Return of the Bard: Billy Bragg in Auckland and Wellington

Return of the Bard: Billy Bragg in Auckland and Wellington

After 36 years in music, that icon of English folk rock BILLY BRAGG is still a work in progress. With an acclaimed new album, a fresh outlook and renewed inspiration, BRAGG returns to New Zealand for his first full band tour in many years an artist revitalised. And this time, it’s personal.

“Most people, when they hear my name, think of polemical anthems born in struggle. I often find myself having to remind people that I am also the Sherpa of Heartbreak, writing songs about the struggle to maintain our relationships with those we love the most.”

Last year BILLY BRAGG played an acoustic based four date sold out tour of New Zealand that celebrated the 100th anniversary and legacy of Woody Guthrie with songs from the Mermaid Avenue albums. In 2013, the Bard of Barking has pinned his heart back on his sleeve with his universally praised new album Tooth & Nail and will be touring with his full band stopping off at Auckland’s Powerstation and Wellington’s Opera House in March 2014.

With a renewed focus on the personal, BRAGG headed to California last year to record his first album since 2008. Grammy-winning producer Joe Henry offered his basement studio, some stellar musicians – including Greg Leisz (Bon Iver), Patrick Warren (Lana Del Rey), Jay Bellerose (Regina Spektor) and David Piltch (Ramblin’ Jack Eliott) – the encouragement to sing live and the assurance “that making an album need not be a long, drawn-out process”. Five days later, Tooth & Nail was done. Drawing on soul, country and folk, it is, says BRAGG, “the follow-up to Mermaid Avenue that I never made”.

“Tooth & Nail is one of BILLY’s best, a collection as cerebral and confronting as it is soothing and comforting.” (themusic.com.au, March 2013)

“…….makes his best album” 5 STARS Mojo Magazine

Along with the rootsy echoes of his much-loved Wilco collaboration, Tooth & Nail bears many hallmarks of BRAGG’s lifetime of music. As bbc.co.uk put it: “The mellow rage that pervades the countrified defiance of Handyman Blues; the hopeful optimism of Tomorrow’s Going to Be a Better Day; and There Will Be a Reckoning’s powerful rallying cry against ‘the politicians who led us to this fate’.”

BRAGG’s new tour will see the Bard and his band showcase Tooth & Nail as well songs pulled from his war-chest of classics (a chest overflowing with the likes of A New England, There is Power in a Union, Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key, Take Down the Union Jack and You Woke Up My Neighbourhood).

Rarely, if ever, does a songwriter find himself reborn in his fourth decade in music. With Tooth & Nail, BRAGG has become that very rarity. Get a new lease on life in March 2014 – live – with BILLY BRAGG.

WELLINGTON • Sunday 23 March • The Opera House (All Seated)
TIX: www.ticketek.co.nz / 04 384 3840 or 0800 TICKETEK

AUCKLAND • Tuesday 25 March • The Powerstation
TIX: www.ticketmaster.co.nz / 09 970 9700 or 0800 111 999

TICKETS ON SALE 9AM ON MONDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER
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