New Gig Thread

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:07 pm

This is a pretty similar set to the one I saw. the Johnny Clash rewprking of Folsom Prison Blues to the words of Pinball Wizard was great, as was the following Clash indebted song, with a chorus based on Complete Control and nice refs to Garageland and I'm So Bored WIth The USA in it. hs books is dedicated to The Clash, linking with a lovely story he told when he praises his audience about how he worked in an office with racist, sexist, National Front sympathising homophobes, and was distressed by their views, but when he saw The Clash at a Hackney Rock Against Racism event, he realised he was one of many, and the next Monday it was time to stand up for his own beliefs.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:22 pm

Otis, I'm reading that Billy Bragg book now (won a copy from YepRoc when I ordered the Volume 2 box set). Written with a great deal of passion and a fair amount of research behind it. He can digress at times, but it gives you a very good sense of the man and where he's from.

Glad you liked the show. He is high on my list of musicians I want to see.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:38 am

I assumed you would have as a big fan! I wonder how many gigs he's played. Glad the book is good, it looked it froma flip through, and he comes across as very smart and articulate as an orator (and BBC Radio 4 commentator on all things to do with natinal identity), so you'd expect that to be reflected in the writing.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:32 pm

Otis - I think you owe me big time

I told you! I went to see him on Saturday in Brighton and he told a story about his voice cracking up and it culminated with his manager saying "Don't worry Bill, no one comes to hear you sing!".

He was absolutely brilliant on Saturday and he did a cover of The Jam's That's Entertainment. He asked the audience to choose a song which was either The Jam or The Carpenters (which was the song Superstar - and he sang most of it anyway!). No prizes for guessing which won the vote. He said that at Cambridge "the bastards made me sing Chris de Burgh!" which I suspect was a joke. I had front row seats and when he came out for the first encore I shouted out "Lady in red" which drew a laugh from the crowd and had Billy look at me and reply. I have a great admiration for him. He can do no wrong in my book.

On Friday night I had the other end of the musical spectrum when I saw George Michael at Wembley. The show was fantastic and there's no doubt that he's got a great voice. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would but that's also down to Wembley Arena being a far better venue now that it's had a total revamp. I have some awful memories of being there but it's good now. Even our cheap (Â£40) seats were a good view.

Last weekend due to the postponement of the meet up I went to see Glenn Tilbrook who as ever was very entertaining and a lot of fun. He ended with a load of women getting up on stage to dance while he sang Tom Jones' It's Not unusual.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:03 am

Isn't Billy Bragg, like, you know... a bit of a phony? But perhaps I should start a new thread about it... just after I deal with Christmas stuff.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:07 am

Perhaps you could do a list of the Top 10 reasons why you think Billy Bragg is a phony

But make sure you do your Christmas stuff first or else Santa will know you've been naughty and not nice.

I think I can safely say that from what I know of him and from when I've met him he is 100% genuine. Perhaps you're getting him mixed up with Billy Graham.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:48 pm

or billy the fish

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:27 am

As part of my Paul Weller resurgence I'm off to see The Jamm tonight supported by The Paul Weller Connexion.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:10 am

Gogol Bordello and Dan Sartain tonight at Irving Plaza. Going down there wiith my wife to celebrate my b-day - just one more to go until my 40th! *gulp*

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:43 pm

bambooneedle wrote:Isn't Billy Bragg, like, you know... a bit of a phony? But perhaps I should start a new thread about it... just after I deal with Christmas stuff.

Very strange. A more genuine guy you couldn't wish to meet. True to his beliefs and all round good bloke IMHO.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:49 pm

Are you kidding? He's obviously a con artist who's trying to indoctrinate people into lockstep, moderate socialism and make himself shitloads of money in the process. There is only one person on this earth-- no, in history-- who holds genuine and unsullied beliefs, and is capable of independent, uncorrupted thought or creativity. His name is Bambooneedle. I can't believe you haven't learned that by now.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:40 am

Damn...I feel like I've been violated.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:19 am

Mechanical Grace wrote:He's obviously a con artist who's trying to indoctrinate people into lockstep, moderate socialism and make himself shitloads of money in the process.

How did the conversation turn to Tony Blair?

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:42 am

I was just giving 'Boo a hard time, Doof. You know I'm a big BB fan.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:53 am

Mechanical Grace wrote:

I was just giving 'Boo a hard time, Doof. You know I'm a big BB fan.

