Marking over 20 years of the Independent music scene, Primal Scream and The Levellers are coming to Birmingham this March, playing special retrospective album showcases at the O2 Academy.
In the late eighties/early nineties, independently financed and run record labels such as Creation, Factory, Beggars Banquet and Deconstruction, were churning out now ‘legendary artists’ including New Order, Oasis, Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses. Now, 20 years after their original release, two of the most significant nineties bands will be playing their signature albums live on the O2 stage.
On March 15th Primal Scream come together for a one off performance of Screamadelica, their 1991 Andrew Weatherall produced classic. Featuring many seminal tracks, including Movin’ On Up, Come Together, Higher Than The Sun, Loaded and Damaged, Screamadelica was Primal Scream’s third studio album and the beginning of their widespread success.
Then on March 17th, The Leveller’s perform their revered 2nd album, Levelling The Land. A monster hit when released in 1991, reaching No14 on the British charts, tracks like ‘One Way’ and ‘Fifteen Years’ became anthems of the UK travelling and new wave ‘hippie’ communities, with the band’s communal approach to royalties becoming almost as publicised as their music.
The commercial success of albums such as Screamadelica and Levelling The Land, and the reflected success of other early nineties Indie artists, marked a significant shift away from the high profile major label releases, towards the grass roots support of the Dance and Rock scenes. The term ‘Indie’ was introduced to represent the independently controlled record labels of the early nineties, many of which have now been bought out by established major labels, but has become synonymous with a defined style and culture.
For more information on the Screamadelica and Levelling The Land showcase gigs go to www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk