BILLY BRAGG

Billy Bragg. Pics by Jo Rowe. 

BILLY BRAGG

WOMADelaide 2014

Stunning WOMADelaide sunset.

Words by Allison O'Donoghue
Pics by Jo Rowe

It’s been over 25 years since I’ve seen Billy Bragg live. I’m looking forward to tonight like a teenager going to her first gig. It’s a nice, strange sense memory kind of feeling. Watching him do a sound check was a big event. The first and last time I saw BB he raged against Thatcher letting loose a string of vocatives at the, "shockingly out of touch PM ruining England”. So it’s not a leap to expect a great deal of commentary on the state of world current events. Lets face it, there’s so much to talk about.

I knew he’d attract a huge crowd, especially those who have grown up with him and lived through decades of turmoil and change, but he’s pulled a sizable younger crowd too. Not surprising I suppose, I’m sure they’ve raided their parent’s record collection years ago and stumbled across a BB album. I get the sense that they too long for change and hope to find a voice for their generation speaking their language as we did with BB. I think Russel Brand is giving it a good go.

At last he hits the stage, wearing a western shirt and a full beard, beginning with Chasing Rainbows a song from his recent release Tooth & Nail recorded in the US, which broke a 5-year recording draught. He does three more unfamiliar songs in the same slow melodic country and western style, helped by slide guitarist CJ Hillman. I like country, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. He hasn’t spoken to us yet either. Right on cue, as if he read my thoughts, “People say I’ve gone country”, he quips. “I’ve always been a bit country”, then launches into California Stars, a Woody Guthrie number he recorded with Wilco.

BB belting it out.

Its a hot humid night. Not a breath of fresh air, no breeze, the flags stopped moving, eerily still. We dripped in sweat, hair clung to our faces, clothes stuck to our skin. Not nice. But this didn't stop the gig slowly building momentum. This is a very different man on stage than the angry, abrasive, socialist who encouraged us to fight the establishment and status quo. Age has mellowed him he’s much softer nowadays. And still no anti–fascist, anti-government rhetoric. He chatted to us about spending time in Perth, but I wasn’t quite sure which angle he was coming from. “Ever spent any time in Perth?” he asks, “Yeah well, you know what I mean then.” Nope, I’ve got no idea what you mean, before he sings the praises of Adelaide and “this lovely festival WOMAdelaide”.

Handyman Blues is a song he wrote for all those who are as inept as he is with anything DIY. His father was a good handyman, a gift his brother inherited, while he thankfully took to pen and paper and wrote songs. He dedicated Tank Park Salute to his father who died an early death due to smoking. Hence the reason BB wont play any festival or event that promotes smoking or sponsored by tobacco companies. He's a man of conviction and sticks to it.

BB doing a sound check.

Someone in the front shouts out, “play that hit of yours,” he laughs, then launches into A New England and all that sense memory floods back. A great song that still holds its own today. In between songs he told funny stories made funnier with his strong Essex accent. He brings attention to his beard by saying, “it hides a multitude of chins” and reflects on his age, “well, I am 55, its bound to happen”.  Ah, the magical mellowing age for men.

He then played hit after hit; Ideology, Milkman of Human Kindness, Between the Wars, No One Knows Nothing Anymore, and Sexuality with a mention of love “knowing no boundaries” but no mention of gay marriage, a very raw current issue which this song could easily attach itself to. In the meantime, he  proved to the heckler and reminded us that he's had more than one hit throughout his career.

BB playing a medley of hits.

Finally he mentions Thatcher. He tells us a story; one day his phone goes berserk and rings off the hook with the media wanting to know if he would attend Thatcher’s funeral and any final thoughts since he was so outspoken about her. “No, I won’t be going to the bloody funeral, I’m not that big a hypocrite” and “There’s nothing to celebrate here. What’s to say? She was a dreadful PM who did so much damage that England is still suffering from the fall out today. I won’t celebrate her life or death. We should all reflect on what a disastrous legacy she’s left”.  And with that, he left us on a high with Great Leap Forwards then he was gone.

The WOMADelaide crowd were not going to let him go quietly. Encores aren’t the done thing at WOMADelaide, as they run to a very tight schedule, bumping in and out bands at lightening speed, but tonight was an exception. A 10-minute encore sent a clear message to the well-oiled WOMADelaide machine that we wanted more. Give the crowd what they want. We want MORE.

He came back out to a rapturous applaud and said, “I hear you’ve got an election (SA) coming up. Well, if you vote for Abbot it’s an” - Accident Waiting to Happen. A perfect song with a very clear message. I wonder if that statement swayed the fence sitters, coz the election was so close it almost felt like those who were in two minds made a decision that night.

The man started out mesmerizingly slow but deceptively built the gig into an event. What a pro. What a perfect ending to a great gig. Don’t take so long to come back BB. You’re always welcome.

Main stage.

