Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
It would be easy to give the phrase “There is something about them“ a gentle autumn-clean and present it as if it was the most novel expression coined about Level 42, however despite the wording being over used, it remains a factor of the subtly, the complexity and delivery of the band’s music that makes it a truth always worth pursuing and being entrusted with spreading the word about.
Level 42 have become a rich, pleasurable staple diet over the last ten years at the Philharmonic Hall, a consistent approach to making sure the groove and the sound of the highest quality, the interaction felt keenly on both sides of the stage’s divide, and this latest venture into the symphonic sound that the Hall maintains was no different, it was nothing short of illuminating, and one that urged the fans in their droves to party as if New Year’s Eve had come early and merged with everybody’s birthdays.
It was also a time for the wonderful and heart-felt gesture in which the memory of former member, guitarist Alan Murphy, was praised and remembered, 29 years to the day since he sadly passed away.
From the lively memory of the personal recollections and the way we are bound to never truly escape all that happens behind closed doors and the expectations imposed, the disappointments we face, Running In The Family, was arguably the most perfect of openers to an evening of wonderfully poignant music. With a set that contained tracks such as The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up), Starchild, Good Man In A Storm, Mr. Pink, The Chinese Way, the heartbreak of It’s Over, Heaven In My Hands, the sensational hit of Something About You and Lessons In Love, Level 42 were guaranteed the response of wild applause and the dedication to the near hypnotic poetry of the dancing audience.
Level 42 have always deserved the adulation, the promise of the time in which they have practised, played and performed their music, was always measured, composed and reflected upon, and each beat took the audience a little closer to their own version of musical elation. A night of surprise, of reminisce and delight, across two bands that hugged the stage as if it was the most-dearest place in the world, and one in which the only response could be, captivating!
Ian D. Hall