Billy Bragg tour comes to Wrexham
by Ben Davis on 2 June, 2009 | 0 comments
Billy Bragg
Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg is to perform in Wrexham as part of a tour to remember the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike and its legacy on communities across Wales.
He will play in the William Aston Hall at Glyndwr University on Friday 12 June. The gig is part of a 9 date tour, co-produced by Coda, Theatr Mwldan and the Big Pit National Coal Museum, 25 years on from the event.
Ex-punk, ex-soldier, and ex-member of the Labour Party, Billy Bragg rose from working class origins in the 1980s to become one of the UK’s foremost pop and protest singers and left-wing icons. Bragg’s defining political moment came with the Miners’ Strike of 1984-5, when he became a fixture at political rallies and benefits with his powerful pro-union songs including Which Side Are You On, There Is Power In A Union and the EP title track Between The Wars.
Dilwyn Davies, Director of Theatr Mwldan, said: “It’s fantastic for Wales that Billy Bragg has chosen to tour small venues right across the country to mark such a momentous event in Welsh history. We believe it’s also unique for a Welsh museum and arts centre to be working together to produce a music tour of such huge cultural significance in Wales.”
Ceri Thomas, Curator, Big Pit, said: “We are delighted to be involved with this exciting tour. Back in 1984 and 1985 Billy’s support for the miners was greatly appreciated, and we are pleased that he has chosen to come to Wales to mark 25 years since the strike.
“This tour and partnership are the highlight of a programme of events organised by Big Pit to commemorate this significant anniversary, a programme which looks at the strike from a number of different perspectives and tells some of the lesser known stories of this difficult time.”
A rebel in every sense, Bragg is best-known for his passionately political lyrics, but also admired for his offbeat love songs. This unique man has a sense of humour and continues to prove that music still has something to say about political causes.
Support comes from Jakokoyak and Welsh poet Patrick Jones.
Tickets are priced at £17 (£16 concessions) and are available from HMV in Wrexham. They are also on sale at the Wrexham Tourist Information Centre and can be purchased by telephone on 01978 292015. They can also be bought online at www.seetickets.com or www.glyndwr.ac.uk/events.
