Comments on: Billy Bragg & the Waiting Room http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/ Independent and alternative music in Scotland - with a shitload of gin. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:26:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Drunk Country http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3534 Drunk Country Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:21:34 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3534 Finally home - <i>never</i> again will I trust <i>the other half of</i>'s judgement & ride the £1 Mega Bus (or National Express) - broke down after the driver, a gobby/forcefully chatty lady, twatted the suspension over every dip, pothole, sleeping policeman & speed bump on the road & then had the gall to announce over the mic: "This was obviously designed by men so it's no wonder we're not going anywhere." I do like it when an entire bus-load of tired & annoyed people collectively gasp a claustrophobic disapproval at such blatant mis-firing jocularity. Silly cow. Anyway, Pete <i>still selling himself on advertising promos with the words 'you spin me round (like a record)'</i> fucking Burns! No idea what they were up to queuing for that pish. These past few days have been a *ahem* celeb-spotting boon for <i>the other half of</i>'s lady-type: Pete Voss from <i>Campag Velocet</i>, (he now runs a Mighty Boosh-style retro-junk shop off Brick Lane, called <i>I Dream Of Wires</i>), Kele Okereke from <i>Bloc Party<i>, (who was descibed by <i>the other half of</i>'s lady-type as having "gloomy eyes"), Bragg & Quatro, Billy Childish, & someone off one of the X-Factor shows who I didn't know at all but was told was "rather good, but bland". High praise, indeed. The <i>Prince Edward Island</i> gig was superb - totally commanded the place. I'm going to pass your details on so they can get you an EP (it's on Baby Boom). I could have gone to see <i>Celebrity Chimp</i>, also, had I access to the net on Friday, but missed them/their message by about 2 hours. Bollox. I'm back down to that there London Monday, then off to Germany on Wednesday until 18th - have one pre-record to cram in this evening/tomorrow & then back to normal thereafter. Agree on the <i>Happy Mondays</i> front, though. Fisk does my head in with his baggy/Madchester obsession - in fact anything from that general geographic reference point circa 1985-1994. How he links a seemingly mundane conversation with, say, the <i>Charlatans</i> I'll never fathom. Finally home – never again will I trust the other half of’s judgement & ride the £1 Mega Bus (or National Express) – broke down after the driver, a gobby/forcefully chatty lady, twatted the suspension over every dip, pothole, sleeping policeman & speed bump on the road & then had the gall to announce over the mic: “This was obviously designed by men so it’s no wonder we’re not going anywhere.” I do like it when an entire bus-load of tired & annoyed people collectively gasp a claustrophobic disapproval at such blatant mis-firing jocularity. Silly cow.

Anyway, Pete still selling himself on advertising promos with the words ‘you spin me round (like a record)’ fucking Burns! No idea what they were up to queuing for that pish.

These past few days have been a *ahem* celeb-spotting boon for the other half of’s lady-type: Pete Voss from Campag Velocet, (he now runs a Mighty Boosh-style retro-junk shop off Brick Lane, called I Dream Of Wires), Kele Okereke from Bloc Party, (who was descibed by the other half of’s lady-type as having “gloomy eyes”), Bragg & Quatro, Billy Childish, & someone off one of the X-Factor shows who I didn’t know at all but was told was “rather good, but bland”. High praise, indeed.

The Prince Edward Island gig was superb – totally commanded the place. I’m going to pass your details on so they can get you an EP (it’s on Baby Boom). I could have gone to see Celebrity Chimp, also, had I access to the net on Friday, but missed them/their message by about 2 hours. Bollox.

I’m back down to that there London Monday, then off to Germany on Wednesday until 18th – have one pre-record to cram in this evening/tomorrow & then back to normal thereafter.

Agree on the Happy Mondays front, though. Fisk does my head in with his baggy/Madchester obsession – in fact anything from that general geographic reference point circa 1985-1994. How he links a seemingly mundane conversation with, say, the Charlatans I’ll never fathom.

]]> By: Matthew http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3537 Matthew Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:31:05 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3537 Pete fucking Burns? Jesus wept, now there's someone we could all do without. And DC mate, if you get pished enough you can dance like a spazz to <i>anything!</i> Pete fucking Burns? Jesus wept, now there’s someone we could all do without.

And DC mate, if you get pished enough you can dance like a spazz to anything!

