Festival Fives - Billy Bragg
5 bands I like right now
The Low Anthem, I saw them at Newport Festival and I bumped in to them in catering today. They are a great band. I got there album on the strength of that. I saw Fleet Foxes at Newport too, that was the first time I've seen them. Springsteen was great a Glastonbury, I took my son along. The Specials I've seen them at a couple of festivals this year. No Jerry, which is a shame but I don't think they miss him terribly. I really pleased that they're out there. People around the world should appreciate them, I hope they go to America. I caught up with them at Glastonbury. My missus used to work with them, she used to managed Selector, so we know them quite well. I'm stumped now, can I get away with four?
4 things I take on tour
These things are very important. I need to take my laptop to read the paper online. You can also hear the news and get the footie results. I have my condiments in my toilet bag bit of liquid soap, me wax and groom. I'm not a moisturiser, I'm moist enough thanks. A jar of Marmite, you can eat anything then. It overpowers any taste. You can eat the telephone directory with that. [Worst food on tour?] I've toured Russia, in the old days, so and finally a picture of the family. It's easier to keep in contact now but if you're in Los Angeles, you're awake when they're in bed.
3 festival frustrations
Rain! Toilets! And donuts. I can't resist them. 5 donuts for a 10. Sugary donuts...
2 good things that have happened to you this year
A choir in Santa Monica did a version of my new lyrics for Beethoven's Ode To Joy. They flew me out there to be part of it. While I was out there, they lent me a car which had a cassette player. The only cassette in it was an anthology of early Tom Waits. I drove round LA for five days listening to Old '55. It was the perfect soundtrack.
The other good thing that's happened this year is my son getting in to great music and playing guitar. Playing guitar with my boy is a real lot of fun. He comes in and asks me, can you show me how to play this? I'm not a great guitar player.
He recently asked me how to play it. I said, yeah, it's only four chords. I showed him and he said, right, now show me the lead part! I said, I can't Jack. He said, what do you mean? You're a guitar player. And I could see myself shrinking in his estimations. I said look (he's a big Ramones fan) did you ever hear Johnny Ramone play lead? And he said, no. I said, right, well that's the kind of guitar player I am!
When I was in a band I was rhythm guitar player, you'd only notice me if I stopped. I said, if you want that flowery stuff, you're going to have to find someone at school who knows how to do it or wait for the guitar players from The Blokes to show him. Or maybe Peter Perrett could come round actually, he'd better not, he'd be a bad influence.
1 bit of festival advice
Be careful where you crowdsurf, people could pick you up and carry you off like a giant carrot. That's why I don't stage dive. Suppose I do and the audience run off with me. You'd get taken out of the venue.
4:26 PM | 06/09/2009
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