billy bragg tour 2023 adelaide

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BILLY BRAGG

Australian tour march - april 2023.

Handsome Tours is thrilled to announce that Billy Bragg will be returning for a very special tour entitled “One Step Forward. Two Steps Back.” In each city Bragg will perform three unique shows on consecutive nights.

NIGHT 1 Career Spanning Billy Bragg Set

NIGHT 2 Songs From First Three Albums ‘Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs Spy’ (1983) ‘Brewing Up with Billy Bragg (1984)’ ‘Talking with the Taxman about Poetry’ (1986)

NIGHT 3 Songs From Second Three Albums ‘Workers Playtime’ (1988) ‘Don’t Try This at Home’ (1991) ‘William Bloke’ (1996)

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).

Says Billy: “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 has been a fearless recording artist, tireless live performer and peerless political campaigner for over 35 years. Politicised by a Tory government operating without love or justice, this previously adrift young man from Barking, whose failure at national exams had reduced his career opportunities to two, eventually bought himself out of the British Army in 1981 (‘the best £175 I ever spent’), determined to make a living out of song.

Don’t miss the orator, entertainer, rabble-rouser, negotiator, pamphleteer, the fabled ‘Bard of Barking’, Billy Bragg, across three extraordinary evenings.

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• March 13, 2023 Setlist

Billy Bragg Setlist at Botanic Park, Adelaide, Australia

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WOMADelaide 2023 setlists

Billy Bragg Gig Timeline

• Mar 10 2023 WOMADelaide 2023 Adelaide, Australia Add time Add time
• Mar 12 2023 Port Fairy Folk Festival 2023 Port Fairy, Australia Add time Add time
• Mar 13 2023 WOMADelaide 2023 This Setlist Adelaide, Australia Add time Add time
• Mar 13 2023 Port Fairy Folk Festival 2023 Port Fairy, Australia Start time: 11:45 AM 11:45 AM
• Mar 15 2023 Forum Theatre Melbourne, Australia Start time: 9:15 PM 9:15 PM
• Mar 16 2023 Forum Theatre Melbourne, Australia Start time: 9:00 PM 9:00 PM

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Billy Bragg – The Gov, Adelaide

Date/Time Date(s) - 04/03/2023 - 06/03/2023 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location The Gov

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An overwhelming first night proves WOMADelaide is back at full strength

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"If you're gonna play a festival, play the Friday night," Billy Bragg tells the enormous crowd who've gathered to see him on the first night of this year's WOMADelaide.

"The crowd's in a good mood, the crew know what they're doing, and the toilets are usable."

Bragg probably doesn't know just how right he is in this instance. After a couple of pandemic-enforced quieter years, WOMADelaide is back at full strength in 2023, with a cavalcade of international guests and some of our country's most interesting and diverse musical talent.

While it's first night offers a shorter program than the rest of the weekend, it's so packed that it feels truly overwhelming in the greatest of ways.

Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 gently ushers us from the working week into a weekend of musical discovery with a set of sparse compositions played on the guzheng.

Lying in the Adelaide Botanic Park's thick grass and surrendering to this beautiful music is as relaxed as we'll feel all evening, and a perfect way to get the WOMAD journey started.

Swarms of bats threaten to drown out the dual banjo attack of Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn , but from the moment they kick into a version of John Hartford's 'I'm Still Here', this prodigious and perfectly in sync duo command every bit of our attention.

"We hope you like banjos," Washburn quips as they take us from inner city Adelaide to Appalachia through nothing but raw talent and a bag of songs from across various eras.

It's jarring to go from a smorgasbord of banjo to Aurora 's set of leftfield European art pop, but this is WOMADelaide – if you're not willing to pivot quickly then you're going to have a tough time.

The Norwegian singer is entirely captivating as she dances around the stage in front of an enormous crowd, her voice as sweet as it is powerful. 'Running With The Wolves' is intense, 'Cure For Me' is celebratory, it's all incredibly impressive, and she remains an intriguing figure that we all just want to get to know better.

Ripple Effect Band are an all-women rock'n'roll band from the Northern Territory community of Maningrida who play super catchy rock songs with blazing lead breaks, sung in four different Aboriginal languages as well as in English.

