Oh to be this impassioned, this committed. To see Billy Bragg live is many things. Many great things. But the biggest feeling I took away from his stupendous show Saturday night at the Enmore Theatre is that I feel lazy. Lazy in my comfort zone. A nice job, a nice home. All the comforts. Safe and comfortable. But Billy inspires. He instructs. He makes us think. He makes us angry, but in a good way. He stands up for the downtrodden. He exposes the frauds and cheats. In song. In glorious song. Billy said that musicians can't change the world. But they can bring people together and in turn inspire. Inspire us to leave and go home and try to make a difference. Billy Bragg is bursting with humanity and compassion. Fiercely committed and fiercely intelligent. He reminded me of what is important in life.

This show started early (8.30), but I could see why. Billy played until past 11pm. Half the show is singing. Half the show is stories and communication. Both are equally great. Equally important. The show itself was divided too. The first half was Billy giving us Woody Guthrie songs from the Mermaid Avenue Sessions. Each song was preceded by a story, a light into Guthrie's world. I learnt much as Billy sat on stage with his acoustic taking us through Woody's life. After a 15 minute break Billy returned to the stage and gave us a rousing walk through his considerable catalogue. The crowd singing along in full voice. It brought back so many great memories of classic English songs. I especially loved "The Milkman of Human Kindness" and "Levi Stubbs' Tears". An encore was just more reason to celebrate, ending with the impossibly glorious "A New England". What a great night. In the company of a great man.


Set List
Aginst Th' Law
She Came Along To Me
Ingrid Bergman
Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key
Slipknot
Go Down to The Water
Another Man's Done Gone
My Flying Saucer
All You Fascists

To Have and to Have Not
The Price I Pay
Sexuality
Tomorrow's Going to Be a Better Day
Greetings to the New Brunette
Must I Paint You a Picture?
Never Buy the Sun
The Milkman of Human Kindness
Levi Stubbs' Tears
I Keep Faith
There is Power in a Union

Tank Park Salute
Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards
A New England