Billy Bragg: Celebs Rumors

Billy Bragg has announced a UK and Ireland tour to mark his 40 years in music – find all the details below.The singer-songwriter and left-wing activist is due to hit the road this autumn following the release of his forthcoming career-spanning boxset ‘The Roaring Forty’, which is out on October 27.Kicking off in Brighton on November 14, Bragg’s 2023 tour will also include shows in Portsmouth, Cambridge, Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh and Manchester throughout that month.In December, the artist will head to Gateshead, Nottingham and Bristol before completing the stint with a gig at The Roundhouse in Camden Town, London.“Doesn’t seem like just that long ago that I was playing Thursday nights at the Tunnel in Greenwich, opening for whoever was headlining that night,” Bragg said in a statement. “I learned my chops there in late ’82/ early ’83 and I’m still putting those lessons to good use 40 years later.”He added: “Hope to see some of you on the Roaring Forty tour this autumn.”Pleased to announce UK and IE dates for The Roaring Forty Tour.Pre-order the album from the official store by 5pm March 27th to gain access to pre-sale tickets – https://t.co/BuRCFT8RJSGeneral on sale 31st March at 10am#TheRoaringForty #BB40 pic.twitter.com/Zism1IeaEN— Billy Bragg (@billybragg) March 21, 2023Tickets for Bragg’s 2023 UK and Ireland tour go on general sale at 10am BST next Friday (March 31) – you’ll be able to buy yours here.

Sinead O’Connor’s daughter performed an emotional cover of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ during a tribute show in the US last night (March 20) – watch the footage below.The special concert, which was announced in January, took place at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Dubbed ‘Sinéad & Shane At Carnegie Hall’, the event was held in memory of O’Connor and the late Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan – both of whom died last year.As the Independent reports, “the closing suite of songs” included a moving rendition of O’Connor’s classic 1990 single ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ by her 28-year-old daughter Roisin Waters.She appeared barefoot on stage and was backed by a live band.

Chumbawamba have opened up about their “divisive” feud with former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.In a new interview with NME, frontman Dunstan Bruce was asked to reminisce on Chumbawamba’s controversial dispute with Prescott. At the 1998 BRIT Awards, Chumbawamba member Danbert Nobacon doused the MP with an ice bucket in solidarity with striking dockers in Liverpool.Bruce told NME that the stunt was considered “divisive” at the time.

Sam Smith and Billy Bragg.“To all trans/non binary and gender non conforming people in the UK right now,” the former wrote on their Instagram Stories. “You are not alone.

Jamie Webster has released his new single ‘Fickle Fran’, a collaboration with his hero and fellow political troubadour Billy Bragg. Check it out below along with our interview with Webster.The single is the second to preview Webster’s third album ’10 For The People’, to be released on February 2 ahead of a massive homecoming show at Liverpool’s 40,000-capacity Sefton Park on July 12.‘Fickle Fran’ comes after Webster joined environmental TV presenter Chris Packham last weekend (September 9) in inducting Bragg into The Music Walk Of Fame in Camden.“If I’m going to model myself on anyone in the industry, Billy is perfect,” Webster told NME. “He’s had a 40-year career from speaking his mind, doing it for the people.

Billy Bragg has been added to Camden’s Music Walk Of Fame on the city’s High Street.Over the weekend (September 9), the veteran singer-songwriter was officially added to the walk during a ceremony overseen by activist Chris Packham and Liverpool singer-songwriter Jamie Webster. The former gave a speech paying tribute to Bragg during the ceremony, praising him as “a spokesperson – not just for one, but several generations”.“He spoke to us about us – with clarity and wit and kindness,” he said. “He also instructed us, pricked our consciences or kicked our arses with demands.

UB40 and Janis Joplin have been inducted into the UK Music Walk Of Fame in London’s Camden area.Launched in 2019, the Music Walk Of Fame covers a square mile in Camden and features Award Stones embedded in the pavements, celebrating artists and other important pioneering figures in music. Previous inductees include The Who, Madness, Soul II Soul, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie and more.Speaking of the induction in a press release, Ali Campbell of UB40 shared that it felt like a full-circle moment as the band had played their first ever show in Camden and now they were accepting an accolade in the same place.He said: “To be back in Camden is lovely… I’m very proud of this award. I’m also proud of the part I played in promoting the music I love..

Billy Bragg has released a new song, inspired by Oliver Anthony’s viral single ‘Rich Men North Of Richmond’. Check out ‘Rich Men Earning North Of A Million’ below.The track by Bragg comes in response to the recent viral hit by US country singer and former factory worker and farmer Oliver Anthony.

