Legendary jazz-funk band Level 42 are set to make an emotional return to their roots this June when they perform at the 2026 Sky Presents Isle of Wight Festival.
The band, fronted by Cowes-born bassist and vocalist Mark King, were originally formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979 alongside brothers Roland “Boon” Gould and Phil Gould.
Boon Gould, the band’s guitarist, was born in Shanklin, with the trio first coming together before keyboard player Mike Lindup completed the original line-up.
In the early days, Level 42 performed as an instrumental jazz-funk group before being encouraged to introduce vocals to broaden their commercial appeal.
Mark King ultimately took on lead vocal duties, helping propel the band to mainstream success throughout the 1980s with a string of chart hits including ‘The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)’, ‘Lessons in Love’ and ‘Running in the Family’.
The band’s unusual name is a reference to “42” being the meaning of life in Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Across their career, Level 42 achieved 29 hit singles, including 6 top 10 tracks, alongside 13 hit albums – 7 of which reached the UK top 10.
The Gould brothers departed the band in 1987, leading to several line-up changes before Level 42 eventually disbanded in 1994.
Mark King later pursued a solo career before reviving Level 42 in 2001, with Mike Lindup rejoining the group in 2006.
Today, the band performs as a 7-piece line-up featuring Mark King on bass and vocals, Mike Lindup on keyboards and Mark’s younger brother Nathan King on guitar.
They are joined by Sean “Skip” Freeman on saxophone, Peter Ray Biggin on drums, Dan Carpenter on trumpet and Ned Thomson on trombone.
Level 42 are due to perform on Sunday afternoon at Seaclose Park as part of this years sold-out Isle of Wight Festival.
Ahead of their Isle of Wight appearance, the band are scheduled to perform in Glasgow on 4th June and Plymouth on 13th June before heading to the Netherlands in July.
The group will also embark on a 5-date UK tour in December 2026 to celebrate 45 years since the release of their first studio album.
The anniversary tour begins in Bath on 1st December before visiting Nottingham and Oxford, concluding with 2 nights at London’s Indigo at The O2.
