Live
Level 42 - Lessons In Love Live: Indigo at the O2, London 10/11/22
With tube drivers on strike for the umpteenth time, Level 42 fans who wanted to attend their Indigo show were left to ‘literally’ pay the price by either missing their jazz-funk heroes by either forfeiting their tickets because of lack of travel options or paying a lot more to get themselves to the venue by other means - speaking of which, I chose to drive, which ended up being a HUUUGE mistake! Not because of the exorbitant price for parking at the O2 but because UK rap duo D-Block Europe’s thousands of fans turned the area around the O2 into ‘Roadblock Europe’ for about an hour or so after the show had finished - thanks again, tube drivers! But, after catching’ 80s UK chart legends Level 42 in action earlier that evening at the O2’s sister venue, nothing was going to spoil my night!
I’ve seen Level 42 in action a handful of times and what’s never changed over the years is the depth of not just their catalogue but the undeniable quality of the show the band put on - I am pleased to say, tonight was no different. Once again, this cool collective delivered in style, with the deft and ever-so-slick bass playing from frontman Mark King, who matched each not pound for pound with his deeply distinct vocal which combines to propel the band through their rhythm-driven hits, much to the delight of the crowd.
As per, Mike Lindup punctuated proceedings with impeccable keys and complementing falsetto vocal backing, which morphed into stylish lead vocals when called upon, proving a worthy performance yin to King’s talent yang. Brass and backing vocal trio Sean “Skip” Freeman, Nichol Thompson and Dan Carpenter’s exuberance complimented throughout, while Nathan King’s understated performance on lead guitar was a joy to watch and Pete Ray Biggin’s metronomic beat keeping and drum solo brilliance tied the band’s performance together perfectly.
Of the night’s delights, “To Be With You Again” hit the ground running with its majestic delivery and driving beat. This was swiftly followed by another slice of pop perfection in the shape of their 1987 double platinum album namesake, “Running In The Family”. The crowd knew every word to every chart-topping song and whenever possible sang the lyrics back at King and Co. To the audience’s delight, the hits rolled on with earlier Level 42 tracks such as Lindup lead “Starchild”’, hypnotic “The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)”, band blazing “A Floating Life”, deeply melodic “Children Say”, thudding “World Machine” and bass guitar delights “Love Games” and Mr Pink were greeted like long lost by friends by the appreciative audience.
My personal faves on the night included 80’s encapsulating evergreen “Something About You” and the cherry on this magnificent musical cake, the heart-wrenching “Leaving Me Now”, which sounded as fresh and as poignant as the day it was released back in 1985 - King’s vocal, as it was throughout, was bang on the money. Just time to mention the 3 song encore after the epic “Heaven In My Hands” had done its job and left the audience wanting more... worldwide hit and pop banger “Lessons in Love” underlined why this jazz-funk outfit reached such dizzy heights across the globe before the lesser-known “Sunbed Song” took us back to mid-’90s with a heavy jazz-funk interlude while showing off the combined skills of the band before rounding the night off with another huge hit and bass monster, “Hot Water”. While the crowd clapped, cheered, whistled and caught their breath, the band took a well-earned bow and King mentioned the travel disruption, thanking fans for braving the trip to the venue, as he had at the start of the show but this time wishing us luck getting home… shame he couldn’t give us a lift on his way back to the Isle of Wight!
Level 42 will be touring the UK through October and November 2023, for more details visit level42.com
PHOTOS: LEE TYLER
Words LEE TYLER