The Who, Madness, Soul II Soul, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie and more.The trail will recognise more pivotal figures in music with a five-day-long celebration. This year’s recipients are Janis Joplin, Harvey Goldsmith CBE, UB40, Gordon Mac (Founder Of Kiss FM), Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson, Sugarhill Gang, Eddy Grant, Buzzcocks, Billy Bragg, Shalamar and The Kinks.

Melanie Lynskey has posted her thoughts on Instagram about longtime friend Julian Sands, who was found dead in the Southern California mountains earlier this week.

Melanie Lynskey is remembering her friend and former co-star, Julian Sands. On Wednesday, the actress took to social media to pay tribute to the actor, who was confirmed dead five months after disappearing during a hike.«Julian Sands. I met you on the set of Rose Red in 2000.

BBC has removed a social media clip of Billy Nomates performing at Glastonbury after the singer experienced online abuse.Billy Nomates – real name Tor Maries – performed on Glastonbury Festival’s Park Stage on Friday (June 23), but asked BBC6 Music to take down footage of her online because she was receiving an “insane” amount of “personal abuse”.A post that appears to have now been deleted from Maries read: “The level of personal abuse on @bbc6music socials for going to work today is insane. I’ve asked for all footage to be removed.“I know it’s not for everyone what I do.

Billy Bragg has led support online for Billy Nomates after the musician received a host of online abuse following her set yesterday (June 24) at Glastonbury.After the set, the musician, real name Tor Maries, asked BBC6 Music to take down footage of her online after receiving what she described as an “insane” amount of “personal abuse”, before saying that after her summer gigs, there would be “no more shows”.A post shared from Maries read: “The level of personal abuse on @bbc6music socials for going to work today is insane. I’ve asked for all footage to be removed.“I know it’s not for everyone what I do.

Benefits have spoken to NME about making their Glastonbury Festival debut tonight (Friday June 23).The Teesside noise punks will be performing under the invitation of Billy Bragg on his legendary Left Field stage this evening, shortly after the mysterious set from The Churnups – widely believed to be Foo Fighters, or least something featuring Dave Grohl, after he was spotted on site earlier today.Still, Benefits frontman Kingsley Hall isn’t worried about pulling a big crowd shortly after. “We’re not up against them,” replied Hall. “As soon as they finish, we start. There’s no crossover.

Morrissey has paid a touching tribute to his former bandmate Andy Rourke saying he 'will never die as long as his music is heard'. It was announced on Friday that Rourke, bass player in The Smiths, had died at the age of 59 'after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer'.

Andy Rourke, The Smiths bassist on all four of the band’s album, died today of pancreatic cancer in New York City. He was 59.

Benefits, Cavetown, Big Joanie, Cassyette and more have been announced for Glastonbury‘s 2023 Left Field line-up.Other acts announced on the line-up, which spotlights “voices from the front line of the struggle in debate and performance”, include Deadletter, Crawlers, Billy Bragg, Delilah Bon, Kid Kapichi, Dréya Mac, Tom A. Smith, Lime Garden, Jamie Webster and Will Varley.“Recharge your activism with this year’s @glastoleftfield line-up,” the festival posted on Instagram, which hosts “purveyors of pop and politics at Glastonbury since 2002”.“As the shape of the post-pandemic world begins to form, it’s clear that people are more willing to stand up and be counted,” stage host Bragg wrote in a statement.

Billy Bragg has shared an old video of R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe covering The Only Ones’ ‘Another Girl Another Planet’ – check it out below.Uploading the video to his YouTube channel, Bragg wrote: “Love this clip of Michael Stipe, Natalie Merchant, Wiggy and myself playing ‘Another Girl Another Planet’ backed by Sid Griffin and the Cole Porters.”The musician went on to say the performance happened during a show in June 1990 at Olomouc’s summer cinema. The musicians were touring Czechoslovakia around the country’s first free elections in decades following the Velvet Revolution.On Twitter, Bragg then shared an article about how he and Stipe ended up touring Czechoslovakia.“It was very un-rock’n’roll,” said Bragg.

Billy Bragg has announced a new box set to mark his four decades in music, ‘The Roaring Forty’ – find all the details below.The singer-songwriter and left-wing activist is due to release the career-spanning collection on October 27. Its deluxe CD version will comprise 14 discs, with the vinyl edition coming as a 3xLP (40 tracks) or a single ‘primer’ LP (13 tracks).According to a press release, the 300-song CD box set is made up of Bragg’s 12 studio albums to date as well as a host of non-album singles and B-sides, session tracks, rare live recordings, collaborations and previously unreleased material from the past 40 years.It also boasts a large format book containing images of 40 significant objects from the musician’s career, including his debut NME cover, the hand-tinted flyer to his first solo gig, the original lyrics to ‘A Lover Sings’, the Red Wedge manifesto, his membership card to the Smokey Robinson & The Miracles fan club, along with with commentary from Bragg himself.In a statement, Bragg recalled of first starting out: “It seems like just the other day that I was handing John Peel a mushroom biryani and asking him to play my first record.

comments he made regarding cancel culture, in which he eloquently stated it was more about ‘accountability. ’Also in the highly-praised interview with Times Radio, the Eurovision broadcaster was quizzed on author JK Rowling’s views on the transgender community, but Graham simply suggested speaking to actual trans people who have experience with such matters.

