I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of the music journos and others on OTF regarding this seemingly long running dispute.

I've been a fan of The Levellers since the early '90s, but I would say fan with a small 'f'. I've never been a slavish adherent to their politics or the Crusty movement, but just happen to enjoy their music and agree with some of the issues that they highlight. If I don't happen to agree with them on certain points it doesn't stop me from enjoying what they do.

I'm trying to get to the bottom of why there seems to be a mutual dislike between the band and the music press, as I missed most of the action at the time. Is it a musical argument, or is it about what the group represents?

Sometimes it seems like there's no middle ground - you either love 'em or hate 'em. In fact the only time that I've been ridiculed in public over the music that I like was when I mentioned to a bloke at a party that I liked The Levellers. Cue a withering look of disbelief coupled with 'OMG- you don't like The Levellers, do you?'

Is there a wider issue involved - England's relationship with Folk and Roots music being different to Scotland, Wales and Ireland perhaps?

They refused to talk to the music press in the mid-90s but did consent to a piece in which, in some sort of interview format, they took MM, NME to task for various perceived failings, most of which were standard issue cliche. I then wrote lengthy retort the week after. That's about as much as I can remember. I think I won, like, but if anyone has any more lucid memories . . .

(I do also recall that the later considered the exercise a mistake. The Levellers have done very well for themselves, financially, by virtue of having spent their advance wisely on studio facilities and property in Brighton. Very nice fellows, I'm told).

Very nice fellows, I'm told

They are indeed....

I think they're rubbish, and I dare say I wrote as much in print at some point, but somewhat bizarrely I ended up DJing the singer's wedding.

I'm frightened even to dip a memory straw into the reservoirs of hatred I once had for these turd-haired, pretend-pov, blim-hole-crotched, thick-as-shit, unapologetic-fart-smelling, Dark Crystal-looking motherfuckers and I'm sickened that you've even reminded me of them, historyman.

You've got to admire the sheer brass fucking balls of a band who took one single song ("Vagabonds" by New Model Army) and made a career from seemingly covering it over and over and over again. I mean, there are tribute bands, but that's just taking the piss.

I'm not a fan, but some of my favourite posters on TalkPunk are; including George Berger (their biographer), whose review of their Zeitgeist album is well worth a read
www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=17550466426#!/note.php?note_id=37083440546

Also, this interview with them
www.otf.org.uk/yabbse/index.php?topic=2808.0

You have to scroll down a fair way on the Facebook link but please do read the review, it's a fine piece of writing.

I'm a Levella hata an all. Though I too have heard that they're awfully nice chaps.

Fifteen Years has a nice riff. The best since Remember You're A Womble.

Spearmint Rhino wrote:
I think they're rubbish, and I dare say I wrote as much in print at some point, but somewhat bizarrely I ended up DJing the singer's wedding.

You get into a bit of a chat about them at the bottom of this interview as well. I stumbled onto it looking for evidence of wingo's article. No luck.

historyman wrote:
Sometimes it seems like there's no middle ground - you either love 'em or hate 'em. In fact the only time that I've been ridiculed in public over the music that I like was when I mentioned to a bloke at a party that I liked The Levellers. Cue a withering look of disbelief coupled with 'OMG- you don't like The Levellers, do you?'

He felt alone in a crowded room...

Back in the mists of time there was some kind of World In Action/This Week kind of programme on tv about a missing 16 year old girl who (if I recall) had fallen out with her parents over her love of all things "Levellers". She went missing. They found her. They had a reconciliation where they all listened to some godawful Levellers dirge. They started to cry. I was in an even worse state.

Surely they cannot still be going?

They are indeed. Last gig I went to was a Levellers one, where they played one song off their new album then went and played all their early nineties back catalogue as it was the only stuff people liked. They were supported by an absolutely magnificent Croatian band called Divokej Bill though, who I'd thoroughly recommend.

Still doing about 60 gigs a year.
Whether you like them or not, they're good musicians who always put on a good show.

Decent blokes with families and mortgages (like the rest of us) who believe in what they do and don't really give a fuck what others say about them.

Also organisers of one of UK's most successful festivals for the past eight years

www.beautifuldays.org/

Good luck to them....

The 'alternative Levellers message board' lives at an interesting website address doesn't it?

Yep, it's 'On The Fiddle'.
Can you see what they've done there? Hehe

I'd agree that England's relationship with Folk and Roots music is an issue. However, this doesn't prevent the Levellers from being rubbish.

diabloingles wrote:
Decent blokes with families and mortgages (like the rest of us) who believe in what they do and don't really give a fuck what others say about them.

Not everyone has families and mortgages, you know.

What DSS said.

My mate who helps run the Tolpuddle trade union festival booked the Levellers a few years back, but said their fans were such a bunch of arseholes, and so soured the normally easygoing atmosphere, that he'd never book them again. The band themselves were nice enough chaps, apparently.

If rubbish.

Spearmint Rhino wrote:
diabloingles wrote:
Decent blokes with families and mortgages (like the rest of us) who believe in what they do and don't really give a fuck what others say about them.

Not everyone has families and mortgages, you know.

(Nor is everyone a bloke, for that matter.)