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Pictures from some recent gigs we've hosted:

29 March 2013 - Brixton, London

Viv Albertine, VuVuVultures, Left Leg, Mickey Gloss, Big Wave, No Cars, Arthur Gunn, Simon Love (Pictures)

8 March 2013 - Lexington, London

R.Ring, Golden Grrrls, Slushy Guts and Equinox (Pictures)

On Our iPod

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold (album)

Antony Harding - Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear (album)

Black Angels - Indigo Meadow (album)

Thee Oh Sees - Floating Coffin (album)

Still Corners - Strange Pleasures (album)

Savages - Silence Yourself (album)

Mikal Cronin - MC II (album)

Can’s Ege Bamyasi played by Stephen Malkmus and Friends(album)

Victoria and Jacob - Festival 7"

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (album)

Sauna Youth - False Jesii Part II 7”

Lightning Bolt - Oblivion Hunter

Robyn Hitchcock - There Goes The Ice (2x 12")

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Gig Review

Billy Bragg
London, Forum

Article written by Alan M - Nov 25, 2011

Billy Bragg

Earlier this year I made my debut at a literary event. As part of the Brighton Festival, the writer Dorian Lynskey was discussing his book '33 Revolutions per Minute: A History of Protest Songs' with the Observer journalist Luke Bainbridge. Despite the book's magnificent title, the event organisers rightly figured that the presence of these two chaps alone would never be enough to seduce the punters. So the inspired decision to invite Billy Bragg for a natter, not only guaranteed the event was a sell-out, but also that the tofu-loving literati were infiltrated by a few philistines from Essex.

It was a brilliant afternoon, with Bragg hogging the limelight, much to the author's obvious annoyance. At the end of what had been an enlightening and captivating conversation, the audience were invited to ask questions. Whilst the Essex contingent sat on their hands (imbecile impostors amongst these erudite minds), a couple of predictable grandstanding 'look-at-me' style questions about Joan Baez, were smugly asked by a couple of clever clogs. Then, just as we were all about to leave, one cheeky young scamp lobbed a verbal hand grenade onto the stage: "Why is there no mention of the UK hip hop scene in your book?" What? Blank looks all around. It was a real tumbleweed moment. The author huffed and puffed and squirmed, the audience tutted and even Bragg, for once, was lost for words. Of course there was never be going to be a satisfactory response to the question, because every single person in that audience, bar one, was over 45 years old. We left the theatre with the sound of awkwardness ringing in our ears, vulnerable that we'd been exposed as old farts, out of touch, and feeling as revolutionary as Peter Andre. The experience had left a nasty taste in the mouth - a bit like tofu, really.

Tonight Bragg is headlining at the HMV Forum (the Town and Country in old money) and has been touring under the "Left Field in Motion" banner. The official party line is that the idea for the tour is to showcase young artists who are mixing pop and politics, and the gigs are priced to try and attract a new generation to the power of music with something to say. And in light of the incident at the Brighton Festival literary event, it’s not a minute too soon.

Taking the old farts motif a tad too far, my mate has turned up at the gig wearing a pair of "work trousers" and is carrying a laptop. This hopeless faux pas determines that we observe Akala's support set from the comfort zone of the bar. I've never reviewed a hip hop act before and at the age of 48 it’s probably not a good time to start. All I can say is that the overwhelming majority of the crowd were patently having a ball. Throughout the entire set they were making incomprehensible movements with their arms punching the air, as well as joining in the community singing as Akala choreographed and charmed his captive audience. From their reaction I'd say Akala is keeping it real. And that matters. Apparently.

At this point in the evening I assumed there was going to be a mass exodus by the young whipper snappers who’d been at the front of the stage. This didn't happen. To a man, they remained rooted to the spot. It was a revelation. I've never seen so many young people at a Bragg gig who were there out of choice and conviction, who had not just being dragged along by right-on Mum’s and Dad’s. Maybe it’s a London phenomenon, as the last few Bragg gigs I’ve seen have been in the provinces? Who knows if they were all Akala fans or recently politicised Bragg fans? Or maybe they were both? Whatever the reasons, it was just great to see so many of them there – well, apart from one buffoon who waved a lighter in the air during “Must I Paint You A Picture”. That’s preposterous behaviour, at any age. (Even worse than bringing a laptop.)

Bragg's opening salvo "It Says Here" perfectly encapsulates the majesty and unadulterated song-writing genius of the man. Written over a quarter of a century ago, "we should be proud...our free press reflects our democracy" reverberates throughout the room and I find myself getting angry about those Murdoch bastards, whilst at the same time smiling and contemplating what a clever bugger Bragg is. Then it’s back to the debut album with “To Have And To Have Not” and I’m wondering if Bragg is trying to keep the old farts on board. The night’s amusing anecdote follows which surrounds “St Swithin’s Day” - apparently not featured in all of its onanistic glory in the recent David Nicholls film ‘One Day’, owing to the “blatant wanking reference in the second verse”.

And who else could get away with talking about crushing the BNP and the new threat of the EDL in “Battle Of Barking” and then follow it with “Greetings To The New Brunette” where he inserts an incredulous “Bobby Zamora” at the end of “you don’t even know who's in the team”. Mixing pop and politics at its finest.

The bankers come in for a kicking with “Last Flight To Abu Dhabi” as do News International Corporation with “Never Buy The Sun”. Cowardly ‘tweeting internet keyboard warriors’ are also the subjects of Bragg’s ire, and “Accident Waiting To Happen” is dedicated to Sepp Blatter. Bragg then makes an interesting and unlikely comparison between the ideals of the Occupy movement and the Manchester United fans objecting to their club being in foreign ownership. Heavy stuff. Sensing we need a lift, we hear “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be A Better Day” and my favourite track from Bragg’s more recent work, the beautiful “I Keep Faith”.

And just when you think the evening can’t get any better, we are treated to “The Milkman Of Human Kindness” and “Levi Stubbs Tears”. (Check your iPod now and try and find a better track than “Levi Stubbs Tears”. Thought so, you can’t can you?).

A week before two million public sector workers are due to strike, Bragg recalls the moment of his own political awakening. Nostalgically he recounts the story of travelling to Victoria Park in 1978 for a Rock against Racism Clash gig, and being overcome at seeing the vast crowds and realising he was not alone in his beliefs. My own political epiphany was seeing Bragg performing at Ilford Town Hall back in the early 80s. And as I’m one of those lazy, don’t-know-how-lucky-you-are public sector workers striking on the 30th, it had real poignancy for me hearing “Power In A Union” (a song I’ve previously dismissed as a bit of a dirge) in all of its pomp and glory. It has never sounded so bloody good and was the highlight of the night.

“Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards” is played as the encore before the support acts join Bragg on stage for one final track. I leave before the song begins because I’ve never been a fan of the self-congratulatory nature of these collaborations (or the resulting musical output), and more importantly it’s a school night and I need to catch the last train home. But for those kids that stayed, I hope in the future, that one of them stands on stage and recounts the day they saw Akala and Billy Bragg at the HMV Forum and they talk about how it inspired them in the same way that The Clash and Rock against Racism inspired Bragg. Last night the torch was offered up to the younger generation. If one of them picks it up and runs with it half as well as Bragg has done, then we should all be thankful. Billy Bragg remains the best live act I’ve ever seen.

Solidarnosc.

Links:
http://www.billybragg.co.uk/