J.K. Rowling.During an appearance at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Tuesday (October 11), the presenter discussed his views on cancel culture with interviewer Mariella Frostrup.Norton said: “You read a lot of articles in papers by people complaining about cancel culture and you think, ‘In what world are you cancelled?’ I’m reading your article in a newspaper, or you’re doing interviews about how terrible it is to be cancelled? I think the word is the wrong word. I think the word should be ‘accountability’.”When asked about how that applies to Rowling, who is described as facing “anger, rage and attempts at censorship” for her views on transgender people, Norton replied: “What I feel weird about this is when I’m asked about it, then I become part of this discussion.One of the most sensible takes on ‘cancel culture’ I’ve seen.

British presenting royalty Graham Norton has left Twitter soon after Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling criticized him over comments about transgender people made in a recent interview.

Billy Bragg has responded to J.K. Rowling after the Harry Potter author accused the musician of “misogyny” for voicing his support of Graham Norton’s views on transgender rights.Yesterday (October 13), Bragg shared a clip of Norton discussing ‘cancel culture’ and trans rights at the recent Cheltenham Literature Festival.“Norton really good here on John Cleese, telling him that ‘cancel culture’ is just accountability, and JK Rowling, suggesting that the media talk directly to trans teens and their parents rather than merely amplifying the takes of a celebrity,” Bragg wrote on Twitter to accompany the clip.Norton really good here on John Cleese, telling him that ‘cancel culture’ is just accountability, and JK Rowling, suggesting that the media talk directly to trans teens and their parents rather than merely amplifying the takes of a celebrity.

Billy Bragg has joined the strike efforts of Starbucks employees in Buffalo, treating the union members to a performance of the song ‘Solidarity Forever’.Visiting the strikers at the site of Starbucks’ first unionised store in Elmwood, Bragg was among those calling on the corporation to ensure fair and safe working conditions. The musician and activist appeared at the strike on Tuesday (October 12), six days after union members first shuttered the store on October 6.According to Buffalo’s WIVB, Bragg performed a live rendition of the popular trade union anthem ‘Solidarity Forever’.

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott have announced a UK headline tour for later this year – tickets will be available from here.The duo will hit the road this November in support of their fifth studio album ‘N.K-Pop’, which is due for release on October 7 via EMI. They’ll be joined at the gigs by “very special guest” Billy Bragg.Kicking off at Swansea Arena on November 26, the tour will also stop off in Blackpool (28), Glasgow (December 2), Portsmouth (5), Sheffield (9), Manchester (10) and other locations across those two months.The stint is set to culminate with a performance at London’s O2 Arena on December 17.Tickets go on general sale at 9.30am BST next Thursday (September 1) and will be priced at £30. You can purchase yours from here and find the full live schedule below.NOVEMBER26 – Swansea Arena, Swansea27 – Cymru Arena, Llandudno28 – Blackpool Opera House, Blackpool DECEMBER01 – Bridlington Spa, Bridlington 02 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow 03 – Stockton Globe, Stockton-on-Tees05 – Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth 06 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham 08 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham 09 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield 10 – AO Arena, Manchester 17 – The O2 Arena, LondonHeaton and Abbott have already previewed the forthcoming ‘N.K-Pop’ with the singles ‘Still’ and ‘Too Much For One (Not Enough For Two)’.With the former song, the pair aimed to “raise awareness for folk who have lost a child, whether by miscarriage, stillbirth or in infancy”.The full tracklist for ‘N.K-Pop’ is as follows:01. ‘The Good Times’ 02. ‘Too Much For One (Not Enough For Two)’ 03. ‘Who Built The Pyramids’04. ‘I Drove Her Away With My Tears’05. ‘When The World Would Actually Listen’06. ‘Still’07. ‘I Ain’t Going Nowhere This Year’08. ‘Sunny Side Up’09. ‘Baby It’s

At the age of just 18, talented singer songwriter Seb Lowe is about to make his debut at the Glastonbury Festival. It's an incredible moment for the Oldham teen who up until a year ago was simply posting his own songs as videos on social media site TikTok.

