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Billy Bragg
Folk Rock / Punk / Alternative

Hope Not Hate/Searchlight event ULU London 6 March



Bridport, Southwest
United Kingdom

Profile Views:  777786




Last Login:  3/5/2010
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   Billy Bragg: General Info
Member Since10/24/2005
Band Websitebillybragg.co.uk
Band MembersBILLY BRAGG (solo) - Guitar and vocals.

BILLY BRAGG & THE BLOKES (band): Ian McLagan (piano and Hammond organ; ex-Small Faces and The Faces); Ben Mandelson (lap steel guitar); Lu Edmonds (electric guitar and vocals); Martyn Barker (drums); and Simon Edwards (bass).

iLike Billy Bragg
InfluencesBob Dylan, The Clash, Motown

MR LOVE & JUSTICE REVIEWS:
'A songsmith at the peak of his powers' - MOJO (4 out of 5 stars)

'The journey from picket line anthem to mid-life confessional has seldom been made with such class' - Daily Mirror (4 out of 5 stars)

'Still concerned about the world, but finding solace in matters of the heart' - The Sun (4 out of 5 stars)

'He can evoke tenderness in a way that doesn’t sound artificially sweetened' - Uncut (4 out of 5 stars)

'England's troubadour turns up trumps with the help of a soulful band' - Observer (4 out of 5 stars)

'[His] voice has undergone a transformation into an altogether more tuneful instrument' - Evening Standard (3 out of 5 stars)

'There is soul and fire a-plenty in this tremendous new album' - ABC Tasmania
Sounds Like



Record LabelCOOKING VINYL:Europe. ANTI: USA. OUTSIDE:Canada
Type of LabelIndie


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   Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Mar 6 2010 7:00P
University of London Union - Hope Not Hate London
May 19 2010 7:00P
Cultuurcentrum Belgica Dendermonde
May 20 2010 7:00P
Cultuurcentrum De Spil - Schouwburg Roeselare
May 21 2010 7:00P
CultuurCentrum De Herbakker Eeklo
May 22 2010 7:00P
Cultuurcentrum Ter Vesten Beveren
May 23 2010 7:00P
TBC Ostend
Aug 20 2010 7:00P
Rhythm Festival Bedford, London and South East
Aug 27 2010 6:00P
Shrewsbury Folk Festival Shrewsbury

Billy Bragg's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

New US and Spain tour dates confirmed  (view more)

Tour of Wales begins in Blaenavon tomorrow night  (view more)

Resistance is useful: Bragg interview about his Tour of Wales  (view more)

2nd November Asheville NC  (view more)

1st November Durham NC  (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

   About Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg and Kate Nash mash up Foundations/A New England at the NME Awards 2008




Billy Bragg was recently described by The Times newspaper as a national treasure. In the two decades of his career Bragg has certainly become perhaps, the most stalwart guardian of the radical dissenting tradition that stretches back over centuries of the country's political, cultural and social history.

Bragg was born in December 1957. He was thus 19 years old when punk made its indelible contribution to English popular culture, in 1977. Bragg's own particular contribution was to form a band called Riff Raff, which released a series of indie seven-inch singles including the wonderfully titled I Wanna Be a Cosmonaut. Riff Raff eventually split in 1981.

Bragg then briefly joined a tank regiment of the British Army before buying his way out with what he later described as the most wisely spent 175 of his life.

Armed with a guitar, amplifier and voice Bragg launched himself on a solo musical career, ready at a moments notice to fill in as support for almost any act.

His songs are full of passion, anger and wit, with a stark strummed electric guitar and even starker vocals with a keen sense of melody and deeply humane lyrics; a one man Clash.

Releases include Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy which hit the UK Top 30 in early 1984. The album's opening track, The Milkman of Human Kindness, is infused with genuine insight and humour, as well as a sustained and personal commitment to political and humanitarian issues.

