Weather Tonight: 9°c Light showers Morning: 14°c Overcast

Critics' Choice

Film

Andrew O'Hagan

quoteNew Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of itquote

Andrew O'Hagan The Twilight Saga: New Moon Theatre

Henry Hitchings

quoteA smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusionquote

Henry Hitchings Cock Restaurants

David Sexton

quoteKitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave quote

David Sexton Kitchen W8

Reader reviews

Film

Adam, Harrow

quoteToo long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effectsquote

2012 Theatre

Rob, London

quoteThis is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flawsquote

The Habit Of Art Music

Bernard, London

quoteAlex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factorquote

Alexandra Burke

Music reviews London,

Billy Bragg Open Air Busking

Your rating
one startwo starthree starfour starfive star
Click on a star to rate
Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre
Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS

Evening Standard rating Evening Standard rating
Evening Standard rating Reader rating
 Add your review

Description: The political folk singer-songwriter fronts a big busk of popular songs.


Phone: 0845120 7500
Website: www.barbican.org.uk
Email: info@barbican.org.uk

Trains: Tube/BR: Moorgate/Barbican Overground network

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 11am-8pm

Extra info: Parking, Food, Pub

 
Please wait the page is loading extra content
  • Show details
  • Hide details
  • Show map
Close X

Directions

 

Reclaiming English identity

Mark Espiner, Evening Standard 24.04.08
 
Billy Bragg

Witty: Billy Bragg indulged in some banter

Look here too

Billy Bragg's alternative St George’s day celebration was, he told us, “part of an ongoing campaign to reclaim the icons of English identity”, the most obvious being the flag of our patron saint, who, he said, was a Lebanese immigrant worker. It was a fitting metaphor for an evening that framed our nation as fighting fit for its diversity.

Before his own stirring set he played compere to his guests Rachel Unthank and the Winterset — a quartet of folksingers from Northumberland — rock guitar strumming and Paul Welleresque Tom Clarke from The Enemy and the skiffle-rocking Kitty, Daisy and Lewis whose songs prompted a lone — and quickly isolated — heckler to question their music’s Englishness.

It gave Bragg some witty ammunition for his inter-song banter-come-manifesto that called for a Bill of Rights and Blake’s Jerusalem — which he made us sing — to be made the national anthem instead of one about “a little old lady in Windsor and her relationship with the supreme being”.

He might have been up on his soapbox but it was passionate preaching. And it came out in his music too, notably in a poignant reworking of the folk song Hard Times of Old England — where Tescopoly has forced small farmers out of business and villages are sold to rich people for holiday homes.

But when he sang the lyrics that gave this show its title — “I don’t want to change the world I’m not looking for a new England, just looking for another girl” — he comically confessed mid-song that he’d changed his mind about its central premise. He was looking for a new England, and he successfully challenged us to look for one, too.

More


Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 

Reader reviews (1)

 Add your review

It was a great idea and he pulled it off. In addition to some great songs - old and new - from BB, Rachel Unthank & The Winterset were terrific, it was a great showcase for the talents of Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, and (for me) an introduction to Tom Clarke & The Enemy. Even in a hall the size of the Barbican, it felt like an evening with your mates. Whatever you think of Billy Bragg's views, you have to both welcome and admire his passion and commitment as well as his talent.

- Gareth James, London UK


Add your comment

 

Your email address will not be published

Terms and conditions make text area bigger You have  characters left.


 
 


 
 
London's Weather
Tonight
Light showers
9°c
Morning
Overcast
14°c
5 day forecast
 
 

Daily Mail Mail on Sunday Travel Mail This is Money Metro

Loot | Jobsite | Homes & property | London jobs | FindaProperty.com | Primelocation.com | Educate London | Holiday Villas