Levellers gig review

We finally got to see The Levellers last night at the re-arranged gig, both date (postponed from last December) and place - seems there was an issue with the plasterwork in Lancaster Town Hall. So the gig took place at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe.

First up were the Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican who did a great job of warming the crowd up. If you haven't heard them, they perform their own takes of songs by the likes of Chris de Burgh and The Wombles. I had The Lady in Greggs in my head the morning after! Well worth going to see if you get the chance.

Unfortunately there was a bit of trouble at the start of The Levellers set. We were standing at the back so couldn't see what was happening but frontman Mark Chadwick had to tell some punter to chill out. When he didn't, Mark asked security to remove him which they duly did. Apart from that, all was well and with it being the 30th anniversary of Levelling the Land we got that album in its entirety. The sound was a bit muddy for the first few numbers but had been fine for the support and was ok for the rest of the Levellers' set. After LtL they played a mix of old favourites such as Hope Street and Carry Me along with a few songs from the new album. The encore included Beautiful Day and The Devil Went Down to Georgia which I remember them playing when I first saw them back in 1991.

Unlike the Platform where Fairport are playing in March, the Winter Gardens had no Covid checks and very few people were wearing masks. A couple of friends decided not to go and I can understand their concerns but hopefully it was a risk worth taking. We were right by the entrance and there was plenty of cold air coming in so fingers crossed we'll be ok. 

Morecambe Winter Gardens
25-Nov-2021

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For those who were concerned about the lack of Covid controls, here is a statement from the Chair of the Winter Gardens Trust - 

"The venue is Covid compliant & as masks are not legally required & the air ventilation is very good in the WG the promoter did not ask for lateral flow checks as this is not a legal requirement. The Platform is smaller, has less natural ventilation & council owned."