His second album, Brewing Up with Billy Bragg (1984), opened with the fierce It Says Here, a strident song of political solidarity. The album went Top 20 in the UK.

Bragg's third album, Talking with the Taxman About Poetry, was released in September 1986. It was his most successful and accomplished release to date, spawning a hit single, Levi Stubbs' Tears, as well as Greetings to the New Brunette, a collaboration with The Smiths guitarist, Johnny Marr. The album was a Top 10 hit.

In September 1988, Bragg released his fourth album, Workers Playtime. More focused on matters of the heart than political issues, the album also saw Bragg move away from the sparse arrangements that had characterised his earlier work. The public approved the album was a Top 20 hit in the UK.

Bragg, however, entered the Nineties with his most political work to date. The Internationale mini-album, released in May 1990, included such tracks as The Marching Song of the Convent Battalions, Nicaraguita and The Red Flag.

The following year, 1991, Bragg issued the critically acclaimed Don't Try This at Home, which reached number eight in the UK chart. With musical contributions from such stellar talents as Johnny Marr and, from REM, Peter Buck and Michael Stipe, the album ranged in themes from personal tragedies to a strident condemnation of racists and football hooligans. Among the songs was the hit single, Sexuality.

Bragg then took time out to concentrate on his family. When he did return, in 1996, the resulting William Bloke album showed Bragg balancing his political and personal commitments, an unsentimental examination of his life and values. The album also marked a return to the stripped-down Bragg, often no more than Billy and his guitar. William Bloke, a Top 20 hit, was to be the last album of Braggs own songs in the Nineties. What followed next, however, was an extraordinary and unexpected project.

Woody Guthrie was the dean of American folk artists, the author of such classics as This Land is Your Land, Pastures of Plenty, Deportees, I Aint Got No Home In This World Any More and Rueben James. His giant influence on the entire course of American popular music, not least Bob Dylan's acknowledgement of his debt to Guthrie, made him one of the seminal artists of the 20th Century. At the time of his death, in 1967, however, Guthrie left behind some 2500 unfinished songs, the lyrics to which were belatedly discovered many years later in the archives.

Guthries daughter, Nora, first became aware of Billy Bragg in 1992, when he performed at New York Citys Summerstage birthday celebration for Woody.

Nora Guthrie decided that Bragg was the perfect candidate to set new music to the unrecorded Woody Guthrie lyrics. There was no record of any music being written, thus Bragg was given the task of reinventing original Woody Guthrie songs. The lyrics about New York City streets, film star idols, drinking, loving, dying and even spaceships - were specifically chosen because they presented a completely different aspect to Woody Guthries public persona. Braggs role was to provide the musical platform for a previously unexplored Guthrie.

The result was Mermaid Avenue, released in 1998. Bragg's collaborators on the project were American alt-country rockers, Wilco. Recordings began in Wilco's hometown of Chicago and then in Dublin, where English fiddler Eliza Carthy and bluesman Corey Harris made their contributions. Natalie Merchant also added her talents when Bragg was finishing the recordings in Boston.

So much material was recorded during those sessions that Mermaid Avenue Volume II was issued two years later, in 2000. Both albums were nominated for Grammy Awards.

Before the release of that second album, however, Bragg had returned to the road, playing a 1999 UK tour fronting Billy Bragg & The Blokes. Among the band members was the legendary Ian McLagan, the keyboards player with the Small Faces and its later Rod Stewart incarnation, The Faces. The other musicians in The Blokes were Ben Mandelson (lap steel guitar); Lu Edmonds (electric guitar and vocals); Martyn Barker (drums); and Simon Edwards (bass).

The tour worked so well it was inevitable that The Blokes would be a permanent band, playing with Bragg in the U.S. and the rest of Europe.

Just before the last UK General Election, in June 2001, Bragg launched www.votedorset.net, a tactical voting campaign to unseat the Conservative MP in Bragg's Dorset constituency (where he now resides). Bragg also turned his attention to campaigning for reform of the House of Lords the UK's second chamber by writing and publishing A Genuine Expression of the Will of the People, a political pamphlet on the subject. It is available in electronic form from the votedorset website.

