Billy Bragg and the Wonders of Fatherhood

They say you should never meet your heroes; something about being dissapointed. I just think they're heroes are shit to be honest. Johnny Marr, the Jarmans and Frank Turner were all great when I met them; I always felt Billy Bragg would be the same.

I've not long been a fan. Teenage years on heavy doses of Metallica meant I missed him and I reckon he would have been a huge influence on me. It was when I started to get comments from the over 40s at my shows saying I was similar that I considered a proper listen. A guy said to listen to Levi Stubbs' Tears and to this day it's one of my all time favourite songs. The same week a friend gave me Back to Basics. Never had I heard lyrics or guitar playing like it. Unmistakable.

A friend works the stage at Leamington Assembly and invited me up to see him. (Read the post I'm an idiot, listen to beans on toast to hear how I got the wrong dates). I finally got there on Thursday the 9th of December; the day of the student protests. Me and my friend sat in a wetherspoons and drank £1.60 pints of bitter watching the unbelievable heroics of our country's youth. (I feel my thoughts on this matter are much better left for another blog post).

The very quiet support band were ok but as always I wished I was playing. We drank Guinness and looked upon his trademark Burns guitar on stage. I was excited!

I spent two songs out front, 'The Digger' and 'To Have and To Have Not', which was apt considering the days events. I sang along with the mass of middle aged folk like the song had been a part of my youth as it had theirs. I saw the rest of the show side of stage and stood very close, looking on like a schoolkid seeing their favourite pop star! He talked between songs. This is only acceptable if you play solo. He spoke of his thoughts on the day; not preaching, just speaking the truth. Bragg for prime minister.

We learnt how Bragg Junior had been stealing his guitar strings and playing too loudly in the house. "I went to tell him to turn it down, but how on earth could I? He was playing this..." and dropped into Milkman Of Human Kindness. I pondered the day when I discuss Bragg, Turner, Dylan et al, with my son.

He did the classics and some new ones from a play he scored about the BNP taking Barking. It was inspiring to see one person hold a crowd like he did. Asking for requests he played Levi Stubbs Tears. That was me done, I could fucking die happy now.

Needless to say he finished with New England and in my drunken state (I was pissing his stage manager RIGHT off) I danced and sang! ...Done

In the backstage area (leather sofas, Tammy Winnette's trailer and a bar...amazing) we chatted with his tour manager. I promise I didn't shamefully speak about my own music... Billy Bragg walked in wearing a Christmassy jumper with an entourage of 5 older people who proceeded to follow him every which way he went. Eventually I got to talk to him, however briefly. If I'm honest I can't remember what the hell was said but it was worth every effort I'd made to get there.

I returned to London. The following Thursday and the day after my office Christmas party I decided to go alone to see him at The Troxy. You can read 'Going to Gigs Alone' for more thoughts on doing this. With a dreadful hangover I got to East London. Supporting was Grace Petrie; again I wished it was me but she was very good! Click for an amazing song on the student protests. I made a few friends that night and spent it with a father and son whom Billy Bragg had been a massive part of their life together. It was quite touching actually.

The gig was different. Slightly tailored stories and similar setlist (he played Levi Stubbs again) but overall it was a slightly quieter vibe; half full venue and a different crowd. Maybe I just wasn't as drunk or pumped up after watching the protests. Eitherway, the only reason I included this gig in the write up was because of the encore. He introduced his friend from Dagenham to play guitar with them and then, to everyone's amazement bought his son on stage. They all played A13, Trunk Road to the sea. His son, note perfect, was visibly excited and on the final chord he did the old 'shoot the crowd with guitar' sequence, threw his pick in the crowd and stood with both arms raised in the air... His Dad had his arms crossed and was shaking his head. It bought me back to the Father and Son thing. I look forward to having that kind of experience one day, but most of all I look forward to seeing my family this Christmas.

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The View From...Birmingham

Here is a guest blog post I wrote for A New Band A Day a few months back called The View From...Birmingham. It's part of a series of articles that document the music scenes of different areas of the world. I completely forgot to link to it so fill your boots. Have a mooch around the website too because it's a damn good music blog! Click the pic to read!




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Real Musicians vs The Drivelbuggers

On BBC1 last night there was a documentary on the making of "Darkness On The Edge Of Town", Bruce Springsteen's fourth album. For anyone that aspires to play music this is absolutely essential viewing. Firstly to show you the legal difficulties major labels frequently inflicted upon artists, but more importantly, the processes behind making a classic album. 70 songs written, 40 songs recorded, 10 songs made it. Not only is this prolific songwriting but it enabled careful selection of 10 tracks that worked as a whole piece. Plenty of the other songs were used on later albums as they were far from inadequate, just inappropriate.

