining their trademark power. The intensity of the performance is enhanced by the richness of the extra instrumentation brought to the album – the “Collective” – whose strings and percussion add an exquisite, extra complexity at times. The Levellers started working with the Collective, members of the band Moulettes, in 2017 with the producer John Leckie (who has worked with bands such as Radiohead and The Stone Roses) and it is great to hear that collaboration continuing to develop and bear fruit.
The Levellers, famously, once headlined the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury to an estimated crowd of 300,000. On this album they perhaps answer the question of where you can go from there. In playing live there is a spectrum of things a band might do. It could recreate and reproduce the sound of their recorded music. It could reinvent and rejuvenate songs. Or it could go further and reincarnate songs: give them new flesh and new meaning. The Levellers manage to do all these things. The album begins with ‘Carry Me’, an old song which has shed some of its original folk clothing and been reborn as an almost hymnal meditative piece. Some newer songs, such as ‘Drug Bust McGee’ and ‘Sitting in the Social’, have had less need to be recreated but remain witty, biting songs that paint a vivid picture of injustice and hypocrisy. The use of strings on these songs emphasises the tragedy, although do nothing to diminish the sense of anger contained in the words. Songs like the classic ‘The Boatman’ retain their anthemic nature but feel more warmly personal, and time seems to have given new meaning to lines such as, “But my will is never broken/I know someday I will be/Everything I dreamed I’d be”. There is a captivating musical interlude as well, a sort of Aboriginal dreaming sequence. Perhaps if it is one song that typifies the album, it is ‘Hope Street’. The passion of the song remains, but there is a more mournful feel and a musical complexity is added so that the raucousness becomes strangely uplifting.
A film of the concert, which was performed at Hackney Empire in 2023, is also being released. This adds another level of insight into the performance and is well worth viewing. At one point in the film Mark Chadwick asks the audience to “make the most of it”. The band certainly appears to have done. This is one of the real pleasures of the album, it has a great atmosphere and a real sense that the band are enjoying both performing and being creative in that performance. The live setting brings an undeniable warmth, and you can almost feel the connection between the band and the audience. This comes across even more clearly in the film, which is also beautifully shot. It’s a reminder of the Levellers’ enduring appeal—not just as musicians but as storytellers who bring people together.
Overall, Levellers ‘Collective/Live’ offers something for both die-hard fans and newcomers alike. It offers a unique perspective on their catalogue while staying true to the band’s rebellious, community-driven spirit. If this album doesn’t make you want to catch the Levellers live, nothing will.