Running concurrently with all this political activity, however, Bragg was also working with The Blokes on his new album England, Half English. The album, which explored Braggs notions about identity and Englishness, was released on Monday 4th March, 2002 by sheer coincidence the precise 20th anniversary of Braggs first-ever solo gig, the Sociology Disco at North London Polytechnic on 4th March 1982.

On the 6th October Billy Bragg celebrated his long career with a double-CD retrospective called Must I Paint You A Picture? The album features 40 of the tracks that have defined his music and approach through the years.

Billy released the single 'We Laughed' with Rosetta Life, a song Billy wrote with patients facing life-threatening illness, as part of the Rosetta Requiem project. It is still from Billy's website.

Check out the Billy Bragg online Shop for current and back catalogue albums and boxed sets, T-shirts and other merchandise.

To keep up-to-date with all things Bragg sign up to the billybragg.co.uk e-newsletter
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   Billy Bragg's Friend Space (Top 40)
Billy Bragg has 41641 friends.
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Billy Bragg's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 7075 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Muddy Roots Music

Festival Muddy Roots
Online Now!


Mar 14 2010 6:31 PM

..

Muddy Roots Music is kicking off the inaugural Muddy Roots Festival May 28th – 30th at the June Bug Boogie Ranch located in Cookeville, Tenn off I-40 East. The festival will include three days of music, camping (hotels available), vendors, car show, motorcycle games, strong man and woman competition and a pinup pageant. Pre-sale Ticket prices are $35 for a weekend pass. For more information on tickets, camping, events and vendor spaces, go to www.muddyrootsmusic.com
Stuck In The Past Webzine and Blog

Stuck In Past



Mar 14 2010 3:55 PM

..
SICK n.s.t.

SICK n.s.t.



Mar 14 2010 12:30 PM

Our song November Mood has been covered by Halma Bravo. They call it Blow Wind Blow. Go and have a listen on their myspace page. Then come to us and listen to the original.

Juro Seris

Juro Seris



Mar 14 2010 11:30 AM

..Hello Billy,

please let me draw your attention to the first official release by my hometown's (Trencin, Slovakia) own post-rock/post-punk grrrl duo
YOUCOCO.

Their new single "Afrika" (appetizer before the full-length debute) is available as a free download - here: http://starcastic.cz/bands/youcoco

Give 'em a try!:)



nycmusic.net

nycmusic.net



Mar 14 2010 7:00 AM

..


Throughout 2010 I will be walking across the United States to raise money for cancer research. I am asking every American (who is financially able to do so) to donate one dollar for every family member or close friend they have known in their lifetime who has fought cancer.

Don't wait around for someone else to make the world a better place; change it yourself!

I want everyone in the music industry to get involved with this project; please help me spread the word!
DAMNABLY Presents

DAMNABLY Presents



Mar 13 2010 10:48 AM


DAMNABLY Presents… “Geoff Farina & Chris Brokaw” – 18th & 26th March 2010









Damnably are proud to present 2 exclusive London shows with Geoff
Farina and Chris Brokaw. The pair will launch the release of their
first album together, “The Angel’s Message To Me” out on DAMNABLY in the UK March 18th!

They will play 2 alternating sets per show, featuring a magnificent
journey through their combined back catalogues, culminating in material
from the new album.

Expect to be awe struck!






Thu 18 March – Barden’s Boudoir [map]


36 Stoke Newington Rd, N16 7XJ

w/ smallgang, Russell and the Wolf Choir, Plus DJ SET

Gig | 7.30pm | £8 Adv | £10 on the door

[Wegottickets] | [GIGANTIC] | [Seetickets]

Fri 26 March – The Luminaire [map]


311 Kilburn High Rd, NW6 7JR

w/ Lazarus Clamp, Former Utopia, Your New Friend, Plus DJ SET

7.30pm | £10 Adv | £12 on the door

Richie Syrett

Richie Syrett



Mar 12 2010 11:40 PM

Another struggling artist here trying to attract some new listeners…
 
I appreciate this approach is quite annoying and my plea is one of many that fills up the comment sections of more high flying artists, but if I have not put you off too much, I’d be really grateful if you could take the time to take a listen to what’s playing on my page – You never know, you might be glad that you did.
 
