The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMusicLive music

Billy Bragg at Rough Trade East

Billy Bragg at Rough Trade East | Live review
18 March 2013
Rita Vicinanza
Avatar
Rita Vicinanza
18 March 2013

Promoting his new LP Tooth & Nail, folk-rock singer-songwriter Billy Bragg performed a one-off short acoustic set in London before jetting back to the US where he’s currently on tour. Despite tiredness due to jet lag, Bragg entertained the audience with tunes from his latest album and a trip down memory lane with Sexuality and Greetings To The New Brunette, which pleased both old fans and new recruits.

Bragg and his acoustic guitar delighted the crowd who sang along to his sometimes funny, sometimes serious lyrics. The singer introduced every song, explaining their origins, with the audience interacting with laughs and shouts. Between chanting “Free Pussy Riot!” and expressing his world-views, such as supporting gay unions, to which he dedicated No One Knows Nothing Anymore, Bragg confirmed that he is unashamedly socially engaged even though he doesn’t like to be labelled as a political songwriter.

Writing songs is often a personal experience (January Song and Handyman Blues are good examples of this) but Bragg understands the power of music as an effective medium of communication. His music is a reminder that lyrics and music penetrate minds.

Bragg paid homage to St. Patrick’s Day by playing On Ragland Road, a Patrick Kavanagh poem originally recorded by Luke Kelly. The last song, Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards, left the audience in a merry mood for a pint of beer before heading home.

★★★★★

Rita Vicinanza
Photo: John kell

For further information and future events visit Billy Bragg’s website here.

Watch the video for No One Knows Nothing Anymore here:

Related Itemslive musicreview

More in Live music

St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo

★★★★★
Diletta Lobuono
Read More

The Rollings Stones give Glasto a run for its money at BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Sarah Bradbury
Read More

Eagles bring a nostalgia-laden evening to the BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium

★★★★★
Bev Lung
Read More

Elton John sparkles on his Farewell tour at BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

Twenty One Pilots at Brixton Academy

★★★★★
Regan Harle
Read More

Imagine Dragons at MK Stadium

★★★★★
Katherine Parry
Read More

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Kenwood House

★★★★★
Francis Nash
Read More

Nile Rodgers at Kenwood House Heritage Festival

★★★★★
Jonathan Marshall
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • The Rollings Stones give Glasto a run for its money at BST Festival in Hyde Park
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • “He used to spit at the audience, roll on the ground, he did, in fact, hump that plastic dog – he was the original punk rocker”: Baz Luhrman, Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge and Alton Mason on Elvis
    Cinema & Tv
  • The Princess
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Terminal List
    ★★★★★
    amazon
  • Baymax!
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Kate Nash – Girl Talk | Album review
Jack the Giant Slayer | Movie review