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Billy Bragg O.A.P.

Spraggons Den

Spraggons Den

pfm Member
We were lucky enough to see him supporting Paul Heaton at the O2 on Saturday night. He had a keyboard player and another guy alternating between slide guitar and mandolin - sounded great and had a lot to say as usual.

Someone at the front shouted out the title of one of his songs to which Billy replied it’s not a request show - you can’t expect me to remember the chords, the key and lyrics to all my old songs, I am 65 on Tuesday.

Happy birthday Billy.
 
First saw BB c 84? Supporting U2 at MK Bowl and more recently at the Islington Assembly Room late 2019 - playing his all his albums over three nights. He's been a constant throughout - my better half despairs of my 'shouty man music' - a great musician.
 
Spraggons Den said:
Someone at the front shouted out the title of one of his songs to which Billy replied it’s not a request show - you can’t expect me to remember the chords, the key and lyrics to all my old songs, I am 65 on Tuesday.

Happy birthday Billy.
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Good old Billy. That will make him one of us in twelve months time.

Best wishes
Marchbanks (OAP of six months’ standing)

PS In Billy’s position, I would probably have been surprised to learn the songs people were shouting for were ones I had written.
 
I saw him at the time of Life’s A Riot With Spy vs. Spy and he was great. Just a Burns guitar, tiny amp and loads of attitude. That’s still the only album of his I’ve got, though I follow him on Twitter as he always has a sensible take about most things. Seems like a really decent bloke.
 
Seeker_UK said:
Didn't he start off with a twin cutaway guitar?
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I can’t remember much about it other than I think it was a small outdoor festival thing in Liverpool with a few other bands. He’s what I remember so I guess what I went to it for. Would have been around 83-85, no later than that. I thought he had the Burns, but I’d not put any weight on my memory at this distance.
 
Love his version of New England, they were talking about him on Jazz FM this morning, mentioned his age and his debut album and him writing NE, they said the song was only about two minutes long and the entire album 16 minutes.

They played his version of NE I prefer it to Kirsty MacColl's version although her version is good too.
 
Spraggons Den said:
We were lucky enough to see him supporting Paul Heaton at the O2 on Saturday night. He had a keyboard player and another guy alternating between slide guitar and mandolin - sounded great and had a lot to say as usual.

Someone at the front shouted out the title of one of his songs to which Billy replied it’s not a request show - you can’t expect me to remember the chords, the key and lyrics to all my old songs, I am 65 on Tuesday.

Happy birthday Billy.
Click to expand...
If he is only 65 he is not an OAP and the Bard of Barking won't be for 2 years...
 
Tony L said:
I can’t remember much about it other than I think it was a small outdoor festival thing in Liverpool with a few other bands. He’s what I remember so I guess what I went to it for. Would have been around 83-85, no later than that. I thought he had the Burns, but I’d not put any weight on my memory at this distance.
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Exercising my google-foo, he had an Arbiter copy of a Gibson, which is what I remember seeing him perform with on telly.

289883_10150284685822471_599637124_o.jpg


Before that, he had a Vox Phantom, :eek:

https://www.facebook.com/4490569747...ht-round-off-the-past-few-/10155060971797471/

28471210_10155060963267471_1658709157061777279_n.png
 
Cav said:
If he is only 65 he is not an OAP and the Bard of Barking won't be for 2 years...
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Thanks for that although we are both technically incorrect as it’s actually 66 at present. I was exercising a bit of poetic licence as 65 has been the state retirement age for men nearly all the my life. Anyway, he was looking good (certainly better than me) and imho is one of the UKs great singer-songwriters whose lyrics are as relevant today as they were he first appeared on the music scene.
 
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CraShWilliams said:
First saw BB c 84? Supporting U2 at MK Bowl and more recently at the Islington Assembly Room late 2019
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This was my third attempt and first successful one at seeing him play. I queued for a couple of hours at the UEA Norwich c. 1984 but didn’t get in. And then had tickets for the Plymouth Rock festival c. 87 which was cancelled and I think the promoters scarpered with the money maybe. I still find his Talking to the Taxman about Poetry album to be an almost perfect blend of folk story-telling and politics which is only bettered by early Dylan imho.
 
Top bloke. About the only time I watch question time now is when either he or Andy Burnham are on the panel.
Back in the day, the band I was in supported BB a fair few times,throughout the U.K. on the Red Wedge tours & also with Latin Quarter. We also did a charity LP with him in the build up to Nelson Mandela release.
Years later I met him again at a picket line when I was on strike & he played a gig for us.
3B60D5C7-EEE2-4B47-9AA1-6FAE37D0E118 by matt randall, on Flickr
Apologies for the very poor pic!
 
I was sure billy played a Gordon smith gs1 when I saw him in bormjngham but I could be wrong and it was the Gibson linked to above

grest gov regardless, and he introduced me to dick gaughan so even more reason to love his work

still play man in the iron mask on my guitar from time to time
 
He was recently boosting the morale of our local posties (Bridport) when they were out on strike.
 
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