They've only released a handful of songs so far, so much of the material is fresh to us. All of it has us excited to hear their forthcoming debut album though. One of the major highlights is 'Cyclone Song', in which the band's Rachel Thomas tells the story of the brutal Cyclone Monica, which brought intense winds to their home town in 2006.

Their set is one time where the relaxed crowd, who sit idly at the front of the stage, betrays the artist. This is music to dance to. It's not enough to dampen a spirited performance from a band we'll hopefully hear much more of this year.

You can only assume that it's impossible to stand still during Cimafunk , because no one is. The Cuban singer and his hefty ensemble live up to their name with a set of funk with significant influence from the music of his homeland seeping through.

'Beat Con Flow', a song released with Australia's Mister Savona a couple of years back, sounds even better than its recorded version, while some later songs show there's more than a little James Brown worship in the Cimafunk camp.

Every musician in the band is incredible, though the women pulling triple duty – as horn players, vocalists, and dancers – deserve special mention.

It's almost as fun to watch people discover Grace Cummings as it is to watch the Melbourne musician herself. She typically wins the hearts of every person jammed up against the front of the stage with her dark songs with jagged edges, her gruff and powerful voice, and her band's loose-but-tight support.

It felt like we were in a Cuban dance party a minute ago, now it's like we’re in an intimate little rock club. You gotta be prepared for anything at WOMADelaide.

It seems like everyone at the festival has come over to see Billy Bragg, who treats us to 65 minutes of classic socially conscious songs and lots of chatter about the big issues – just the way we like it. He has a deep well to draw from for a comparatively short set like this, and makes sure every song he plays is accompanied by a salient point.

He gives a rousing call to action about trans rights after 'Sexuality', which feels especially powerful given he acknowledges that a certain sector of his fanbase aren't on the right side of history when it comes to acceptance. He calls out the scourge of male violence before 'Levi Stubbs Tears', dropping a barely veiled attack at TERF ideology while he's at it.

He offers the usual pro-worker rhetoric around 'There Is Power In A Union' and… well, 'Greeting To The New Brunette' doesn't have a point, but it doesn't need one. It's still pure joy 37 years on from its release.

Bragg's crowd is enormous, which makes it strange that the vibe is so downcast. Perhaps they're more interested parties than fans. Maybe they're tired. Maybe they're conserving their energy. Bragg doesn't let it deter him – he's as animated as ever.

Bon Iver haven't undertaken a proper tour of Australia in over a decade, which means most of us haven't had the chance to see their two best albums (@ me all you want, I don't care) come to life on stage.

They prove to be an inspired headliner for WOMAD's first night. Their sound is intricate, delicate, and robust when they need to be, which honestly isn't often. It's heartening that a group making such inspired, left-of-centre music doesn't just command an audience this big, but also delivers them something that truly does justice to the recorded versions of the songs.

Of the newer material '666 ʇ' is very strong, while 'Hey, Ma' feels completely anthemic. Of the older stuff, 'Flume' gets a big response, while the harmonies in 'Blood Bank' are a reminder of what made the project so alluring in the first place.

Justin Vernon's casual charm, an incredible light show, and a skilled band that just hangs together in such a natural way proves that Bon Iver in 2023 is a truly special band.

It's only night one, but WOMADelaide has already provided a wonderfully exhausting experience of musical discovery.

The writer travelled to Adelaide with assistance from WOMADelaide.

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Billy Bragg @ The Gov, Adelaide 4/3/2023

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Billy Bragg Cleared To Enter Australia For Upcoming Retrospective Tour

By August Billy

Billy Bragg  is bringing his long awaited One Step Forward. Two Steps Back  tour to Australia in January and February 2022. He’ll be playing a trio of shows in each of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Fremantle. A one-night stint in Byron Bay has been added to the tour.

Night one will consist of a career-spanning set, including songs from Bragg’s latest album,  The Million Things That Never Happened.  Night two will centre on songs from his first three albums,  Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs Spy (1983),  Brewing Up with Billy Bragg (1984), and Talking with the Taxman about Poetry (1986). Night three will focus on the next three albums in Bragg’s discography,  Workers Playtime  (1988), Don’t Try This at Home  (1991), and  William Bloke  (1996).