I hate to even mention it in the same post but just take a look at everything in the charts at the moment...you done it? And take a look at what is all over TV and news...yep, I'm not even going to say its name but I'll probably catch a bit of it myself this weekend. So we have this bunch a talentless drivelbuggers and the people putting in the real work, actually touring and writing songs, they pass through the underground due to fad music and smaller marketing budgets. Not ranting; I think I prefer it like this.

It's this kind of documentary that flicks on a light in my head to write more and work harder. I've had similar feelings after All About the Destination (Frank Turner docu), and The Beatles on Record. There's nothing like insight into how your heroes work to give you a kick up the backside.

So this will be on iPlayer for the next week, I will no doubt watch it a few more times and you should too. Even if you don't like his music you get to see how it used to be done and that's important. Or just watch it for the bit where he's playing guitar topless. It's enough to turn most blokes!

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Frank Turner - Rock & Roll EP

Frank Turner released his new EP today. People (my mates especially) are probably a little fed up with how much I talk about the man but to be quite honest, I wouldn't have written any songs in the past three years if it wasn't for him so it's important.

I sat and listened through the short record this morning and tried to take in as much of it throughout the day as I could and admittedly, it's a slow burner. I felt like this with Poetry of The Deed though and after a few plays it was clear he had totally smashed it once more.

I could sit here and spout superlatives all night long about how great he is, but go and listen to him and you'll see for yourself. Go and see him and you will concede that the man has an adoring fanbase of guys and girls, young and old. Come this Sunday night, I will be singing back at the skinny wonder with 2000 others, and I can't fucking wait.

Go somewhere else for a review, I couldn't critique something that's so important to me. Don't listen to the NME though, they're just fucking idiots.

 

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Mark Twain, What A Man!

I'm currently finishing off a song about Mark Twain. This amazing being wrote Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer as well as numerous travel books. My fascination with him is more based around the life he led and his satirical outlook in a rapidly developing world. Take a read of his Wikipedia page and you'll quickly notice that this is no ordinary soul. His books are classic and you can live your life by his one liners. I love the song that I've written, it needs a couple more lines and it's likely to become a set finisher. Incidentally his autobiography was released last month. He declared it would be released 100 years after his death...what kind of person in their right mind would do that!? Mark Twain, that's who.

P.S. I want that moustache.

Im An Idiot / Listen to Beans On Toast

So last night (Thursday) I was due to see Billy Bragg. I took two days off work and headed back up to Birmingham on Wednesday night. Turns out Billy is playing NEXT Thursday which makes me a complete idiot but more importantly I chose that gig over Beans on Toast's album launch so I'm double gutted (and Villa lost to Blues and we lost the World Cup bid and it took me ages to get back to London). Gutted x 5. If you are not aware of Beans on Toast then I implore you to give him a crack. He has the groggiest voice you will ever hear on record but he sings in such an observational way he always brings a smile to my face. His new album "Writing on the Wall" came out yesterday, be sure to let me know what you think of it. I'll post on the Billy Bragg gig when I actually go to it...just to summarise, I'm a prick; listen to Beans on Toast.

 

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Two Very Fast Months in London

I've been in London for nearly two months. I've seen some music but wanted to comment on the comedy that i've managed to catch and a couple of projects i'm getting involved in.

The Three Englishmen
These guys have played at Edinburgh Fringe and to be quite honest I nearly pissed myself. We were rammed into a small room and my chances of getting to the toilet were minimal. My particular favourite was a blind chemist sketch that they did to the tune of goldfinger.

Jollie
John and Ollie actually supported the four englishmen with just an accordion and a tambala (is that what it's called, the drum you sit on and hit in different places). They have insane story based songs and
harmonies tighter than a gnats chuff. Brilliant!

Darius Davies
Verbal diarrhea springs to mind. I tried to regurgitate his 5 minute set at The Laughing Horse heats to so many people and they've just given me funny looks so just check out his youtube page.

Spicestock
Summer 2011 will see the third Spicestock festival at Belle eau Park in Nottinghamshire. It's early doors for promo but there will be some seriously mint acts this time around. Be sure to follow @spicestock on twitter for initial going ons.

Null&Void Radio
In the New Year there will be a relaunch from the guys that bought you Best Friends on LSRFM and The Waiting Room on Camden's Roundhouse Radio. Null&Void will have very funny guests, musical comedy, new music and best of all, the two dafthead presenters. Check out @null__void on twitter.

Enough comedy, I've just moved into my new gaff in London. This basically means I have my own place to write again so expect some stuff in the new year. Check out the people above and I promise to try and keep writing here.