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Daily Mirror
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I spotted 80s pop icons on my flight and they were shocked I actually recognised them'
Mirror writer Ravi Meah was only a baby when this British band were churning out top 10 hits, but their paths somehow crossed on a trip to Amsterdam I'm on a flight to Amsterdam for a solo birthday trip. It's been a long few weeks at work and I decided to treat myself to a break in the land of clogs, windmills and Max Verstappen. In my pursuit of having fun in the Dutch capital, little did I realise I would receive the biggest birthday surprise on my flight. The plane had just taken off when the stewardess came over to ask what kind of drinks or snacks I would like. "Surprise me," I replied, to which she offered up a selection of soft drinks, tea, coffee and spirits. I felt brave, so I chose my tipple of choice. "Oooh, I'll have a gin and tonic, please. I feel great," I said back, with a fevered ebullience. You only live once, they say. The lovely stewardess then handed me a plastic cup, some Fever-Tree tonic water and two small bottles of gin. Then, something unusual happened – a slim man sporting large black noise-cancelling headphones, who was sat in front of me, turned his head in my direction and his eyes lit up after hearing what I was drinking. Another chap, dressed in a black jacket and with well-combed hair, sat next to me and retorted: "Ooh, that's a great choice!" I replied: "I'm on holiday, mate. It's a great time to have fun." But to my millennial astonishment, I'd recognised those guys. They weren't just any gents. They were members of one of Britain's most iconic pop bands, en route to a gig in the Netherlands. And I'm on the same flight as them. Level 42 were one of the world's biggest bands of the 1980s, with their slick, stylish and incredible records – a melange of pop, rock and jazz funk – providing the soundtrack to the decade. They sold more than 31 million records throughout their career and enjoyed six top 10 hits during the 1980s. Later this year, the group will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their most successful album, World Machine, by going on tour across the UK and Europe. Ten dates, including their flagship show at London's Royal Albert Hall on October 22, have already sold out. The guy who smiled back at my choice of drink was Mike Lindup, the group's keyboardist and long-standing member. Sitting next to him was Mark King, bassist and founding member, dressed in a black T-shirt and still feeling young as ever. As for the man sitting next to me? That was Nathan King, Mark's younger brother and guitarist who joined the group in 2001 after the first iteration of the band – which featured brothers Phil and Rowland "Boon" Gould – split up in 1994. I was only a baby when Level 42 released some of their biggest hits, but it was only in the late 1990s – when I discovered and fell in love with new wave, synthpop, alternative rock and goth rock – that I got wind of their music. The wistful love song Something About You still sounds as beautiful today as it did when it punched its way to the UK and US top 10 charts in 1985. And who can forget their 1986 banger Lessons In Love? The rest of their back catalogue is a treasure trove of musical gems – and I'm glad I listened to them. But me being me, I turned into a giddy little wreck when I made a simple request to Nathan: "Do you reckon Mike and Mark would have some time for me to say hello to them? I just want to thank them for creating such great music all these years and for sticking around to celebrate World Machine this year." "Yeah, they will, mate," Nathan answered. "That's really nice of you to say that about us." We enjoyed a good long talk about Nathan's life with the band, his Dutch wife and how Level 42 has a huge following in the Far East. "Ah, you guys are probably bigger than Beyoncé and Katy Perry over in that part of the world," I said to Nathan. As for their reason for flying to Amsterdam, Nathan revealed the band were on their way to perform their headline slot at the Dijkpop Festival in Andijk, a village 39 miles north of the Dutch capital. Even more revealing was that they had planned to come back to the UK that very same evening on the overnight ferry. Talk about hardcore. "I just realised I have one bottle of gin left. Would you like it?" I asked Nathan. "You sure? You don't have to," he replied. I insisted he have it as a little gift – it wasn't much, but it's not everyday you get to meet such humble celebrities. There were no airs and graces about them. As we were about to touch down at Schiphol Airport, Nathan introduced me firstly to Mike, and then to Mark. "It truly is an honour to see you both. World Machine is one of the best albums you've made and I'm glad you're both still here touring," I said to both musicians. "Thanks very much. That means a lot to us," Mark replied, shaking my hand and showing such loving gratitude. "It's really nice to hear our music cutting across many generations, so thank you." Then came the subject of football. Mike happens to be a fan of Tottenham Hotspur. And I showed him a photo of another celebrity who I had bumped into at Heathrow earlier that day. It was none other than Ange Postecoglou, the manager who was unceremoniously sacked by the club despite leading them to their first trophy since 2008. "I think I shook his hand earlier today at the lounge," Mark exclaimed. "I don't think I saw him there," Mike admitted, which surprised me, given his love for Spurs. Sporting talk all over, we landed and the band agreed to have a selfie with me. We managed to find a spot at the arrivals hall and then went our separate ways. This was truly the best birthday present I've had thus far. What was surprising, though, was that no one on the flight appeared to recognise them apart from me. And the passengers were probably the same age as Level 42's motley crew. All I know is that I had a great story to tell some of my friends back home. Living it up with Level 42 till the sun – or in this case, the plane – goes down. They say never meet your heroes, as you'd often feel disappointed. But my recent encounter with one of the world's most iconic 80s bands was an exception in many ways. Or should that be levels? Level 42's World Machine 40th anniversary tour runs between September 18 and November 17. Click here for more information.
