[ originally published 26/03/2014 ]
Levellers
Lemon Grove, Exeter University – 14th October 1991
Support: Sandkings
The first of three gigs in the same week! For whatever reason, I think the guy on the PA was feeling somewhat mischievous this night. After the support band had finished, he for some reason thought it would be a good idea to play ‘Straight Outta Compton’ by N.W.A. The entire album. Very loudly! Now, gangsta rap was never your average Levellers fan’s cup of tea, in spite of the shared sentiments in the lyrics of Fuck Tha Police. The longer the record played, the more restless the crowd became. Initially, I found it hilarious, but I did start to get a tad concerned as the audience became increasingly hostile towards the sound guy. So it was somewhat of a relief when the Levellers finally appeared on stage.
This was shortly before the Levs went massive and mainstream, so the smaller Lemon Grove was heaving. Come their next tour, they'd be playing much larger spaces with more than double or triple the audience!
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