Driven by the social conscience and full throttle energy of The Clash and the
songwriting tradition of the folk movement, Billy Bragg became the political
voice of 1980s pop, taking on Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, supporting the
1984 miners strike and campaigning for the Labour Party in the Red Wedge
enterprise. After a short stint in the army, Bragg gigged with punk band Riff
Raff, developing his trademark electric guitar thrash while bellowing acerbic
lyrics in his distinctively strangulated Essex voice.
His debut EP 'Life's a Riot With Spy Vs Spy' (1983) featured the c...