]]> By: Drunk Country http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3536 Drunk Country Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:55:15 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3536 Not home, yet, but have managed some interweb access &, hoo boy. Sorry Toad, & all the Bragg acolytes, but he does fuck all to raise even the slightest interest. Poetry it may be, but I can't get by the voice (that perma-cold nasal drone), or the clunking guitar (15yo in 48yo body, absolutely). He may well have written decent love songs but I have had to wait until people cover them for me to actually hear the music/lyric/song & appreciate them. Sorry folks, but he has no impact on me whatsoever. Prince, on the other hand, especially the early stuff, is fucking funky & you can dance like a spaz to it. By the by, last night we saw the Bragg Man (with Suzi Quatro - right spelling?) queuing outside The Astoria for a Pete Burns "show". Fuck's that all about? Not home, yet, but have managed some interweb access &, hoo boy. Sorry Toad, & all the Bragg acolytes, but he does fuck all to raise even the slightest interest. Poetry it may be, but I can’t get by the voice (that perma-cold nasal drone), or the clunking guitar (15yo in 48yo body, absolutely). He may well have written decent love songs but I have had to wait until people cover them for me to actually hear the music/lyric/song & appreciate them. Sorry folks, but he has no impact on me whatsoever. Prince, on the other hand, especially the early stuff, is fucking funky & you can dance like a spaz to it.

By the by, last night we saw the Bragg Man (with Suzi Quatro – right spelling?) queuing outside The Astoria for a Pete Burns “show”. Fuck’s that all about?

]]> By: China http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3535 China Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:29:09 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3535 I think it's funny to hear about his lyrical genius - reminds me of how, when I saw him play a couple of years ago, he played "Greetings to the New Brunette," and when he got to the line "I'm more impressionable when my cement is wet," he said something along the lines of "still haven't figured out what that one's supposed to mean." He also referred to himself as someone who'd spent too much time writing hopeless love songs when he was younger. At least he's aware! I love Billy. I think it’s funny to hear about his lyrical genius – reminds me of how, when I saw him play a couple of years ago, he played “Greetings to the New Brunette,” and when he got to the line “I’m more impressionable when my cement is wet,” he said something along the lines of “still haven’t figured out what that one’s supposed to mean.” He also referred to himself as someone who’d spent too much time writing hopeless love songs when he was younger. At least he’s aware! I love Billy.

]]> By: Matthew http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3539 Matthew Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:33:16 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3539 And I don't know about passion, Wendy, but I don't think there's been much edge to the music for some years now. And I don’t know about passion, Wendy, but I don’t think there’s been much edge to the music for some years now.

]]> By: Matthew http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3538 Matthew Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:32:11 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3538 The Home Front still blows me away every time I hear it. The Home Front still blows me away every time I hear it.

]]> By: wendy http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3540 wendy Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:16:52 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3540 The first time I saw Billy was in Camdentown in 1987...one of the best shows I've ever seen in my life. His local fans were wondering what a young yank was doing there, and had to explain a few of his Tory jokes to me at the time ;-) My favorite is still Talking to the Taxman About Poetry. I've probably seen him a dozen times since then. I must admit though, I'm not so fussed about his newer material...it lacks the pure passion of his earlier stuff. The first time I saw Billy was in Camdentown in 1987…one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life. His local fans were wondering what a young yank was doing there, and had to explain a few of his Tory jokes to me at the time ;-)

My favorite is still Talking to the Taxman About Poetry. I’ve probably seen him a dozen times since then. I must admit though, I’m not so fussed about his newer material…it lacks the pure passion of his earlier stuff.

]]> By: DavyH http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3541 DavyH Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:40:20 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3541 He was utterly brilliant at The Roundhouse on Tues - see my little snippet about it <a href="http://theghostofelectricity.blogspot.com/2008/03/evening-with-mr-love-justice.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. He was utterly brilliant at The Roundhouse on Tues – see my little snippet about it here.

]]> By: Matthew http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3543 Matthew Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:42:12 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3543 Well Crash I think DC's criticisms actually included the love songs. His phrase was, I believe, a "a fourteen-year-old trapped inside a forty-year-old's body". I can see where he's coming from in some ways, but I still think it's a pretty superficial judgment. I can name plenty of Billy songs where that particular criticism rings sort of true, but then again I can think of dozens where it's not even close I think it's down to the emotional reaction really. Once you've taken against him I think it would be pretty difficult to undo it, unless a concerted campaign were undertaken by someone who played his least stereotypical stuff at vulnerable moments - ie drunk or stoned! Well Crash I think DC’s criticisms actually included the love songs. His phrase was, I believe, a “a fourteen-year-old trapped inside a forty-year-old’s body”. I can see where he’s coming from in some ways, but I still think it’s a pretty superficial judgment. I can name plenty of Billy songs where that particular criticism rings sort of true, but then again I can think of dozens where it’s not even close

I think it’s down to the emotional reaction really. Once you’ve taken against him I think it would be pretty difficult to undo it, unless a concerted campaign were undertaken by someone who played his least stereotypical stuff at vulnerable moments – ie drunk or stoned!

]]> By: David http://songbytoad.com/2008/03/billy-bragg-the-waiting-room/#comment-3542 David Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:19:45 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1372#comment-3542 How can you not love the brilliant album title, "Talking with the Taxman about Poetry?" How can you not love the brilliant album title, “Talking with the Taxman about Poetry?”

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