Level 42

Level 42 bring their agile blend of jazz‑funk and sleek pop back on stage on 5 December 2026 at Indigo at The O2, London. Formed in 1979 on the Isle of Wight, the band built its identity around Mark King’s percussive bass and Mike Lindup’s keys and harmonies, with Wally Badarou’s textures often in the mix. First known for instrumental fusion, they leaned into melodic new wave, polished dance‑rock and synth‑pop through the 80s, widening their reach with albums like World Machine and Running in the Family. Line‑ups shifted around the early 90s, but King and Lindup steered the return to the road in the 2000s and kept the catalogue alive with Retroglide.

On stage, Level 42 draw the thread between tight grooves and clean hooks, moving from early jazz‑fusion cuts to the band’s radio‑ready years. Expect the rhythm section up front, crisp vocal harmonies and arrangements that leave room for interplay between bass, keys and guitar. From Love Games to later material, the set revisits a songbook where pop writing and rhythmic tension sit side by side, carried by the unmistakable snap of King’s bass and the melodic lift of Lindup’s keyboards.