Here’s a controversial opinion about Billy Bragg: the man has a beautiful voice. On Mid-Century Modern, a track from his most recent studio album, 2021’s The Million Things That Never Happened, his mahoganied lower register fills Edinburgh’s palatial Usher Hall with warmth. If the loveliness of the delivery knocks you momentarily sideways, the song’s sentiment swiftly grounds you. “Freedom’s just another word for acting with impunity,” Bragg croons.
Accompanied on mandolin and keyboards, he plays Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key, a Woody Guthrie lyric he set to music alongside the US band Wilco circa 1998. The song tells of a boy whose silver tongue gets him in trouble with a girl’s mother. “There ain’t nobody that can sing like me,” runs the chorus; Bragg delivers the line sonorously, without a wink.
Ever since his debut in the 1980s, there have been few British pop singers as easily identifiable and divisive as Bragg. Coming from east London, the young artist refused to alter his accent from the start. The punk movement had made Thames estuary accents popular, and Bragg’s everyman voice – nasal and straightforward – showed that Barking was capable of producing both balladeers and automobiles. If his voice bothered some listeners, it likely revealed their inherent prejudices.
A possible conclusion is that Bragg’s developed songwriting showcases his deeper, smoother voice. He is currently on tour promoting The Roaring Forty, a collection of his guitar-driven music from the past four decades. It seems tonight that some of his earlier songs may be performed in a lower key. However, devoted fans would not be bothered by this and for those who are, Bragg ends the show with a 16-minute rendition of his debut album, Life’s a Riot With Spy vs Spy, using the same guitar he originally recorded it with.
Although his delivery has become more refined over the years, that’s not the only factor at play. The true allure of Bragg’s voice has existed since the 1980s. Some may argue that you haven’t truly experienced the bard of Barking’s singing until you’ve heard him in Spanish.
One of the most unexpected moments of the night is a short video clip from Nicaragua in the 1980s, shown before the performance, as part of a 40-minute film summarizing Bragg’s career. He sings “Nicaragua Nicaraguita,” the unofficial anthem of the Sandinistas who overthrew the dictator Somoza in 1979. This song was later recorded on his 1990 album, “The Internationale.” Bragg’s rendition is sincere and confident, without any of the usual awkwardness that comes with non-native speakers attempting a foreign language. It is a heartfelt display of solidarity.
Bragg’s exceptional singing tonight is a pleasant surprise, but in every other aspect, he stays true to himself. He performs a mix of protest and love songs from his entire discography. The concert takes place in a seated venue, which may reflect the age of his fans, but it dampens the atmosphere as one person attempts to get the audience to stand and dance, to no avail. Bragg also takes breaks between songs to provide context, jokes, and clarifications on his past remarks.
The conclusion of The Wolf Covers Its Tracks is marked by a declaration to “stop the invasion of Gaza!” which is met with enthusiastic agreement. Bragg proceeds to discuss his brown suede “shacket” (a combination of shirt and jacket) and reveals that he had to look up the term after reading it in a review. He confirms the definition with his personal fashion advisor, Paul Weller, playfully imitating his voice as that of an East End gangster over the phone.
Bragg’s 1991 track, “Sexuality,” has been revised to align with modern attitudes. The lyrics now include the line, “No matter your gender identity, I won’t reject you,” and emphasize the importance of using the correct pronouns.
Bragg’s X feed remains a steadfast harbour in defence of trans rights, a stance he expands on tonight. He has refashioned Sexuality as a song of “allyship with our trans and non-binary siblings”, in part to get “geezers my age” up to speed.
He expresses concern about anti-trans activists using the argument that biology determines one’s fate. He acknowledges that this idea has been used by the patriarchy for centuries to deny women their rights and feels that his younger self would expect him to take action against it. He believes that cisgender individuals should support and stand up for their transgender siblings. As a side note, he clarifies that he fully supports the safety of girls and women in their spaces, but also acknowledges that trans women can also be safe in those spaces.
The source of danger for women, girls, and trans women is all rooted in the same source, according to Bragg. This source is male violence and it is the problem that we should be actively addressing every day on the internet.
The Roaring Forty tour is not just a trip down memory lane. Recently, Bragg composed a song titled “Rich Men Earning North of a Million” in reaction to the viral song “Rich Men North of Richmond” by American singer Oliver Anthony. Anthony’s song expressed frustration with the challenges faced by average individuals and placed blame on the elite class. However, it also insulted overweight individuals on government assistance and gained popularity among those on the right side of the political spectrum.
Bragg’s response makes it clear who the true adversary is: wealthy men, no doubt. And his proposed remedy remains consistent with what it has been for the past forty years: there is strength in unity.
Source: theguardian.com