Femi Kuti & the Positive Force

One more band to go then its over for another year. Its such a great festival, you don't want it to stop, but its also very exhausting. And Femi Kuti & The Positive Force were positively exhausting to watch. Its still hot, so it was a little daunting when they hit the stage with such gusto. And more dancing. Your body is compelled/impelled to move, whether you want it to or not. But when the girls started to dance, that was it, you couldn't take your eyes off them. What the? Was the thought that kept repeating itself, over and over. Unbelievable! The way these three girls moved their bumbs was quite amazing to witness.  Now I get where all booty bounce craze started in the US - it got its origin in Africa.

Amazing bumb dance.

The Positive Force play an hypnotic Afrobeat, with pulsating rhythms and as I've said, fabulous dancers. Singer saxophonist Femi Kuti is the eldest son of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti who pioneered the Afrobeat sound, and is continuing on with his fathers mission of sending a message through the power of music. He would introduce a song, "this is Africa" it would start off differently but somehow sound the same by the end, but it could be a lack of concentration with all that booty being thrashed around. Its mesmerising. Its impossible to take your eyes off the dancers.

So to get a good idea of their sound I moved out of the crowd and sat on the fringe, laid down to listen without the constant distraction of the extraordinary movements of the women. Yep, the same thing happened, the song started off differently but the longer it went on the sound would settle into the same pulsating rhythms. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just found it a little repetitious.

I could not believe the stamina of these women, they kept up the pace for the whole gig. Worth seeing for them alone. And a fitting end to another good festival and the best opening night I've ever been to. Hope they can pull a similar set of musicians and sounds for next year as WOMADelaide 2014 had continuity with a funk, jazz, reggae, dub, techno beat as well as R&B themes this year. It rocked.

Remember when I said to check out the food quarter on your way out to get yourself some cheap eats? That's exactly what I did on my way out and scored a slice Spanikopita and a honeycomb muffin for $6.00 - 1/2 the price. It was delicious and a perfect end it to a great weekend. If you've never been to WOMADelaide before then get yourself there for next year. It is totally worth the effort.

Bye WOMADelaide. See you in 2015. 

WOMADelaide 2014 - Day 3.

WOMADelaide 2014 

Day 3. 

Sunday March 9th. 

Another beautiful day at WOMADelaide. The weather is lovely, and everyone looks happy & content. The stall holders look relaxed and the organisers seem happy with how its all going. Albeit, last night was a bit of a headache for security guards with all the jumpers desperate to see Arrested Development. I watched an endless stream of punters jumping from all areas. Its a huge parameter, impossible to police. I'm sure the organisers have factored the loss into the equation. But I love those who think if they behave confidently like, - "I'm with the band"- they'll get in for free. No harm in trying. Fake it til ya make, right. I used to do that until I was with the band. With so many people trolling through the gates, I'm sure several managed to get in during peak hour. There was even a brilliant forgery pass. I couldn't scan it so I handed it over to colleagues who also had trouble scanning it. We knew it was dodgy when the chick had fled the scene. The only discernible difference was the area where it attaches, that was a dead give away, otherwise she may have gotten away with it. With that many people, they've got to expect some dramas. 

The vibe is so relaxed at WOMADelaide, I never see any animosity or ill will. And you'd expect some altercations with so many people, but everyone gets along just fine. It might have something to do with ever constant scent of pot and not a police dog in sight. Very civilised. I strongly object to police dogs, they cause more trouble than its worth. Its pot. Who cares? The real problem is when kids freak out and pop all their pills in one fell swoop, half an hour later they OD and end up in a life and death struggle, all because they don't get busted and a get conviction, which affects them for the rest of their lives. It's totally unrealistic to expect a drug free festival. It's not going to happen. I've been going to festivals since the 80's and there was never an issue until the introduction of police dogs.  WOMADelaide attracts high profile people from around the world, so I reckon they've done a deal with the cops to stay out. They should stay out of all the festivals as far as I'm concerned. The police defend themselves stating they're doing a community service, but who benefits if kids are dying? Not the community. Not their parents or friends. Who? By all means, go after the big guys, smash the meth labs (the devil's drug if ever there was one) but leave the little pot smokers alone.

Orderly queues for the loos. 

Toilets are not a big issue this year as they patiently form orderly queues for the loos, which are kept immaculately clean throughout the four day event.

WOMADelaide is also very user friendly. Catering for the disabled with wheel chair accessibility as well as viewing areas. And I saw a lot of people in wheel chairs. The terrain is such that they can get around easily. Its great. 

Disabled ramp &  viewing stage

Stage 3.

Stage 2

Baby et Lulu

I'm always pleased to see Australian bands included in the world music festival, which might sound strange, but I've found that only a few ever make it on the bill each year. Baby et Lulu graced us with a set of French afternoon delights. Abby Dobson (Leonardo's Bride) and violinist Lara Goodridge have joined forces after meeting up in Paris and discovering their love for all things French. Unless you've followed the careers of these great women you would never know they weren't French. They fake a great French accent and had they not slipped into an Aussie twang, they would have fooled everyone. I over heard a couple genuinely surprised when they spoke Australian.

