Byline: Dave Owens
AS student protests have swept the country, these huge demos have been observed with more than a keen eye by one of the country's most renowned political activists - singer Billy Bragg.
The soap-box orator and upstanding pillar of the protest community admits he's been both moved and shocked by this radical young uprising, and while not condoning the violence that has resulted from protests, the singer can understand the reasons why.
"I was absolutely amazed at the number of people who turned up at the London demo," he says.
"It's very easy to sit at home and say people should remain calm but you think what went through the minds of those kids when they were faced with those coppers in their blue helmets and their shields.
"I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of them didn't think what happened to Ian Tomlinson [the man who died after being struck by a policeman at G20 demo in London] and in a situation like that there's bound to be a bit of pushing and shoving."
"Unfortunately that's the position we're in now.
"I wish it wasn't like that, I wish they could just march and people would take notice, but unfortunately what the Liberal Democrats have done is by betraying the students they have to be complicit in this.
"When you do that you have to accept the consequences unfortunately."
It appears that Billy Bragg has come full circle in a life dominated by his staunch conviction to music and activism.
The '80s are back - the Conservatives are in power, people are rioting, the clothes and haircuts are back in fashion and the man known as the Bard of Barking is still keeping the faith.
It's like the old days all over again.
"Almost, almost," laughs Billy. "Except we haven't got the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union and thank Christ for that. I don't want to see them coming back."
Right now the singer's popularity shows no sign of waning, thanks in part to his wholesale embracing of cyberspace.
He's a prolific poster on both Facebook and Twitter, while his website www.billybragg.co.uk is utilising the latest technology to get his music to as wide an audience as possible.
"I think if you're no longer in the mainstream press and no longer getting played on radio, there are other ways of connecting with your audience and creating a sense of community around what you do," he explains.
"Some of things I post on Facebook for example get seen by hundreds of thousands of people, more people than read the NME.
"And they're all people who want to know what I'm up to.
"So it's a good way for me to communicate with fans in a very straightforward way that we couldn't before.
"It's also a great way for old geezers like me to cut out the middleman in some ways.
"I'm now giving away the songs that I record as free downloads but selling merchandise to make money and fans are responding to that.
"I think that's the challenge for the artist in the internet age - can we survive without being in the mainstream of the industry?" Although most of our conversation is mired in the muddy trenches of politics, Billy admits he doesn't mind the excessive non-music banter.
"It was always like this, always," he opines. "To be honest with you I'd much rather talk about this stuff than what kind of guitar I've got."
He has obviously faced some tough opponents over the years, but fans will be pleased to hear that he's patched up his differences with the Manic Street Preachers, thanks in no small way to Billy's friendship with Manics' bass player Nicky Wire's brother, the poet Patrick Jones.
The two sides famously fell out at the Glastonbury Festival in 2007 when the Welsh rockers decided not to muck in with their fellow musicians in the backstage area and brought their own loo.
On the door was a note that read: "These facilities are reserved exclusively for the Manic Street Preachers. Please respect this. Thank you".
As Billy noted at the time of this lack of Glastonbury spirit: "That's a nice socialist gesture, lads".
Billy takes up the story of their reparation. "Patrick was opening for me when I did my miners' strike tour last year and he was brilliant, I really love his stuff," he enthuses "I first met him at an event at the Welsh Assembly to commemorate the visit of Paul Robeson to the Valleys and hit off from there.
"I am a fan of the Manics despite our disagreements over toilet facilities at Glastonbury.
"I had a pop at them and they had a pop back at me.
"But last time I was in town Nicky came along with Patrick and it was all cool.
"He didn't want to use my toilet though!" The run-up to Christmas will see the most vocal of vocal activists hoping to inspire fans who attend his shows to get actively involved in political causes just as he was inspired to some 30 years earlier.
"There is this sense that you get when you come to a gig and someone sings a song about an issue you feel strongly about, and everyone cheers," he explains.
"You realise you are not the only person in the world who has that same sense of this issue. That can be very, very important.
"The first political thing I was in was Rock Against Racism. At the time, I was working in an office where the language was casually racist; it was sexist, and it was homophobic.
"I was the office junior so I never said anything about it. But I knew it was wrong.
"When I went to Rock Against Racism in 1978, there were 100,000 kids my age just like me in the park that day and I realised that while I might be in the minority in the office, I was not in the minority in my generation.
"In fact, this would be the issue that would define my generation - opposition to discrimination of all kinds.
"Going to that gig and being with that audience changed my perspective of the world and I think that is the most that music can aspire to.
"Just singing songs unfortunately cannot change the world. Words alone are not enough to save us.
"You have to have actions to go with it.
"People tell me that they are inspired by my songs, and for that I'm thankful, but I take my inspiration from the only people in this equation who can actually make a difference - the audience.
"After 25 years of activism, my faith in your ability to change the world is undimmed."
Billy Bragg plays the Millennium Music Hall, Cardiff tomorrow night. Tickets are priced pounds 16. More info on 029 2034 0737
CAPTION(S):
Billy Bragg, the troubadour of protest, is still keeping the faith
No comments:
Post a Comment