a beautiful day for Under the Big Top with the Levellers

Under the Big Top 2013

Friday 12th to Saturday 13th July 2013
Graves Park, Hemsworth Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S8 8LL, England MAP
£46.50 for both days, or Friday £25, Saturday £26.50

Under the Big Top is a brand new music event that takes place in Graves Park, just south of Sheffield's City Centre. It features large headliners and local bands as support, and sells local real ales and food. Saturday night sees local performer Richard Hawley headline with Tom Hickox as support. Tonight however sees the mighty Levellers headline.

Bad Cardigan are a couple of lads from East Lancashire who have supported the Levellers before in London. They have an indie feel and play acoustic guitars along with very good vocal harmonies.

Bison have eleven members, are from Sheffield and have played Glastonbury five times (Mumford who?). They play infectious hip hop, soul, swing, ska etc that has everyone dancing. Of course the real ale helps but everyone here is in a jolly good mood. The sun is here to stay for the evening, it's a rare time in the North where a tent was the sensible option but wasn't needed!

The queues for the bar and toilets between sets and are huge, but not unbearable. The staff are working hard in the hot weather, and the real ale tastes like it's worth the wait. One guy is stood near the bar with twelve pints at his feet. He will not sell one to a lady when she asks to avoid the queue. He is still outside the tent with five pints towards the end of the set…

The Levellers are guaranteed to raise the Big Top roof. Several times the sing-a-long echoes fill the space, especially to the classic 'One Way' and 'What A Beautiful Day'. The whole tent is dancing along to my favourite 'Riverflow'. It’s a mix of classics, newer songs and a Charlie Daniels Band cover 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' to end on during the second encore. 'This Garden' is a track I have not heard live in a while. It is played after the awesome 'Boatman', and didgeridoo player Steven Boakes stays on stage in his UV face paint to accompany the band during 'This Garden' and 'One Way', dancing and spinning like a man possessed throughout the latter.

It always feels like a family reunion, going to a Levellers gig. Having this in the lovely open air setting of Graves Park makes it extra special, and the weather, well, thanks for joining us Summer! It truly was a beautiful day for it.

England My Home
What A Beautiful Day
The Game
World Freak Show
Belarus
15 Years
Truth Is
Far From Home
Mutiny
Sell Out
Men-An-Tol
Our Forgotten Towns
Boatman
This Garden
One Way
Carry Me
Dirty Davey
The Riverflow
Cholera Well

The Recruiting Sergeant
Liberty Song

The Devil Went Down to Georgia