I stood under the shade of a tree to watch them but the heat didn't stop punters from standing up close and personal as Baby et Lulu belted out songs from Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg, Charles Aznavour, Camille and even a Bridgett Bardot number. These gals are just gorgeous. They should definitely be on the bill at Adelaide Gorgeous festival later in the year. Accompanied by the string quartet FourPlay, who are highly accomplished in their own right, they are a force to be reckoned with. I remember seeing FourPlay yeas ago at Soup Plus a speakeasy in the heart of Sydney. Coupled with the dulcet tones of these lovely ladies, FourPlay sound even better. I hope they make it a permanent group and tour the world. Simply gorgeous!

Baby et Lulu

Baby et Lulu  & FourPlay.

Baby et Lulu

I missed the night gigs due to a prior engagement - Adelaide Fringe event. Can't be everywhere. And that's the problem with Mad March, they cram too many events into the one month it becomes a nightmare to choose which event to miss, and financially prohibitive. Why don't they spread it out over the year? It doesn't rain that often in Adelaide. The Film Festival were smart to move the event to cooler months, thank goodness, I wont miss the film festival. Spread the love people.

WOMADelaide 2014 - Day 2.

WOMADelaide 2014

DAY 2.

Saturday. March 8th.

I was hammered after the best Opening Night I've attended thus far. All that jazz, funk and soul was very satisfying but I couldn't drag myself out of bed, so I slept in until absolutely necessary. I pulled the late shift today which gave me plenty of time to amble around and take in the sights, smells and sounds of WOMADelaide. I was sceptical when first attended this music festival 8 years ago. I suppose after living and working in Sydney for 25 years I didn't think it would be that great. I had preconceived ideas of what it would be like, full of oldies or hippies, not that there's anything wrong with oldies or hippies. However, after about 10 minutes my cynicism vanished completely, I loved the fantastic vibe even though it was a horrid hot long weekend - 4 days over 40 degrees of unrelenting heat. The organisers were well prepared for the trying conditions, providing free water and mist tents to cool you down. Neat idea. I'm now a convert. Like all the die hard fans who never miss a year, and come fully prepared with tents, chairs, food etc, rushing to secure their spots, I'm now one of them. I've missed a few festivals due to other commitments but endeavour to get there every year. I'm constantly singing the praises of WOMADelaide and forever trying to convince my interstate mates to come over for the long weekend. 

Holy Cow Cafe.

Vendors quarter.

Lounging around.

I reviewed the festival once for a Sydney paper, and haven't been able to interest anyone since. They say things like, "We have lovely festivals here (Syd/Melb)" or "The artists all visit (Syd/ Melb) anyway, so we don't really need a review". Which is a bit of an issue, as it means that it's not exclusive if they play interstate, and not a lot of incentive for interstate mags/papers to cover the event. I understand that artists have travelled a long way for this gig, so it makes sense that they want to make the most of it by performing at many venues within the country as they can, but it doesn't make it exclusive. Interesting then that both Sydney and Melbourne have put in bids to move the festival interstate. Why? If they have such "lovely festivals" why do they need another? From what I hear the bid was pretty pathetic $5 million. Really? Thankfully, Adelaide has won it for another 5 years, and hopefully forever. Why move it when its such a huge success?  

Stage SC7.

Setting up camp.

Main Stage. 

I managed to catch Osaka Monaurail from Japan and what a treat. It was the theme music to Shaft that got my attention. When I think jazz, Japan doesn't spring to mind, so it was a great surprise to stop and listen to these dudes pay homage to James Brown et el. Osaka Monaurail have been going for 20 years and toured North America for the first time in 2012 and now they're here. They are a funky 8-piece orchestra with lead singer Ryo Nakata hitting the high notes and dropping to his knees al la James Brown. I was waiting for him to don the cape and do the whole high camp, feigning exhaustion, "I can't go on" routine that JB was famous for but that didn't happen. Ryo did a couple of impressive splits and spins, while belting out soulful tunes, while the band played a very tight set of funky, soul drenched satisfying numbers. I was sold when they did the Peter Gunn theme. Its such a great number. Come back again boys.

The bands 3-piece suits and stetson hats were making me feel very hot. The sun had a bit of bite to it and forgot my hat, so I headed for the food quarter and to check out what was on offer. After perusing the many stalls, I decided on a plate of vegan food for $15 - kofka balls, veggie curry with royal rice and halva dessert. Delicious. Entree, main and dessert all on one plate. Bargain. Very tasty and filling.

Vegan meal.

Wendy & Ray.

Veteran festival goers Wendy & Ray allowed me to sit on a spare chair under the shade of a massive Morton Bay Fig to eat my meal. They've been coming to WOMAD for 12 years and have seen it evolve overtime. They love "people watching" and so do I, its such a great past time. And just when you thought you'd seen it all, along comes a fairy to read your future from the bottom of a cupcake. All a bit of mindless, harmless fun. 

Cupcake fairy.

I finished late, so missed Arrested Development, damn it, they were pretty good apparently. I needed a hot shower and cup of tea. I know, tragic. It's the my idea of heaven after a long day. Back tomorrow.

Main Stage.

Osaka Monaurail. Japan. 

Osaka Monaurail. Japan.

Food & bar quarter.

Henna tattoos. 

The lush green setting of the Botanic Gardens.