Glastonbury has announced the line-up for its Shangri-La area at this year’s festival, with the likes of Bob Vylan, Brass Against and Nova Twins set to perform.The bill continues to grow for the returning Worthy Farm festival, which will be held next month from June 22-26.Shangri-La, a popular live music and late-night area located in the south-east corner of the festival site, has now revealed its line-up and theme for 2022, ‘WE THE PEOPLE’.“Shangri-La 2022 presents: WE THE PEOPLE,” a statement on the festival’s site reads. “Community, collaboration and hope for the next generation.

Yard Act, Billy Nomates and Billy Bragg are among the leading names on the line-up of Glastonbury‘s Left Field for 2022.The stage is celebrating “20 Years of Pop and Politics” at this year’s Worthy Farm festival, which runs from June 22-26.Left Field will host a mix of live music and debate next month, including the Bragg-hosted ‘Radical Round-Up’. The war in Ukraine, Black Lives Matter and “what’s next for the climate emergency” will be among the topics discussed by Left Field’s panels this year.Live music will come from the likes of Yard Act, Billy Nomates, Bragg, Jamie Webster, Brooke Combe, The Magic Numbers, Kam-Bu, Yola and The Regrettes.Speaking about this year’s Left Field line-up, stage co-curator Bragg said in a statement: “So much has happened in the three years since we last gathered under the Left Field big top.

Great Expectations. Tickets for both shows can be purchased here and here.Upon hearing the news, Izzard previously said in reply to a tweet by Billy Bragg: “Totally agree with Billy.

Billy Bragg and Ukrainian punks Beton have spoken out after an online debate emerged when the band were accused of co-opting far-right imagery.Last week, Beton reworked The Clash’s iconic track ‘London Calling’ to create ‘Kyiv Calling’, a protest song against the ongoing Russian invasion. Their rendition was then shared by The Clash’s social media accounts, as well as by Bragg.Bragg then deleted his share and issued a statement, after images were brought to his attention of Breton members wearing Ramones-inspired t-shirts, with the word ‘Ramones’ at the top of the logo replaced with the word ‘Banderas’.

Billy Bragg has criticised Ukrainian band Beton for their supposed far-right links, after they released a cover of The Clash’s ‘London’s Calling’.Last week, the Ukrainian punk band reworked The Clash’s iconic track to create ‘Kyiv Calling’, a protest song against the Russian invasion.Ukraine has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia, and declared martial law, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on February 24. Since then, The United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has estimated that the conflict has claimed 1,900 civilian casualties.

Give Me The Future by Bastille could become Dan Smith and co.’s third UK Number 1 album this week, as it leads an all-new midweek Top 5.

Billy Bragg has praised a new academic project to catalogue the history of the English protest song from 1600 to the present day, saying that songs “can’t change the world” but can “bring people together”.A website catalogue of about 750 songs in the Our Subversive Voice project has been produced, presented alongside interviews with key songwriters.The University of East Anglia (UEA) project includes Royalist songs from the English Civil War up to modern entries like Grace Petrie‘s 2016 song ‘I Wish The Guardian Believed That I Exist’.Bragg himself has two of his songs in the catalogue – ‘Between The Wars’ and ‘It Says Here’, among tracks the artist has previously covered including Florence Reece’s ‘Which Side Are You On?’ – and told the BBC that the project was important to show the political tradition of songs in England.“People think political pop music was something invented in the 1970s, but traditionally song has been used to get messages out, without them being edited by the government or establishment,” he said.“When I took part in the miners’ strike in the 1980s, I was a little punk rocker guy… the folk singers were already there and their repertoire was more radical than mine and much of it had been written in the 19th Century.”Asked about the impact of protest songs, Bragg said: “It can change some things, but it can’t change the world. What it does is it brings people together in solidarity – for example to raise money for a cause.

Hello all. Not much to say about such monumental sadness, but mam passed away yesterday afternoon, January 30th 2022.

Billy Bragg has spoken out about why he’s changed the lyrics to his iconic track ‘Sexuality’ to make it trans-inclusive.The folk singer is currently on a UK tour and has changed the lyrics of the 1991 track from “Just because you’re gay, I won’t turn you away/ If you stick around, I’m sure that we can find some common ground” to “Just because you’re they, I won’t turn you away/ If you stick around, I’m sure that we can find the right pronoun”.In a new op-ed for The New Statesmen, Bragg went into detail about his reasons for changing the lyrics after gender-critical activists voiced their disapproval with his decision to rework the song.“Last week, I found myself under fire from gender-critical activists on Twitter, who were agitated to

BANKER-bashing singer-songwriter Billy Bragg made a £2.5million profit after he sold his mansion — to a Goldman Sachs executive. The leftie singer, 63, bought the 25-room Victorian villa with his partner for £630,000 in 1999.