Mixing Pop And Politics

Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg's long and distinguished career has always been defined by more than just his music or his message. For more than thirty years now he's been an inspiring thinker, an activist, an agitator and so much more, teaching people the importance of faith, empathy and compassion in his own idiosyncratic way. His left-leaning politics have always been proudly on display for all to engage with, but Bragg's societal contribution amounts to so much more than this courage of his convictions – he's led by example and shown that it's okay to stand out from the crowd and how it's imperative in life to be true to yourself above all else. And he's left an amazing catalogue of songs and music in his wake.

“Well, hopefully I can convey something about how a guy like me who's never had platinum records and never played [stadiums] still makes a living after thirty years in the industry,” Bragg ponders about what wisdom he'll hopefully impart during his BIGSOUND keynote. “Bands these days seem to be either huge overnight or just disappear – there doesn't seem to be any bands who take three albums to find out who they are like I did, and then carry on building on that with that audience. That 'middle-sized, make a decent living' kind of band – in the UK anyway – seems to have disappeared.

“Bands don't even get to make a third album often these days – if their first album's any good they might get to make a second album, but if that doesn't come out better than the first album then they disappear altogether. I mean London Calling is a third album, so is Born To Run! For the third album you've got to show people that you can build on the thing that they like about you. On my third album [1986's Talking To The Taxman About Poetry], after two albums that were basically solo you had Johnny Marr and Kirsty MacColl playing with me. On the third album I took it forward with things like Greetings To The New Brunette and Levi Stubb's Tears and Power In The Union and stuff like that, and with London Calling The Clash sort of broke out of that punk scene. And the same with Springsteen on Born To Run; he sort of gave you a hint of how huge he was going to be on his third album.

“Basically what you want is people being able to make a living doing what they love doing – that's got to be the definition of success, whatever you do. It may be that you always wanted to be a writer, or always wanted to be a bricklayer, but to wake up in the morning and say, 'Alright, we have some shit days but this is what I've always wanted to do, and I'm making a living out of this', that's got to be the definition of success to me. And it should be possible with the internet – you'd think that it would make that sort of thing more reachable, more doable.”

It makes sense that Bragg has been an avid adopter of the internet and social media – from even his earliest career forays he was an intrepid performer, reaching out to people wherever and however he could get their attention. “The bottom line to me is about communication, it's about engagement,” he proffers. “I'm always trying to find ways to throw my two-penneth in and get engaged. I'm in a very fortunate position that people in Australia are still interested in what I'm doing after all this time. I feel like it's a great privilege. The support that I got on my last Australian tour [in 2012] was such that we added shows in five cities – they've pretty much given me the wherewithal to promote [new album] Tooth & Nail on my own without having to go to the record company and sell my soul.”

And Bragg's relationship with Brisbane is already strong, going back to the hero's reception he received on his first Australian tour in 1987 at the tail-end of the tyrannic Bjelke-Petersen regime – although he stops short of taking credit for the demise of Sir Joh, who was toppled from power just months after Bragg's visit.

“No, not at all,” he laughs. “That first time I came and played at East Leagues Club, the energy and vitality of the people there opposed to Sir Joh really impressed me. I've always had a great time whenever we've come and played in Brisbane. I've always had great shows in Brisbane. In fact [that first time there] it was like Beatle-mania in Brisbane – the audience was making so much noise I couldn't hear the foldback, and when we went back to the hotel there were kids hiding in the bushes who mobbed us when we got off the bus! The point was that everyone thought in those days when Sir Joh was there that going up to Brisbane wouldn't work for someone like me, but the thing is when you live in a place like the deep north – like it was in those days – and you're a leftie and someone a bit left-wing comes to town, every crazy leftie for miles around comes out, and they're so up for it. They're so excited to see you and they kind of go crazy, and that's been the experience of coming up and playing in Queensland ever since I've come to Australia – I've always had a good time. That's why getting invited to come over to BIGSOUND was a no-brainer.”