“I’ve been given clearance to enter Australia in January and I’m really excited at the prospect of playing these three night gigs that both showcase my new songs and dive deep into my back catalogue,” said Bragg.

These will be Bragg’s first Australian shows since 2018, when he appeared at Meredith Music Festival and the Fairgrounds festival. Bragg released  The Million Things That Never Happened  in October 2021, his first collection of new material since 2013’s  Tooth & Nail .

Billy Bragg ‘One Step Forward. Two Steps Back’ Australian Tour

Wed 27th, Thu 28th, Fri 29th January – Enmore Theatre, Sydney Wed 2nd, Thu 3rd, Fri 4th February – Forum, Melbourne Tue 8th, Wed 9th, Thu 10th February – The Tivoli, Brisbane Sat, 12th February – The Northern, Byron Bay (NEW SHOW) Mon 14th, Tue 15th, Wed 16th – The Gov, Adelaide (NEW DATES) Sun 20th, Mon 21st, Tue 22nd February – Freo.Social, Fremantle (NEW DATES)

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Born 20 December 1957, Stephen William Bragg is a British singer-songwriter and a left wing activist. His songs are a mix of folk music and rock, peppered with politically opinionated lyrics.

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.”

Live reviews

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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A British institution and revered figure in the genres of folk, punk, rock and almost everything else, Stephen William "Billy" Bragg continues to record and tour now almost 40 years since he appeared on the scene. A sharp lyrical tongue and a gift for social commentary has seen Billy affectionally named the 'Bard of Barking' as many have followed his messages through the years and he has gone on to inspire outspoken musicians of today including Frank Turner and Beck.

Although he is now approaching his 60th birthday, the man is still spritely and energetic onstage. You cannot perform the seething 'No One Knows Nothing Anymore' without that aggressive passion that is synonymous with this great artist. His musicianship is not wavering in age as his hands move briskly over the guitar to thrash out the melodies and lead on his polished live band. There is still a bubbling sense of anarchy and in a time of political upheaval the dissatisfied masses look towards voices like Billy to stand up for them and be their voice. This means that the music of Bragg will be timeless and forever applicable to social and political unrest.

A rather special event to have been part of. In this intimate space above the Lexington in Kings Cross and with fantastic support acts provided by Cooking Vinyl, it was amazing to witness Billy Bragg completely at ease, joking and laughing with the audience. It was a rare outing for some of his early material particularly from his first two LPs "Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy" and Brewing Up with", much of which has not been performed live for many years. Technical glitches, spontaneous swearing and passionate political outburst all mixed beautifully with the tender and sensitive lyrical mastery of the often overlooked Bragg love songs. A unique and special evening, a real privilege to have attended.

Easily one of the best gigs of my year. I went in expecting to hear them play they're new album in its entirety but instead I got a bit of everything. Billy played some of his songs and so did Joe as well as tracks of the new album. It was also great to hear them vent about the weeks news and how the American election and Brexit are very similar.

The venue was fantastic too. It fitted the mood of the performance and the seats we got were phenomenal.

I got to meet the two of them after the show which meant a hell of a lot to me as Billy is the most important living songwriter in my life and getting the chance to speak to him is an event I'll never forget.

Overall rating: 5/5

Billy Bragg or Sir William of Barking, as we know him, fully deserves his XFM inspiration Award.

First saw him in 1988 with his famous jiggly guitar. Over 25 years later he is stil going and his songs seem as relevant as ever. His set was short but he treated to To Have & To Have Not and sing-a-long version of A New England including the extra verse in Kirsty MaColl's version. He gave a special mention to Kirsty.

25 years later he can still cut it. He is more polished.

Note to The Queen: BB really should be Sir William of Barking. Tho he would probably turn the award down.

I've been a huge fan since the late 80's. My dream of meeting one of my musical heroes came true last night and I even received a "Solidarity Hug". It was simply the best! The show was amazing. I love his fearlessness in sharing his views on our world. I hope everyone felt as inspired to go out and make change in our world.

The most powerful thing he said last night, in my opinion, is that the reason people/politicians fear being empathetic is because they know that, "Empathy + Activism = Solidarity." Go Billy!

Absolutely friggin' brilliant! Great music, superb ad libs, wonderful anecdotes, and really relevant social commentary, presented by two really good mates who are at the top of their musical and entertaining powers!