Yeah - I know.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 3:58 pm

Los Lobos tonight at the House of Blues in Anaheim. Always a great show, and a great Christmas Gift from my wife. Can't wait. They will feature many songs from their new album "The Town and the City"...a fantastic record.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:19 pm

As usual, the Los Lobos show was beyond expectations. Incredible band, and their new album will almost certainly be the subject of much discussion in the months to come.

Opening band was the original War, now called the Low Riders Band:
Cisco Kid
The World is a Ghetto
Slippin' into Darkness
Low Rider
Me and Baby Brother
Why Can't We Be Friends

all covered plus some blistering solo work. Lee Oskar, the original harmonica player, was brilliant, and joined LL during the majority of their set. Lot's of fun. Great show. Great band

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:47 am

Bragg just comes across to me as very self-servingly manipulative. He sounds like he's constantly trying to justify himself and convince himself of how "genuine" he is with this phony overearnest "sincerity". I find it hard to trust people like that.

I've heard live recordings of him and there are moments where he's all too obviously trying to milk some shallow crowd reaction about something from some pub crowd that he expects to just lap it up... It becomes almost self-parodic, especially with that overdone accent and all (i've heard it much less pronounced live), maybe some people find that entertaining.

An excerpt from: http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/revitalvi_82.htm where he pretty nauseatingly selfreferences his "honesty"... barrrffff! -

Lip Magazine: An older video from the late 1980s, "Which Side Are You On," had you and fellow musicians touring the Southeast of the US in support of striking mine workers. One of the most interesting things about that video is the sheer diversity of your audiences: you were performing to equally enthusiastic audiences of miners, college kids, punks and [various] societal misfits. What do you think accounts for that kind of cross-cultural, cross-class appeal, and how important to you is it that you reach that kind of spectrum of listeners?

Billy Bragg: My theory is this; I'm not a political songwriter. I'm an honest songwriter. I try and write honestly about what I see around me now. There are quite a few honest songwriters out there writing about relationships and their own personality traits. But for some reason, once they step out of the bedroom, their honesty doesn't seem to come with them. My honesty just happens to extend out into the real world.
When I look at things around me, whether it's my personal relationships or whether it's what happens to be going on in the world, I'm forced by circumstances, particularly the circumstances in Britain in the 1980s, to respond in a way that questions what's happening, and that makes me write songs that have social commentary ... I guess it's the honesty that draws people in, whether I write honestly about my relationships or the situation in the world. That's my guess.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:39 am

I find him reassuringly honest and on the occasions I've met him, what you see is what you get.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:06 am

bambooneedle wrote:He sounds like he's constantly trying to justify himself and convince himself of how "genuine" he is with this phony overearnest "sincerity".

Talk about self-parody... that's the funniest thing I've read since your last verbal mash-up.

You will let us know, won't you, oh arbiter of all that is genuine and real and un-phony, when there's someone whom we can trust to be really REALLY real? Aside from yourself, of course?

PS, Saw Ron Sexsmith last night. Now there's a guy you have to watch out for. It was a great show until I realized he was obviously trying to milk the sentiments of the audience and trick us into thinking we knew what we were listening to. Most people were blind and deaf to the charade, but knowing better, I was not taken in.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:31 am

Mechanical Grace wrote:PS, Saw Ron Sexsmith last night. Now there's a guy you have to watch out for. It was a great show until I realized he was obviously trying to milk the sentiments of the audience and trick us into thinking we knew what we were listening to. Most people were blind and deaf to the charade, but knowing better, I was not taken in.

I'm jealous. I was planning to see Ron tomorrow at the Bowery Ballroom, but family commitments have intervened.

As for Bragg, I've just finished trawling through the entirety of Volume II and I have to say that, though it might be fair to question the quality of some of Bragg's output, IMO you would be hard pressed to find a musician who is less of a phony than BB.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:43 am

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:15 pm

Darn those family commitments, WSS! Ron at the Bowery would surely be heaven.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:30 pm

But not as good, I'd bet, as at TT the Bear's (odd name, yes, I know) here, a teensy little venue. Ron's voice was not serving him well-- laryngitis-- but no one seemed to care. Incredibly gracious man, wonderful musician.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:32 pm

And he shares a birthday with Bowie, lucky boy. Born in the same year as me too. Life wouldn't be the same without either of them.