h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm off for a much-needed break tomorrow, so I won't be around for a few days. I have two old and good friends that live within 20 miles of each other in Hampshire, so I'm going up to visit them. I'll be seeing G and his family tomorrow and spending Saturday with them, hopefully taking a good long stroll on Saturday morning, before going to on S's for several good pints in St Denys. Sunday will be spent with another good stroll in the New Forest, a few more pints, a late lunch and a night at the Levellers gig in Pompey - they always have great support, as well as being a superb live band.

I'll be back, somewhat hungover, on Monday.

G? S?

I had the pleasure of seeing The Levellers at Glasto a few years back. I wouldn't buy one of their albums but they are a seriously good live band.

Have a good'n duder.

Have a nice, peaceful, weekend.. If you can't be good, be careful

I'd follow them into Crustyland if they led me, RoyMondo. The only time I've been pissed off with them was when they stopped playing 'Riverflow' last, but now it's there in its rightful place. And yes, my friends have short names. It's a Devon thing.

I'll be careful, of course, my lil profiterole!

I need to shave my head, before the cricket starts

Enjoy your well deserved break mate; after the DLA I have the dubious privilidge of going to see The Mother over the weekend

Lor' I must hav been a b#a#d mare in a previous life.... or sommat!

Blimey, the Levellers are still going!?

The last I remember of them was bumping into a raggedy travelling party of their fans in early hours of the morning at some 24hour garage as they all piled out of a shagged out old British Rail van. That must be 12, 14 years ago now. They looked like they'd had a good evening's entertainment.

The Levellers are one of the greatest live bands you could ever hope to see.

I tell you what - I've been going to see them for a long time, and they're still sharp. My brother, seven years younger than me, goes to see them too - there's all sorts of odd people at their gigs, and even Roymondo wouldn't look out of place... They went through a very brief period when the seemed to be interested in ballads and making chart singles, but thankfully they're back to their roots now - loud, acerbic and slightly smelly.

They don't do a huge amount of audience participation, but they seem to know what their crowd want. And their support bands are usually perfectly chosen - the first time I saw Seth Lakeman was supporting the Levellers.

Everytime I've seen The Levellers (once on acid, twice without) I've ended up a sweaty lump of blimey.

Every time I've seen them, I've been in agony the next day

I'm certainly not knocking them. They're just a band that disappeared off my radar some time ago.

I've got a couple of the early LPs, and I great enjoyed them at the time. Though the opportunity and timings meant that I never got to see them live. Their fans, as previously mentioned, did seem a happy crew. And that van of theirs has always stuck in my memory for its particular shagged-out-edness.

Have a great time Rich.

It was a cracking weekend. I did quite a lot of walking, and found to my utter surprise that I really, really do like dogs. It was great to see the guys again, and head back up Old Winchester Hill with its great views and roguish hawthorns.

I found out after I left home that the Levs were doing a signing, and unfortunately I don't tend to carry all my old vinyl around with me on the off chance. Later, though, we went to a pub before the gig and spotted Mark sitting drinking there, surrounded by oblivious Levs fans. We hung around after they went off, and had a quick chat with Mark (a cricket fan, it seems) - he was surpisingly tipsy for a guy who was going onstage in an hour.

Inside, they were superb. I headed for the mosh pit all too regularly and threw large amounts of beer over any of the crowd in my vicinity. They played most of the classics, avoided ballads for the most part and generally gave the impression that they were having a jolly good time of it themselves. Cracking stuff.

I really should have weekends like that more often

Photos will be at http://skankyrich.fotopic.net/c1153178.html as soon as they get cleared by the moderation people

Jon Sevink has a violin from the same manufacturer as myself, although his is a Diablo (the nut is exclusive to him.)

I am a fan, although their politics are But I have at least 5 of their CD's but no Vinyl, unfortunately. Discovered them too late.

But 'There's only one way out!'

Glad you had a good time!