Daily Mirror
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I deleted Facebook a year ago and it's had one major impact on my life'
Journalist Ravi Meah was glued to social media site Facebook for a long time, but then decided to have a social media detox – here's how things have turned out Go on, admit it – we've all boasted about our personal triumphs on Facebook at some point. Whether it's that marathon you smashed, the sobriety milestone you've reached or the massive party you enjoyed for a big birthday, a lot of us have shared snaps, clips or gushed over how "grateful, blessed or lucky" we are to achieve what we have. Sometimes it's endearing and other times, it makes us wince. But now, I'm swallowing my pride to celebrate a personal victory involving Mark Zuckerberg's creation as I recently – April 15, to be exact – commemorated one year since I waved goodbye to my Facebook profile. That's right, I was hooked on Facebook. Ever since I opened up my page while a final-year undergraduate in February 2007, I'd been logging on almost daily. It was an infuriatingly addictive pastime that stole precious moments with my family and friends, along with vital brainpower I could've used for more worthwhile activities. It seems I wasn't the only one Zucked in – I mean, sucked in – by Meta's allure either. According to Ofcom's Online Nation 2024 report, around 70% of adult Brits engaged with Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp over the previous year. By May 2024, we were clocking up four hours online each day, with Meta platforms eating up 61 minutes and Alphabet services (think Google, Gmail and YouTube) taking 63 minutes of our screen time. Spending four hours a day glued to our screens is an alarming habit. It prompted me to reflect on the countless minutes spent scrolling through friends' activities, watching videos, catching up on news and commenting on posts. My social media detox didn't quite pan out at first – I went offline in July 2015, but caved into peer pressure after just a month. Despite this, over the coming decade my disenchantment with Facebook grew, pushing me to take radical steps to reclaim my mental space. Initially, it was about cutting down my excessive "friends" list, which included people I barely knew from one-off nights out as well as once-close mates who had become strangers. The purge of my social circle was overdue. Then there was doomscrolling; that wretched routine every morning was dragging me down. But that wasn't all that was affecting my mood. Facebook has handed everyone a soapbox for their views – factual or not. Suddenly everyone's got a take on Brexit, human rights and immigration. For me, a British Muslim, witnessing falsities about my faith spread like wildfire was particularly jarring. Heartbreakingly, these lies gained traction and they continue to mislead many. The final straw for me was the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the Covid lockdowns. The thought that my personal data could be shared and exploited by third parties without my knowledge was deeply unsettling. Moreover, the flood of misinformation about vaccines, lockdowns and the Partygate scandal left me feeling nauseous. Balancing a career in journalism, family obligations and other mental health issues (which I won't discuss here) was already stressful enough. Facebook (and Instagram, to boot) only added to this stress, leaving me feeling more drained and pessimistic about the world, and even causing physical illness. I used to turn to social media for a bit of escapism, but it ended up making me sick. So, from late 2020, I began to gradually reduce my use of Facebook. I went from using it daily to every other day. This soon became once every two days (a pattern I maintained for about a year), then once every three days, and finally once a week. Deleting the Facebook app made things easier as it helped me resist the temptation to visit the site. This strategy worked hand in hand with my return to the office after lockdown. Being around people was the perfect distraction from going online, regardless of how many notifications were flashing on my phone. Plus, being outside and enjoying nature felt great – a personal highlight was scaling the Peak District. March 15, 2024 marked the day I finally decided to quit Facebook for good. As I had already significantly reduced my usage, it seemed like the logical next step. I submitted a request to delete my account, and Facebook informed me that it would be permanently removed after a 30-day waiting period – a buffer in case I changed my mind. During this process, I was also able to download all my past posts. The aftermath of quitting Facebook A month later, I received an email confirming my account had been deleted. I felt a sense of relief wash over me. As the days turned into months, I began to feel like I had regained control of my life. One major impact has been life-changing – I now have ample time to pursue all my interests. I've been able to read more books, work out at the gym, spend quality time with friends and family, and no longer feel the need to constantly check my phone, which had been causing me physical discomfort. It's been a year since I quit Facebook, and I'm pleased to report that I feel revitalised, more alert and in control of my social media habits. I no longer experience the anxiety of feeling left out. If you're sceptical about my experience, consider a study conducted by experts at Nottingham Trent University. The research found that abstaining from social media "significantly increased perceived mental wellbeing and social connectedness, and significantly decreased perceived FoMO [fear of missing out] in comparison to a seven-day period of social media use". For those contemplating a social media cleanse, Harvard University has a five-step plan that aligns with my approach: make a plan, identify your triggers, limit or delete apps, hold yourself accountable, and re-evaluate before returning. It's not a straightforward process, but overcoming addiction never is. So there you have it. I was once addicted to Facebook, but now I'm relieved to be free of it. My next target is Instagram. Will I manage to eliminate it? Only time will tell. Wish me luck.
