Review: Billy Bragg at William Aston Hall in Wrexham

Jun 18 2009 by Ronnie Parry, Chester Chronicle

Billy Bragg blew a mighty breath of fresh air on the embers of Wrexham’s mining tradition last Friday night.

Never is Bragg more effective, eloquent and universal than when he’s the solo performer.

Bragg was on his Wales/Cymru 2009 tour to mark the anniversary of the 1984/85 Miner’s Strike.

It wasn’t a nostalgia trip but a reminder of community spirit, pleaded Bragg to an enthralled audience of 700 at the William Aston Hall.

The culture of progressive resistance and togetherness still nurtured in Wales compelled Bragg to produce a blistering show.

Familiar stuff like Which Side Are You On, There Is Power In A Union and Saturday Boy had everyone singing along.

The Bard of Barking harked back to the depression era 1930s as he spoke of current economic and political woes.

Bragg rekindled the spirit of American folk troubadour Woody Guthrie with a rousing version of words written in 1942, All You Fascists Are Bound To Lose.

The message to the BNP was loud and clear throughout the night.

Bragg, appalled by the European Parliamentary election of two BNP members in England, took heart that the Welsh who bothered to vote kept the BNP out.

And he had a stark message as he came on to encore with Between the Wars.

It’s our cynicism which makes the BNP dangerous, claimed Bragg.

If it’s the behaviour of our politicians which makes us cynical we must overcome that, he said, because not caring to vote will only make the minority BNP vote more significant.

But Bragg’s words matched his music.

If the Westminster politicians can inspire like Bragg does, we won’t have reasons to be cynical.

10 out 10, come back again soon.