Billy Bragg in Liverpool is always something special. But to hear the Bard of Barking play what he calls “the city that most understands solidarity” on the night of Labour’s worst electoral performance in decades was verging on a spiritual experience.
Billy said he was refreshing his batteries by playing in the city he loves on the night it was confirmed Boris Johnson had been elected. But more than anything, he was issuing a call to arms for us all to remember the socialist cause.
Three decades on, his passion to move and inspire remains as powerful as the day he went to the first Rock Against racism gig.
Along the way, he has produced some of the finest songs of his generation, work that combines fierce political activism with passionate, tender, emotion and nudges the benchmark of singer/songwriters a few miles higher.
The opening of the Phil gig was pure, vintage Bragg.
Stripped down, without the band, he bashed out World Turned Upside Down, To Have and to Have Not and a sublime rendition of Which Side Are You On? before Farm Boy from new album Mr Love and Justice.
Just one man and his guitar, Billy sings from the heart. His voice is, by turns, snouty and rough and soft, sweet, and always packed with emotion.
And though no longer strictly an angry young man, he remains fearsomely charismatic, the master of the between-song anecdote. At times it’s hard to tell if it’s a gig with talky bits or a chat with an old mate who’ll sing you a few tunes along the way. Either way, the Phil audience lapped up every word.
Talking about companies sponsoring bands, he asked who his most suitable tie-in would be with.
“Help the Aged?” ventured a voice from the stalls, to much laughter.
“No, Marmite,” he laughs. “I tend to provoke an equally strong reaction.” And he’s right. For all those who adore him, he still exists to many as the voice of the miners' strike and Red Wedge, still singing a refrain of Old Labour and New England.
Except that of course those bright young Red Wedgers are now Labour ministers, and much of Billy’s role now is as a political advocate as much as an activist.
Last month he spent time in Walton Prison conducting songwriting classes with inmates. He played one of their collaborations, a superb protest song called April Fools Day.
Add in an encore of Milkman of Human Kindness, Sing Their Souls Back Home and New England and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the crowd got up on their feet.
Mr Love and Justice – we salute you.
Click here to read our review of Billy Bragg's album Mr.Love and Justice
Comments (1)
Posted by Al | May 7, 2008 11:13 AM
Posted on May 7, 2008 11:13