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Bragg became interested in music in his 20’s as a member of the punk rock band Riff Raff. He took a break from music to join the army in 1981, which only lasted the three months of basic training. He gave music another shot and began composing music under the musical alias Spy V. Spy. Bragg assertively sought the attention of DJ John Peel and convinced him to play his demo song “Life’s A Riot with Spy V. Spy” on the radio.
Bragg’s smart move garnered the attention of Virgin Records and he soon became managed by Peter Jenner. “Life’s a Riot” was re-releaesd in 1983 and the album “Brewing Up With Billy Bragg” debuted in 1984. The album was chalk-ful of political songs and was inspired by the Clash’s Rock Against Racism concert Bragg attended in 1978. His sophomore album “Talking With the Taxman About Poetry” charted in the Top 10 in the UK and featured additional instruments like the horn and piano. The title refers to a poem by Russian Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Throughout the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s Bragg has stayed true to his original style of mixing politics and music. His album “Mermaid Avenue” released in 1998 was a commercial success both in the UK and the U.S. and even earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Album. Bragg declares “You can’t change the world through music, but you can give people a different perspective on the world.”
The legend that is Billy Bragg paid a visit to Holmfirth’s Picturedome this June. Since the venue was only a couple of hours from home I snapped up a ticket. Who could pass up the opportunity to see the original song-writing, left-wing activist, punk folk singer? If not to hear his crafted lyrics, then to marvel at how a man with a voice like a foghorn can sound so good! Bragg took to the stage at the old cinema, which dates right back to 1913. An obscure, intimate venue in heart of Yorkshire suddenly seemed the perfect site to witness this performer. Billy spoke easily and conversationally with the crowd. We quickly hushed between songs, keen to hear him explain a little of the personal resonance of each track and, of course, listen to his opinions on class, social equality and the evils of the incumbent Tory-led coalition. As he introduced a cover of Woody Guthrie’s ‘I Ain’t Got No Home’, Bragg lamented that ‘this song could have been written any time in the last five years’ as a comment on recent socio-economic hardships. Which brings us neatly to the must-anticipated rendition of ‘The World Turned Upside Down.’ We immediately began to sing along to the communist take on Winstanley’s famous Digging enterprise, proclaiming in unison that ‘this earth was a common treasury for everyone to share.’
Musically enchanting, politically stirring, this intimate gig was typical Billy Bragg.
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