Billy Bragg - 30 October 2012, Prince Bandroom

...and the second Billy Bragg show mentioned earlier. This was a late addition to the tour, given the demand in Melbourne. I had assumed that this would be like his other shows (acoustic and focussed on Woody Guthrie), but this was more like a 'normal' Billy Bragg set, which was fine with me. The only problem was that I'd set the volume levels for an acoustic gig, and he played the entire set electric. While that didn't compeletely ruin the recording, there are a number of spots (usually audience applause) where the mics max out.  Annoying, but the show is really good so hopefully you can deal.

Given this is the third  Billy Bragg show I've put up in the last few weeks I don't have too much more to say. I still don't like Yarra Song or Waiting for the Great Leap Forward, but this set included a broader range of his songs, and really benefited from it. I don't know if there are any hardcore Billy Bragg fans downloading these, but if there are there are a couple of treats here. After a talk about traditions he states that he's going to start a tradition of every tour playing a once and then never playing it again. Having had a listen to a recording on his phone he plays 'I Saw a Big One Last Night' (quotation marks because he says it doesn't have a title). The song isn't going to be one of the greats of his catalogue, but with a band it could be good little punk song. The second treat is a cover of Gram Parsons' Sin City with Jordie Lane (the opener who had recently appeared in a theatre production as Gram Parsons).

Other than that, the set includes lots of the hits, and an enthusiastic crowd. It was a very good show, but the sound problems bring the rating down a bit.

The World Turned Upside Down

To Have and to Have Not

The Price I Pay

'I Saw a Big One Last Night'

Ingrid Bergman

Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key

Tomorrow is Going to Be a Better Day

Greetings to the New Brunette

Must I Paint You a Picture

Sexuality

Never Buy the Sun

Sin City (with Jordie Lane)

The Saturday Boy (with Seven Nation Army/Smoke on the Water riffs)

The Milkman of Human Kindness

Levi Stubbs' Tears

I Keep Faith

There is Power in a Union

Tank Park Salute

Yarra Song

Waiting for the Great Leap Forward

A New England

http://www.mediafire.com/?lu2semxaord1f