It was a privilege to be in the audience!!!

Ken Bardell.

Billy Bragg is a true legend, he's a man with a conscience who despite the serious nature of his songs manages to put on a fun and enjoyable show with plenty of laughs. He played a 2 hour set which was a privilege to watch.

Still a Political catalyst A chaotic journey through some of his songs off his albums of the early nineties a thoroughly pleasurable evening of anecdotes and meaningful lyrics which always deliver a message.

Venus was great

Parking was easy

Show was great he is very entertaining

Too bad they didn't bring enough books...

Who does that at a book signing

Many people were disappointed

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Billy Bragg is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 11 concerts across 2 countries in 2024-2025. View all concerts.

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Billy Bragg: The Roaring Forty USA Tour 2024

DSP presale begins Thursday, 5/2 at 10:00am with promo code distributed by their newsletter. Sign up for their New England email list HERE  for details.  Sales will open to the public on Friday, 5/3 at 10:00 AM . 

Punk rocker, soldier, Essex boy, folk singer, Skiffle aficionado, protest singers’ protest singer, patriot, optimist, lefty polemicist, author, soul miner, musicologist, champion of the underclasses, Cockney vocalist and all-round decent bloke Billy Bragg has confirmed ‘The Roaring Forty USA Tour,’ set for July, 2024.

Kicking off July 18 in Riverhead, NY and culminating with a July 27 return to the Newport Folk Festival—his first appearance there since 2017—the tour will feature Bragg, along with keyboardist and vocalist JJ Stoney, performing fan-favorites featured on 2023’s acclaimed box set ‘The Roaring Forty 1983-2023.’

Says Bragg, “ Ahead of my appearance at Newport Folk Festival, I’m taking a week-long swing through the north east US. Looking forward to playing in some cities where I haven’t been for a long old time.

About Billy Bragg:

Billy Bragg has been a fearless recording artist, tireless live performer and peerless political campaigner for 40 years. He has released 11 solo studio albums: Life’s A Riot With Spy Vs Spy (1983); Brewing Up With Billy Bragg (1984); Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (1986); Workers Playtime (1988); The Internationale (1990); Don’t Try This At Home (1991); William Bloke (1996); England, Half English (2002); Mr Love & Justice (2008); Tooth & Nail (2013); The Million Things That Never Happened (2021); three albums with Wilco – ( Grammy nominated ) Mermaid Avenue (1998); Mermaid Avenue Vol II (2000); Mermaid Avenue Vol III (2012); and one album with Joe Henry – Shine A Light: Field Recordings From The Great American Railroad (2016). He released a mini album Bridges Not Walls in 2017. His performances at the BBC were anthologised in The Best Of Billy Bragg At The BBC 1983-2019 (2019). At their best, Billy’s songs present ‘the perfect Venn diagram between the political and the personal’ (The Guardian).

Billy Bragg added best-selling author/musicologist to his CV with the success of his acclaimed 2017 book Roots, Radicals & Rockers – How Skiffle Changed The World. He has written two books of political analysis – The Progressive Patriot: A Search For Belonging (2006) and The Three Dimensions of Freedom (2019), which has been translated into German and Spanish.

To be expected from a career that has straddled many genres, Billy Bragg has worked with a wealth of celebrated musicians from different musical backgrounds including Eliza Carthy, Norman Cook, Dick Gaughan, Joe Henry, Kirsty MacColl, Ian McLagan, Johnny Marr, R.E.M., Natalie Merchant, Romeo Stodart, Danny Thompson, Robert Wyatt, Pete Seeger, The Philharmonic Orchestra and US alt-Rock band Wilco, with whom he created two critically acclaimed collections setting previously unheard lyrics by legendary American Folk singer Woody Guthrie to music.

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Show Date/Time: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 7:30 pm through 9:30 pm Doors at 7:00 pm

Ticket Prices: $39.50 - $59.50 ($49.47 - $71.48 after Fees)

Where/ How Tickets Can be Purchased: Purchase online using the button on the top right (scroll to the bottom of the page if using mobile), or you may visit or call our box office at 413-584-9032 ext.105. Box Office Hours are 3pm - 6pm, Tuesday - Friday. Service fees always apply with purchase.

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