Billy Bragg bountiful bundle of news – new album, livestream and UK tour dates announced

We are not going to tell you who Billy Bragg is – you have, dearest reader, no right not to know. We are, after all, all born knowing Billy Bragg songs.  So we won’t mention the dozens of albums, the hit singles and the political activism, we all know this – right?  So, what’s new in Billy Bragg’s world? Plenty.

First up there’s a new album coming – “The Million Things That Never Happened, will be released on October 2021 on Cooking Vinyl. It’s described as a Pandemic Blues album, and contains a dozen new songs by Bragg (the final song on the album ‘Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained’ is co-written by Billy’s son Jack Valero).  A first taste of the new material can be found below – ‘I will be your Shield‘  is, says Bragg “the heart and soul of the album. I’ve come to the conclusion that empathy is the currency of music – that our job as songwriters is to help people come to terms with their feelings by offering them examples of how others may have dealt with a situation similar to that in which listeners find themselves. After what we’ve all been through, the idea of being a shield, physically, emotionally, psychologically, really resonates.”

New album then, what else?  Well on Thursday 9th September 2021, a month prior to the album release, there’s a special online concert experience Billy Bragg On…‘, which will be streamed on the Stabal platform. The show will feature the first outing of some songs from the new album, plus some nuggets from Bragg’s illustrious catalogue. He is joined onstage by Romeo Stodart (guitar), Michele Stodart (bass), Darren Beckett (drums), Nick Pynn (lap steel guitar, violin) and Jack Valero (guitar), who all played on ‘The Million Things That Never Happened‘.

And?

OK – Billy Bragg will also undertake a live in-person actual tour this Autumn, (assuming that The Summer of Catch Covid to get Herd Immunity [not quite so catchy as The Summer of Love] hasn’t piled the bodies so high that a new lockdown is required) with the following dates.

OCTOBER
Thurs  21        GATESHEAD – Sage Gateshead
Fri       22        DUNDEE  –  Fat Sam’s
Sat      23        GLASGOW – Barrowland Ballroom
Tues    26        LIVERPOOL  –  Philharmonic Hall
Wed    27        OXFORD  –  New Theatre
Thurs  28        BIRMINGHAM  – Symphony Hall
Sat      30       CARDIFF   –  St David’s Hall

Sun     31       SOUTHAMPTON  – 02 Guildhall

NOVEMBER
Tues    2         BELFAST – Ulster Hall
Thurs  4         DUBLIN – Vicar Street
Sat      6         GALWAY – Black Box Theatre
Wed   10        READING  – Hexagon
Thurs 11        EXETER – University Great Hall
Fri       12       BRISTOL – 02 Academy
Tues   16       GUILDFORD – G Live
Thurs 18       CAMBRIDGE – Corn Exchange
Fri       19       NOTTINGHAM  – Rock City
Sat      20       MANCHESTER  – Albert Hall
Sun     21       SHEFFIELD – City Hall
Tues   23        BRIGHTON –  Dome
Thurs 25        SOUTHEND-ON-SEA – Cliffs Pavilion
Fri       26       FOLKESTONE – Leas Cliff Hall
Sat      27       LONDON – Roundhouse

And that’s all – apart from a rumor that Billy Bragg will be taking a breather at the end of November, relaxing with a Fairtrade cup of tea and an ethical biscuit.  Which, we’re sure you’ll agree he’ll have more than earned.

About Jonathan Aird 2893 Articles
Sure, I could climb high in a tree, or go to Skye on my holiday. I could be happy. All I really want is the excitement of first hearing The Byrds, the amazement of decades of Dylan's music, or the thrill of seeing a band like The Long Ryders live. That's not much to ask, is it?
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