Review by Stephen Garner (www.bbc.co.uk)

The concert opened in spectacular fashion with a siren alert, flashing lights and a drum roll that suggested something exciting was about to happen and Level 42 did not disappoint.

Mark King’s trademark funky flapped bass lit up the stage, it was the late 80s again and it was time to party. Early on, King, the obvious driving force in the band explains that “there is no new stuff” and what we are about to hear is the old material. This is greeted with a loud cheer – the fans were just pleased to have them back.

We were given a taste of what the group were about in the early 80′s with Love Meeting Love. During that period of time they were the leading UK Brit-funk band and Mark King’s bass solo’s demonstrated he has lost none of his ‘funkiness’. We relived their colloboration with Earth, Wind and Fire on Micro-Kid, along with World Machine and Leaving Me Now from the days when the band were at their peak.

But it was half way through the programme when the evening really burst into life with the fans being treated to a medley of Level 42 hits starting with Living It Up and including Running In The Family, Lessons In Love and Something About You. All bringing the audience to their feet, to dance, sing and clap along.

If there were any critiscms, the beginning of the show never really caught fire. After the opening number Heaven In My Hands, the crowd were a little subdued. This may have been down to the inclusion of some lesser known album tracks like Follow Me and A Physical Prescence, and the surprising exclusion of such classic numbers as The Chinese Way, Forever Now and It’s Over.

But nothing sounded date, the musicianship was of the highest order and Mark King proved that he is still a very talented perfomer. In a time of the Pop Idol, dance moves and hair gel it was great to take a trip down memory lane and very refreshing to see a band playing instruments.