I went to see the Bard of Barking last weekend with my friend Ruth, who used to run my Woodcraft Folk group with me years ago. She was a teacher.I was relieved that Billy was back on form after the last time I saw him. This tour was sponsored by Unison, GMB, TGWU and Amicus. I think we missed a trick not getting PCS to sponsor the tour too. There were loads of stalls giving out anti racist/BNP literature and anti privatisation material. Given the strike ballot PCS is currently preparing for, it would have been good.
The gig was cracking value with Billy playing two sets, so there was no support band. The sets were:
1) To Have and to Have Not 2) The Price I Pay 3) Farm Boy 4) Like Soldiers Do (slow version)5) John Barleycorn / England, Half English 6) Must I Paint You a Picture 7) A brief snatch of Pinball Wizard - “Johnny Cash” version 8) Old Clash Fan Fight Song 9) Saturday Boy
10) Everywhere 11) Greetings to the New Brunette.
Second set: 12) Sexuality 13) NPWA 14) Jarama Valley 15) Way Over Yonder 16) Ingrid Bergman 17) Superstar / That’s Entertainment 18) If You Ever Leave 19) Milkman
20) World Turned Upside Down 21) St Swithin’s Day 22) I Keep Faith 23) Levi Stubbs’ Tears 24) Power in a Union
Encore: 25) Great Leap Forwards 26) A New England
Those of you BB fans will recognise some new songs there. Farm Boy for example. I didn't care for it myself and I ain't a lover of Billy's Woody G stuff either. I would have thought given the "Stop the BNP" message that he'd have played "All you fascists"...but no. I was suprised to hear him sing Jarama Valley- its a Spanish Civil war song. But I was not suprised by that, but rather by the fact its sung to the tune of Red River Valley! (in the WF songbook)
there's a valley in Spain called Jarama
its a place that we all know so well
it was there that we fought against the fascists
we saw a peacful valley turn to hell
from this valley they say we are going
but dont hasten to bid us adue
even though we lost the battle at jarama
we'll set this valley free before we're through
we were men of a laken battelion
we're proud of the fight that we made
we know that you people love the valley
we're remember a laken brigade
from this valley they say we are going
but dont hasten to bid us adue
even though we lost the battle at jarama
we'll set this valley free before we're through
you will never find peace with these fascists
you'll never find friends such as we
so remember the valleyof jarama
and the people that'll set that valley free
from this valley they say we are going
but dont hasten to bid us adue
even though we lost the battle at jarama
we'll set this valley free before we're through
all this world is like this valley called jarama
so green and so bright and so fair
no fascists can dwell in our valley
nor breathe in our new freedoms air
from this valley they say we are going
but dont hasten to bid us adue
even though we lost the battle at jarama
we'll set this valley free before we're through
I was quite taken with that and thought I should teach this to our Pioneers and kids at camp.