Feel free to add me and get in touch – I always respond.

Best Wishes,

Richie.
Kiss the Rod

Kiss the Rod



Mar 12 2010 4:54 PM

New original material added to the play-list. 

Please stop by, have a listen and leave a comment. 

Thank-you for your time.
EASTROAD

EASTROAD



Mar 12 2010 10:30 AM

'


Strummerville Leicester


.
Debbie Davidsohn

Debbie Davidsohn



Mar 11 2010 10:22 PM


Billy Bragg Please vote for me NOW! I need you! I need u.You can Vote Everyday & all the votes count!





A VIDEO




Jack -Runner- Stanton

Jack -Runner- Stanton
Online Now!


Mar 11 2010 4:45 PM

Greetings!

It's a new year, a new look, a new sound, and a new band!

Download the new single, Aint The Devils Day, here,
www.indiestore.com/jackrunnermusic
It's the small price of 78 pence, I hope that soon a physical single will be availbale to you guys!
Hopefully the snippet is enough to tempt you ;)

Either way, let us know what ya think of it! :)

The band and I, are currently rehearsing a set, for gigging.
I shall keep you posted on all fronts!
Keep watching for more tracks uploaded.

Again, thanks for your amazing patience :)
Take it easy,
Jack.
lullaby orchestra

lullaby orchestra



Mar 11 2010 4:14 PM

Hi!

2 new songs on lullaby's page,

you're welcome!

tchuss,

adrille
Tweetface

Tweetface



Mar 11 2010 12:18 PM

Save 6Music! 

If you don’t know already, 6Music is a digital radio station run by the BBC.

6Music is the only station where you can hear new bands, live bands in session and quality alternative music.   Now the BBC want to shut it down in a bid to save money, whilst keeping other more expensive and poorer quality services running.

 

You can help Save 6Music by writing to the BBC Trust and ask them to overturn the decision:

srconsultation@bbc.co.uk

or visit the website at:   http://bit.ly/srconsultation

Andy Stocks Guitar School

Guitar School
Online Now!


Mar 11 2010 12:12 PM

Hi

Check out our video on YouTube. Let us know what you think and we'll do the same for you.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6kS31Z-8U
the opium joe group

the opium joe group



Mar 11 2010 6:56 AM



Quantcast
Gavin Watson

gavin watson



Mar 10 2010 11:35 PM

good day mr brag, quality evening, thanks
Alice Rock

Alice Rock
Online Now!


Mar 10 2010 11:33 PM

Hello there, we relaunched our website last week. It's really cool and

colorful to say the least. Please take a look at alice-rock.co.uk

Thanks :)

Alice & Tabby
ALICE ROCK 
Jean-Philippe ICHARD

Jean-Philippe ICHARD



Mar 10 2010 4:47 PM

Have a great day ;-) Cheers
Abbo

Abbo
Online Now!


Mar 10 2010 9:40 AM

Hi there. Firstly thanks a million to those from the UK who came and checked out some of my stuff (on my myspace site) from my new acoustic album(due anytime this year) over the last few days, it was great to see so many plays. I would just like to let you all know UKwide, I am still looking for Venues to play, and or support slots, TV, and festival slots when I return from early April-November ( a small trip to France is Planned for some festivals and more, mid July-Mid August) then come November off around the Globe again with my acoustic and a few additions.

