[Closed] Billy Bragg

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.

Man's a genius.

He's written some of the best, most honest love songs I've ever heard.

Still get a lump in the throat whenever this comes on:

Stopped going to see him because I got fed up with people talking all the bloody way through his sets.

I love Billy , Tank Park salute must be the most poignant song ever.

Stopped going to see him because I got fed up with people talking all the bloody way through his sets.

Stopped going to see him because I got fed up with [s]people [/s] [b]Billy Bragg[/b] talking all the bloody way through his sets.

There, FTFY and all that 😀

He's great on the south bank show.

He is awesome. Off to see him here in October.

Which side are you on boys, which side are you on ?

Best writer of love songs ever...

John Cooper Clark is good too

Saw him yesterday at beautiful days he just gets better seen him half a dozen times at various festivals

A rambling idiot with fundamentally flawed principles.

Or in STW ver 2.0 language, I think he's inspirational. Yeah.

A New England

Moving the Goalposts is just fab, thanks for reminding me to get back into some Bragg.

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.

"A New England" contains some of my all-time favourite lyrics.

Also, a lesser-known gem:

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.

I must be getting old - I saw him as one of three concerts entitled "Three Men and their Guitars" on the Festival Fringe.

Can't remember when but he was supported by a new band, who had quite a lot of obviously travelling following in the audience, named the Housemartins!

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

I used to like Billy Bragg, then I became an optimist.

I've never agreed with his politics but I've always liked his music - often talks a lot of common sense as well

Obviously I dont mind his politics but there is so much more to his music than that

Some fantastic songs and i still listen to his stuff.

Brilliant.

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 [i]Bread And Circuses[/i], that he did with Natalie Merchant, [i]New England,[/i] and [i]St. Swithin's Day[/i].

One of my favourites:

Seen him 4 times and will see him again soon I reckon. Always a great sing-a-long, guess it helps at a live show if your politics are the same.

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My own personal favorite

An utter bore.. worshiped by utter bores.

elzorillo - Member

An utter bore.. worshiped by utter bores.

Well it took a while, much longer than I expected, but we got there in the end.

here we go, don't tell me this is anything other than wonderful

Song starts about 2:30

An utter bore.. worshiped by utter bores.

thanks for starting this topic Darrell 🙂

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!

elzorillo - Member

An utter bore.. worshiped by utter bores

Any artist that polarises opinion and demands engagement like Bragg does should be respected regardless of whether you like the music or not.

First saw him at Miners benefit gigs during the strike and also at Red Wedge (with The Style Council and various others...).

Seen him several times over the years but like the OP had a long break until recently. Was great to see him again.

Goes off to find "B" on iPod....

Plus he introduced me (musically) to Michelle Shocked.