someone who wants
to see society
re-organised
so that everyone
has access to
the means by
which to reach
their full potential
“Work in progress. That’s how John Peel thought of his evening sessions, offering artists the opportunity to try out new songs in a studio environment. That’s how I looked at them too. The confirmation of a Peel session date was a signal to get my ideas together, to define material that had hitherto been little more than words scribbled on a page or a tune thrashed out during a sound check.
That’s why some of the tracks here have a different phrasing and arrangement to that which appeared on record. The songs were so new, you can hear I’m still feeling my way into them. Several were conceived and written the night before the session. In one case, I actually composed a song from scratch while the show was on air. That rawness was always a key component of my BBC sessions, the thrill of putting something out there for the very first time.
And here I’ve collected all the best moments across 36 years of my ongoing work in progress.”
Billy Bragg 2019
38 Classic tracks compiled from the BBC archive spanning 1983 to 2019
Fully remastered many previously unreleased
Includes selected highlights from sessions for John Peel, David Jensen, Janice Long, Phill Jupitus, Bob Harris, Tom Robinson & more
“Work in progress. That’s how John Peel thought of his evening sessions, offering artists the opportunity to try out new songs in a studio environment. That’s how I looked at them too. The confirmation of a Peel session date was a signal to get my ideas together, to define material that had hitherto been little more than words scribbled on a page or a tune thrashed out during a sound check.
That’s why some of the tracks here have a different phrasing and arrangement to that which appeared on record. The songs were so new, you can hear I’m still feeling my way into them. Several were conceived and written the night before the session. In one case, I actually composed a song from scratch while the show was on air. That rawness was always a key component of my BBC sessions, the thrill of putting something out there for the very first time.
And here I’ve collected all the best moments across 36 years of my ongoing work in progress.”
Billy Bragg 2019
Limited Edition Triple White Vinyl | Black Vinyl | Double CD
Limited Edition Triple White Vinyl | Black Vinyl | Double CD
In these challenging times, we all need something to hang on to. Like everyone else, my plans for 2020 have been disrupted by the pandemic, but today I’m announcing an extensive UK & Irish tour for this time next year to give me something tangible to work towards. My hope is that, by then, we’ll be able to get together again and enjoy the uplift that live music brings, to audience and performer alike.
Hope to see you next Autumn
“After more than three decades of travelling around the world in a van, or spending all day flying vast distances to play a gig, I’m looking forward to having some time to explore cities that I usually only get to see between the soundcheck and the show. And this three night stand format is a way of keeping things interesting, both for me and the audience. I tried it out in Auckland recently and had a lot of fun revisiting my back pages.” Billy Bragg 2019
In each town Bragg will perform three unique shows on consecutive nights.The first night’s performance will feature Bragg’s current set, which ranges across his 35 year career. The second will see Bragg perform songs from his first three albums: his punk rock debut Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs Spy (1983), its similarly raw follow-up Brewing Up with Billy Bragg (1984) and Talking with the Taxman about Poetry (1986). The third performance will see Bragg perform songs from his second three albums: the positively jangled Workers Playtime (1988), the pop classic Don’t Try This at Home (1991) and the back-to-basics William Bloke (1996).
For Your Weekend Listening Pleasure:
Until 10 minutes ago, I had no idea I could listen to this (over and over): @billybragg's epic show at Deep Ellum Live on Feb, 22, 1992. OPENS with "A New England." Closes with Todd Rundgren + The Specials covers.
https://archive.org/details/bbragg1992-02-22.aud.flac16/32.+Just+One+Victory.flac
147 mass shootings in US already this year: let's make it easier to buy guns
2 cases of voter fraud in 2020: let's make it harder to vote
Upcoming Shows
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21octGateshead – Sage GatesheadSage Gateshead St. Mary’s Square. Gateshead NE8 2JRSage GatesheadBuy Tickets
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22octDundee – Fat Sam’sFat Sam’s 31 South Ward Road. Dundee DD1 1PUFat Sam’sBuy Tickets
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23octGlasgow – Barrowland BallroomBarrowland Ballroom 244 Gallowgate. Glasgow G4 0TTBarrowland BallroomBuy Tickets
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26octLiverpool – Philharmonic HallPhilharmonic Hall. Hope Street. Liverpool L1 9BPPhilharmonic Hallbuy Tickets
Featured Album
Bridges Not Walls
© Billy Bragg 2019