For now, because of the great response I have had over the last few days I have(For A Limited Time) put some extra tracks on my site as more of a teaser (including a very different take on a Classic song by "The Beatles" a cover of a Christina Aguilera favorite, and a cover of a Zutons tune made more well known by Miss Winhouse and Mark Ronson)

Get there quick to steal them(if thats your thing) as they may not be there for long

All enquiries for the purchase of my acoustic album entitled "Room to Move" will be dealt with in a very personal Manner (just message me for details)

Enjoy the Music, and take good care all. Much love, and see some of you soon. abbo

PS. If any of you can offer me gigs or good contacts in your own country for future bookings Just let me know. nowhere is too far, I have already visited and played in New York, Paris, London, Dubai, Doha, Beruit, Sydney, Manila to mention but a few places. Cheerio!
ØveЯÐo§e ╬BrazilianM£ŦAL

ØveЯÐo§e ╬BrazilianM£ŦAL



Mar 10 2010 7:05 AM

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE THE NEW ELETRIKA "S.O.B./v3.1beta" (LIMITED)

"v3.1beta" is a NEW version of the EletriKa album "S.O.B." soon to be released in the North American market. It features re-recordings of the songs "Hey Mister" and "Give It Back" , which have been enriched by new arrangements and powerful interpretation by Ney Melo, new EletriKa singer. It also includes a new version of "Zombie Factory" with some new voice takes, new mix and mastering, and "Roda o Pe", a tune extracted from "V.S.F.", Eletrika's previous album. The other songs were completely re-mastered and have had some mix changes. We hope you enjoy "S.O.B./v3.1beta". Thanks a lot for the attention and support. Keep in touch.

Hugs from Brazil,
Claudio David

[Brazilian M£TAL]

Not the Only Clown in the Village

Not the Only Clown in the Village



Mar 9 2010 11:32 AM

NOT THE ONLY CLOWN IN THE VILLAGE TAKE THEIR ANARCHIC STREET SHOW TOUR ALL OVER THE UK WITH NEW LIVE STREET TRAX COMING SOON ON CD

WE WANNA KEEP LIVE MUSIC AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE AND WILL TAKE OUR CLOWN TUNES DIRECT TO YOU ON YOUR STREETS...NO EGO, NO HYPE, JUST GREAT LIVE MUSIC

WE'RE GONNA ENJOY SPRING...JOIN US THIS WEEKEND IN SWANSEA

ROBIN
NOT THE ONLY CLOWN IN THE VILLAGE
Dogs will be dogs

Dogs will be dogs



Mar 8 2010 12:54 PM

.
cross the fingers on one hand and make a fist with the other.



http://www.anonymousbosch.co.uk/





?
Abbo

Abbo
Online Now!


Mar 8 2010 9:24 AM

Im coming back UK way soon after travelling with my acoustic across the Globe. Looking to get some gigs, if anyone is up for helping. Have a couple of tracks on my site from my new acoustic album(the covers are just a bonus) recorded in the suburbs of Metro Manila. Many stories to tell, but trying to get my diary filled before I leave the Phillipines. Email me for more details. (I travel far and wide so don't worry if you are out in the sticks I will come to play if you like live music. could end up being a great little UK tour) take good care all. Much love, abbo
Ron Shimshilashvili

Ron Shimshilashvili



Mar 7 2010 7:14 PM

Hello,

Like you all know... Once a year there is a Film Festival, where directors compete against each other for the best movie. I am gone be at one of the movies Playing role as Victor the main role. It will be later shown at the film festival from march 22-28 and will be available on DVD's. 20,000 Managers, Directors, Producers, etc... from L.A, NY,etc... will be there at the film festival tickets are from $15 to $500. It will be at Delray Beach, Fl for more information check the website out: http://www.dbff.us/
It will be an amazing week hope to see you guys there i will be at the movie and then with some fans.

Thank You,
Ron Shimshilashvili

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Alice Rock

Alice Rock
Online Now!


Mar 7 2010 12:22 PM

Thanks for accepting! Visit www.alice-rock.co.uk :)
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