ENCROACHING middle age has done little to mellow Billy Bragg.
The singer-songwriter with a social conscience is currently supporting his first album in seven years, England, Half English - one of the singles from which, Take Down The Union Jack, he even sang live on Top Of The Pops during Jubilee weekend.
You can't imagine S Club, or however many there are of them now, making a rock'n'roll statement like that.
The England, Half English tour is the first one for which Billy has had a touring band. The Blokes include former Small Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan.
"The new album for me is just brilliant. It's nice to have The Blokes in the studio with me to fall back on," says Billy.
"Usually I'm in the studio on my own, but now I can nip out for a pint while the Blokes play around with a tune or something."
Modern classics like New England, Waiting For The Great Leap Forward, The Milkman of Human Kindness, The Saturday Boy and Between the Wars should get an airing alongside the new material. PG
Thursday. Performance: 7.45pm. Tickets: £14. Box office: 01256 844244.
The Anvil, Basingstoke
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