Billy Bragg Shows Which Side He's On

Billy Bragg's brief North American tour to promote his new Volume 1 box set kicked off with a sold-out 90-minute show in Toronto on Saturday night and as always, even if a cold prevented his voice from being at its best, his songs came from both his head and his heart.

Striding on to the stage alone with only an electric guitar, just like he did when his career started 25 years ago, Bragg started the show with a 17th century British history lesson via "World Turned Upside Down" and then turned to two American protest songs from the '40s: Florence Reese's "Which Side Are You On" and Woody Guthrie's "All You Fascists." He followed that with "Between The Wars" before taking a break to drink some tea for his throat and then moving the set from political to romantic songs. While not singing favourites, Bragg took time to make fun of goatees and ponytails, explain his fear of polar bears and make numerous references to the Incredible Hulk, since someone at the front of the stage was wearing a Hulk T-shirt.

Halfway through the set, Bragg traded the electric for an acoustic guitar for four songs, including a new one and a cover of The Verve's "The Drugs Don't Work." After returning to the electric guitar, the "Bard Of Barking" spoke up for public service unions and the current Ontario college teachers strike before delivering an impassioned "There Is Power In A Union."

Both his speech and the song drew applause and cries of approval, while more muted appreciation followed the sensitive set closer, "Levi Stubbs' Tears." Bragg continued to mine his first three albums in the encore with "Lovers Town Revisited," "To Have And To Have Not," "The Busy Girl Buys Beauty," "The Man In The Iron Mask," "The Milkman Of Human Kindness" (which the crowd sang some of in his place) and "Richard," which he ended with the John Lennon exclamation, "I got blisters on my fingers!" The crowd sang joyously along to the chorus of "A New England," to which Bragg added an extra verse dedicated to the late Kirsty MacColl (who had a U.K. hit with her cover of the song).

And with that, he thanked those in attendance and left the stage to a rousing ovation from the packed house, which wanted a second encore. It didn't happen, but Bragg promised to return on a more extensive tour in support of the Volume 2 box set after its expected release in the fall. This wasn't the best Bragg show I've seen, but all of his performances leave you feeling like you've just witnessed something special. And to be able to do that with just a single voice and guitar is pretty remarkable.