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Billy
Bragg Looks Forward to Glastonbury 2004
interview by
Jon Andriessen
 Leftfield troubadour
Billy Bragg has been coming to the Glastonbury Festival for more years
than most of us can remember. What he doesn’t know about the experience
probably hasn’t happened, yet. In a brief interview looking forward to
Glastonbury 2004, Billy reveals some of his strange acquaintances, his
love for the Leftfield and some sound advice on the rain…
Jon Andriessen: What would be your most memorable Glastonbury
moment and why?
Billy Bragg: Taking Boris Johnson around
the site in 2000, because it was like being on an acid trip but without
the comedown. We got henna tattoos, crashed the stage in the poetry tent,
got hair braids and had a brief encounter with some nude protesters. And
Boris really loved it. Bless.
JA: What aspect of the Festival are you
particularly looking forward to this year?
BB: The last couple of years I've had
gigs elsewhere on the Saturday of Glastonbury weekend, so my festivals
have been a bit disjointed. This year I'm there all three days and will be
camping with the family.
JA: Is there still a place for politics
in music given Blair’s ‘new’ apathetic Britain, Pop Idol and the Big
Brother culture?
BB: More people marched against the war
than ever took to the streets against Thatcher in the 80s. Every year I
make a pilgrimage to Green Field to recharge my faith in creating a better
world.
JA: Will you ever play the Pyramid Stage again or are you happy
in the Leftfield?
BB: The great thing about Glastonbury is
that everyone eventually finds a place where they belong. I have played on
most of the big stages but the Leftfield is where they keep alive the
radical spirit on which the festival was founded. There are main stages at
every festival but there is only one Leftfield and that’s what makes
Glastonbury so special for me.
JA: And finally, what do you do when it rains?
BB: Make sure my amp is covered!
© Jon
Andriessen
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