[ some of this article originally published 12/03/2014 in error... ]
THE LEVELLERS
Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth - 7th March 1992
Support: Back To The Planet
This was the second of three times Wayne and I saw the Levellers other than at festivals. For years, I thought the anecdote I'm about to tell happened at the Brighton show that took place at the end of 1992, but the more I think about it', I'm sure it actually happened at Plymouth. Furthermore, I'd previously listed this show as taking place the following year. I clearly hadn't done enough research as it was definitely March 1992.
Wayne and I had only managed to obtain ‘restricted view’ tickets, that odd thing where despite not being able to see everything clearly, you’re still charged full price regardless. Our seats were on the balcony to the far side of the stage. This meant we couldn’t see the extreme left of the stage. But at least we were there. At some point though, we decided we wanted to be in the thick of it. Immediately below where we were seated was a raised area for wheelchairs. It wasn’t occupied. We watched as two blokes slowly eased themselves over the edge of the balcony and let themselves drop onto the platform below before legging it into the swelling crowd at the front of the stage. Wayne and I sized up the drop. We looked at each other.
“What do you reckon?” one of us said to the other. “Want to give it a go?”
It looked a long way down and I’m not great with heights, but with little thought as to the potential consequences (getting thrown out by security, broken bones, death) I went for it. I landed with a thud as my para boots hit the floor. Wayne followed. I also recall helping to catch a slightly scared girl who decided to do the same thing before we ran towards the crowd. Wayne told me later that one of the security staff had clocked me and gave chase, but I had disappeared into the pit before he caught me and he decided against following me in. I delighted in that knowledge. That to me was in the true spirit of anarchy and rebellion. Fuck you, ticket-selling scumbags – you can take your overpriced restricted view tickets and shove ‘em where the sun don’t shine. Catch me in the mosh pit if you dare, motherfuckers!
There’s only one way of life and that’s your own.
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