Level 42 The Corn Exchange, Cambridge 18 October 2010

Fabulous to see Mark King bringing Level 42 back to play live in Cambridge! What’s more, the band is celebrating, wait for it, their thirtieth anniversary. Gosh! I can feel the excitement as we polish off a quick pizza in the pub next door. Inside the Cornex, some kind person has decided to remove all the seats from the main floor. Believe me. This is very good news.

No Gary Husband tonight. Who then will be sitting behind the kit? Pete Ray Biggin. The lad from Sheffield is no stranger to jazz funk fans, having played on ‘Transatlantic RPM’, one of the albums of the year from that other great British fusion outfit, also celebrating their thirtieth anniversary in 2010, Incognito. I can’t wait to hear him playing alongside Mark King, Sean Freeman, Nathan King and Mike Lindup!

The walk-on music combines a Kalimba, police sirens, military drums and Jeff Tracy’s ‘5-4-3-2-1’. It’s a great set list.  Plucked exclusively from the band’s Polydor days. Entirely Eighties. A selection which will please both sets of Level 42 fans, those people who’ve come to hear ‘the hits’ and those of us who want to hear the band’s older, more obscure jazz funk grooves.

At the heart of the set, there are three moments of absolute magic. All five musicians take the spotlight during ‘43’, a brilliant instrumental piece from the band’s first album. Mark, Sean, Nathan and Mike put down their instruments and pick up drumsticks to join Pete in short drum battle. Brilliant.

’Almost There’ provides Mark with an excellent vehicle for some showman ‘slaptastic’ bass playing. Mike takes the limelight on the timeless ‘Starchild’ suitably enhanced by splendid three-part harmony backing vocals from Mark, Sean and Nathan.

Pete the drummer is very much the star of the show tonight and I am lucky enough to meet him, Sean and Mark after the show. The band is filming the first of their two shows at the IndigO2 later in the week. I can’t wait to see the DVD, when it’s released. Roll on next tour!

Set List: Hotwater – Dream Crazy – World Machine – To Be With You Again – Running in the Family – Kansas City Milkman – It’s Over – Almost There – Starchild – 43 – The Sun Goes Down – Something About You – Lessons in Love. Encores: Love Games – Heaven in my Hands.

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