saw him live for the 1st time since the 80s last week in Oslo.
and just spent the evening with the missus listening to some of his cds and had a very very enjoyable evening. I had forgotten how good he is – especially if its shared with a bottle of caol ila
Aye. Saw him in 80/81 supporting The Jam – stunned by the experience. I hadn’t heard of him at the time tbh and on he came with his homemade guitar. Fantastic memory.
Stopped going to see him because I got fed up with people talking all the bloody way through his sets.
I just tell them to stfu. Usually does the trick.
Actually that’s rude, I’m usually more polite, saying ‘excuse me, but would you please stfu, people would like to listen to the person they’ve paid to see, not you’
I love him too, I guess we’ve aged together (I was 21 when he sang ‘I’m 21 now but I won’t be for long).
Between the wars has some great lyrics.
To be honest, I don’t care what his politics are, and I don’t agree with them anyway. I just think he’s writes some great songs.
just youtubed this gem. i can remember watching it in awe at the time, not quite believing that anything as subversive might be allowed on top of the pops.
Went to see Billy Bragg live a few years back. He spent half of it talking about Woody Guthrie and the unions, but you can’t help but warm to his passion about it all. Enjoyed it.
I saw him at Liverpool Royal Court in the early eighties (not to mention loads of times since), supported if I remember correctly by nuts Japanese girl band Frank Chickens and by one Porky the Poet who is now better known as, I think, Phill Jupitus.
Bragg is truly the man. Brilliant songwriter, politically astute, fervent anti-fascist and an all round good egg. If Britain was full of people like him, this would be a much better place to live.
I think he’s great too. and Rusty I agree with totally – I think his non-political stuff is better than his political comment, and a lot of people who don’t agree with his politics miss out on tunes like Must I Paint you a Picture and The Space Race is Over
Songs from my youth, and songs to dance to, and I always think that all that bollocks about the Devil having the best tunes is shown up by the likes of Billy Bragg.
The day there is a right wing equivalent, or even a middle-of-the-road equivalent, I’ll eat my tea.
Above all, he’s on the side of people, and for that he wins.
Ah, the Bard of Barking! Can’t say I love everything he’s done, but dammit he’s written some terrific toons!
I particularly like Bread And Circuses, that he did with Natalie Merchant, New England, and St. Swithin’s Day.
Forgot how good he is. Just what I need right now. Some beautiful music and lyrics. Up there with Mark Knopfler – maybe not as good a musician but think he edges it as a lyricist
Billy’s great. If you haven’t heard the Mermaid Avenue albums, where he and Wilko put music to a bunch of long lost Woody Guthrie songs, I suggeest you go get them, superb stuff.
BTW the guitar wasn’t home made – it’s almost certainly a Gordon Smith who made some incredible value raw finish guitars, hand made in the UK. If I remember right one of the criteria BB used in picking it was that they were nice and flat on the back so you could get 2 back to back in a gig bag – very important when touring by train on your own!
