Protest and survive

March 17th, 2009 by Administrator | Posted in Articles |

In March 1984, my debut EP had been knocked off the top of the indie charts by the Smiths’ first album. For the previous 12 months, I’d been travelling Britain trying to reinvent the idea of the political singer-songwriter. Now I had an opportunity to find out if my punk-edged songs had any relevance in a real political struggle.

Soon I was travelling to the coalfields, doing gigs to raise money for the miners and their families. I was surprised to find that traditional folk singers were there ahead of me, singing songs more radical than mine. I was also impressed by the sight of miners’ wives, forced into public speaking because their husbands were in jail or on the picket lines.

This summer, I will mark the anniversary of the strike by doing a series of gigs in Wales. This tour is not intended as a celebration, but as an act of memory, to commemorate the struggle of the people of Wales to defend their communities from destruction. It will not be an evening for nostalgia. Against the backdrop of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, this tour will be rooted in the here and now, evoking memories of the strike to remind people that we have not always meekly accepted cutbacks and redundancies.

There is still a culture of progressive resistance in Wales, something that has been lost in England, and although it does not burn so fiercely as it once did, it can still inspire. My hope is that we will blow on the embers of this tradition.

• Billy Bragg’s Welsh tour begins on 5 June in Blaenavon

This article was first published in the Observer Music Monthly on Sunday 15 March 2009.

  1. 9 Responses to “Protest and survive”

  2. By ava on Mar 20, 2009

    Allo allo. Just wanted to tell u if i ever have a kid, i’m gonna name him after u Sir Billy. Your music has changed who i am as a person. How i think and see the world. U are both an inspiring humanitarian, and a true heart musical revolutionary. Hell, even if i never have kids at all(i’m 39)my next pet i’ll name after u. I do love the animals. Thank you so much for all u do. We need more artists like u in america. Have u ever heard of the singer Amos Lee? listen to his song ’southern girl.’ amazing. well, keep the faith billy, u are making such a positive difference. Ta.

  3. By Alison Margaret on Mar 26, 2009

    Why don’t you tour Australia again sooooon Billy - it has been sooooooooooo long since you were here. I saw you at Norwood Town Hall Adelaide.

  4. By Marion on Apr 4, 2009

    I’m not seeking worlds to change
    I’m not seeking worlds of fame
    I’m not seeking change of name
    I just want out this game.

    When can I just grow more real
    When will I learn how to feel
    When will news not be just a reel
    Its all the bloody same.

    Listen to the lies and lies
    See the babies born to cries
    See the damage done to lives
    And know we’re all insane.

    Give me just a clue to hold
    Is it money, is it gold
    Is it truth that can be told
    Or are the ducks all lame.

  5. By Marion on Apr 4, 2009

    Hi Billy,

    Still remember your Red Wedge tour from my student days. Years of trouble and apathy since but now seeking a political view that makes a difference. Can’t sing, can’t play, know sod all about music or politics and don’t look good on stage, but I have a heart in the right place and a capacity to think and reason and poetry in my soul. I reckon I could write lyrics that you’d like - the above took me less than five minutes - and I’d be keen to swap email addresses if you’d care to get in touch.

    Marion

  6. By Brian Greed on Jun 8, 2009

    Hi Billy
    Are you coming to Glastonbury this year?
    It wouldn’t be the same without you!
    Best wishes
    Brian Greed

  7. By Sean on Jul 14, 2009

    Billy,
    Been a big fan since the 80s. Seen you in concert a half-dozen times, including here in Toronto. Hope to again soon.

    Reason for posting:
    Have you tuned in to the Toronto city workers’ strike? Wondering your take on the role of the union (two of them in this case) in this day and age. Particularly when, as a result of the strike, many working class people’s kids, in the height of summer, have no daycare, day camps, swimming pools, etc and can’t afford expensive alternatives (never mind the environmental ill-effects of the lack of garbage collection). Why? Because the union claim their members deserve the right to bank their sick days (18 annually!!!) and cash them in upon retirement, among other demands. How do we reconcile this union action with the current global economic landscape? There are plenty of peeps out there on the dole who’d gladly work for half of what the strikers already make/have. Most Torontonians are against the strike, and some (like those who work on Toronto Island who’ve lost their jobs because the municipally operated ferries are docked) are suffering.
    Cheers,
    -Sean

  8. By Emily on Jul 17, 2009

    Hi-
    Will you ever play in Dallas? I know Bush lives here, but that isn’t our fault. I LOVE your music and admire your ideals and the fact that you’ve never turned your back on them. I’ve never seen you live, though, and I’d really, really like to. PLEASE?!?!

  9. By Tim Hicks on Oct 20, 2009

    A song - quick - for the posties

  10. By Karen Makepeace on Nov 20, 2009

    I lost my Back to Basics cassette almost 20 years ago and can’t believe I never got around to replacing it. Just borrowed my brother’s copy and I am reminded of how brilliant it is. I am also astonished at how absolutely relevant a lot of your stuff is right now, so many years on!

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