Billy Bragg announces a date in Galway on October 23rd in a busy year which has already seen him appear in a play, face down fascists on the streets of his hometown and get up on a soapbox to call on the UK government to withhold bankers' bonuses.
Billy began the year by refusing to pay his taxes to a government who, having bailed out two of the biggest UK banks, was now allowing them to pay massive bonuses from taxpayers money. Arguing that the bankers should be held accountable for their mistakes, he was fined by the Revenue for late payment of tax.
In February, he was out on the road in the UK, performing with graduates from his Jail Guitar Doors initiative, a non-profit organisation that provides guitars and other instruments to people doing rehabilitation work with the inmates of British prisons. Jail Guitar Doors has supplied guitars to over 30 prisons since its inception in 2007.
March saw him travel to SXSW for the formal launch of Jail Guitar Doors USA, in partnership with ex-MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer. Together with Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine they performed in the Travis County Jail in Austin Texas, before formally launching the initiative with a show at the Ghost Room.During April, Billy was performing six specially written songs in a play at the Wellcome Gallery in London. 'Pressure Drop' told the story of a working class family torn apart by one member's decision to stand as a local councillor for a racist political party. The play ran for four weeks against the backdrop of the UK general election, as a real life battle against the forces of division was played out in Billy's home town.
Barking, an industrialised suburb of East London, was a flashpoint in the election campaign. The town became the stronghold of the British National Party when 12 BNP councillors were elected there in 2005. In the May elections, the party was looking to double its number of councillors and take control of the town. Billy made regular trips to the borough to support anti-fascist activists and help deliver leaflets door to door, twice having face-to-face confrontations on the streets with leading BNP members. A massive campaign which saw hundreds of volunteers on the streets ' including a group from California that had help run internet campaigns for Obama - resulted in the BNP losing all of their seats on the council and being run out of town.
This victory over racism was celebrated last month at Europe's premier rock festival, Glastonbury, where Billy curated the Left Field, an activist stage that held debates by day and hosted music by night.'I often turn to no-nonsense, nimble witted, worldly wise Billy Bragg for some advice when I am for professional reasons looking into an event, phenomenon, trend, issue, movement, date, personality etc. As a formidable, inquisitive and globetrotting combination of storyteller, historian, activist, father, enthusiast, pilgrim, entertainer, minstrel, humorist, rambler, sermoniser and scholar, he's always got a point of view, a word of wisdom, a rigorous insight, a calming thought, an inspiring idea, a brilliant punchline, whatever it is I'm asking him about. Speaking to him, I am always alert to the transcendent fact that he made a cameo appearance in Bob Dylan's Chronicles, and that this lends a level of the hobo divine to his rugged common sense.' Paul Morley, The Guardian.
Róisín Dubh & Galway Arts Festival are delighted to announce that the one and only CHRISTY MOORE will be playing at this year's Festival in the Big Top on July 20th, with special guests 4 Men & A Dog.It's been over 20 years since Christy has played the Festival, and this will be a rare standing show. Expect an incredible performance from a true legend.Tickets go on sale Friday at 9pm from roisindubh.net & galwayartsfestival.com. + More
Róisín Dubh & Galway Arts Festival are proud to present CHIC & special guests on Thursday July 19th 2012. Arguably the greatest disco/funk band of all time, CHIC debuted in the late 1970s, dominating, and rejuvenating, the fading disco scene. Their distinctive approach, categorized by Nile Rodger’s rhythm guitar, not only resulted in some of the most successful singles of the era, but also helped to lay the groundwork for some of the most successful musical styles of the 1980s. Their first singles were runaway club smash hits, b + More
THE WEDDING PRESENT return to the Róisín Dubh on November 3rd to play their seminal album SEAMONSTERS. On sale now.2012 is a busy year for The Wedding Present. After a barnstorming appearance at the SXSW Music Festival [playing 10 shows in 4 days!] the band performed to adoring audiences across the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong. + More
We really couldn't be any more excited to announce that the one and only RAY DAVIES, former frontman with legendary band The Kinks, will be playing an intimate show in the Róisín Dubh on June 22nd ahead of his appearence at the Westport Festival of Music & Arts.Tickets on sale now. They will be available from www.roisindubh.net and Zhivago Records. + More
JOSH RITTER makes a most welcome return to the Róisín Dubh on Sunday June 3rd. The American singer-songwriter will read chapters from his forthcoming debut novel (New Island) as well as performing a number of his songs acoustically. “Bright’s Passage shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime… This is the work of a gifted novelist…”- Stephen King, New York Times B + More
"Breathin' Air" For the first time in front of a live audience, living legends John Sinclair (American political activist, poet & former manager of MC5) and Howard Marks (best-selling author, former international drug trafficker and all round roguish charmer) will be teaming up to share their fascinating and, at times, truly incredible stories with each other.The two veteran raconteurs will delve into the haze of their era-shaping pasts, as Howard, a vigorous advocate for the legalisation of recreational drugs interviews John about his own lifelong activism and how he became a figurehead for countercul + More
We're completely sold out for Franz Ferdinand's show on May 18th. + More
The Coronas, James Vincent McMorrow, Lisa Hannigan, Bressie, The Kanyu Tree and Elaine Mai will be amongst the top attractions at this year’s Galway Arts Festival Big Top, with more shows to be announced over the coming months. The dates so far are Galway Arts Festival and the Róisín Dubh present James Vincent McMorrow, Lisa Hannigan and Elaine Mai on Thursday 26th July with tickets on sale from Friday 9th March at €33.50. + More
Roisin Dubh Comedy in association with David Johnson & John MacKay present STEWART LEE - CARPET REMNANT WORLD PLEASE NOTE - CORK SHOW: CHANGE OF DATE / CHANGE OF VENUE Monday 21st May 12 CORK OPERA HOUSE Tickets €25 plus fees from Cork Opera House Box Office 021 - 427 0022 & CorkOperaHouse.ie The double British comedy award winner and star of BBC2’s Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle kicks off his Irish tour in Dublin at Vicar Street on 17th and 18th of May (limited tickets remaining) and moves to The Se + More
Mike Scott - Adventures of a Waterboy Book launch -- with Leo Moran and Special guest Steve Wickham Wednesday 13th June Roisin Dubh 8.30pm Tickets €10 from www.roisindubh.net/ + More
Every Tuesday, we will be hosting SILENT DISCO in the Róisín, and admission will only be €5. Not only that, but you get a FREE pint of Bavaria when you get in. , If you're not familiar with the format yet, then here it is : You come in, you get a set of headphones, and you can switch between the two DJs that are playing. Cue lots of dancing, singing and merriment. + More
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