As any regular Billy Bragg gig-goer will tell you, the BB live  experience is about much more than the music.  Billy’s between song banter is as much a reason to attend as the songs themselves.  The Bard from Barking was on particularly good form at the Shepherds Bush Empire with his monologues ranging from the funny – ongoing comments about playing Manchester the night after Tony Hadley – to more serious words about the massive impact of seeing The Clash in 1978, the British National Party and racism. 

The music was also very good with highlights for me including a plaintive Must I Paint You A Picture and blistering World Turned Upside Down. There were also collaborations with Badly Drawn Boy (Walk Away Renee), Kate Nash (The Shangri- Las' Give Him A Great Big Kiss) as well as a beautiful duet of a Gram Parsons’ tune with support act Otis Gibbs. 

Looking a bit like Seasick Steve but sounding more like Steve Earle, Gibbs like Bragg is a witty raconteur with his between-song comments proving at least as memorable as the tunes themselves.  Like Bragg, he is a competent rather than exemplary musician but more than makes up for any technical shortcomings with the warmth of his banter.  

With his last album, the excellent Mr Love & Justice released almost a year ago, Billy Bragg didn’t feel the need to litter his set with new songs but included a mixture of new and old as well as a few lesser-known recordings from his canon.  Among the highlights not already mentioned were the opener This Guitar Says Sorry, Greetings To The New Brunette and Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards which, as usual, included almost completely different, topical lyrics to the original recorded version from the Worker’s Playtime LP.  Most songs suit the classic guitar and vocal Bragg combination though a few such as Sexuality sound better with a full band to my ears. 

With his gift for persuasive and passionate orations, Billy recalled how someone recently suggested that he should go into politics full time.  Fortunately for us, he is still primarily a musician and apparently doesn’t like doing breakfast television anyway!  More seriously, it’s great that he still manages to combine his interests whilst maintaining his dignity as well as providing an excellent, funny and thought-provoking evening out like he did at the Shepherds Bush Empire.

8.1.09