Billy Bragg at Stimmen-Festival - 19 July 2014

Billy Bragg has been on the go for over 30 years and has never been afraid to mix politics and music. He was one of the leading lights of Red Wedge back in the 1980s.

Bragg is a natural entertainer, and his ability to connect with the audience while addressing serious topics gave us a wonderful and interesting evening at his Stimmen-Festival concert. He is very forthright on political issues; you won't hear "on the one hand... and on the other hand..." from Billy.

The singer-songwriter regaled us with stories of middle-aged naked men climbing over the band's drum kit and his bewilderment on his journey travelling from Basel airport to Lörrach: his phone welcomed him first to France, then to Switzerland, then to France again, and finally to Germany. He joked about his lack of ability to speak either German or English.

Bragg is very proud of his Englishness and his music is often seen as Americana with an Essex twang. He described Americana as traditional music from the USA, a mixture of country and blues.

Bragg's musical style is heavily country-focused, but one could see the influence of other great entertainers like Elvis Costello when he moved from country to rock. His song Handyman Blues will have touched a chord with all of us who see DIY as someone else's gig.

One of the most enjoyable moments of the concert was when he played A New England, one of his older songs.

Bragg finished the evening with the rousing Waiting For The Great Leap Forward: proof - if indeed proof was needed - that Billy Bragg still has that fire in his belly.

The Rosenfelspark concert location lent an atmosphere of a village fête to the whole proceedings, showing us yet again what a jewel the Stimmen-Festival is.

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Basel's The Bianca Story were the support act on this evening. I am not a huge fan of Swiss or German groups singing in English, but The Bianca Story caused me to rethink my hard-held views. If you get a chance, go and see them. The band were full of energy and the lead singer came down and danced with the crowd. They had a large number of fans who crossed the border to see them.

- Ciaran O'Muiri