Close to two years since it was first slated to begin, England’s folk poet Billy Bragg has confirmed that his forthcoming tour of Australia will indeed be going ahead next month.
Originally scheduled to take place in April of 2020, the then-burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic saw Bragg forced to cancel his upcoming shows, ultimately rescheduling them for 2021.
“Because of everything that is going on in the world right now, I have no choice but to postpone my April-May Tour of Australia and New Zealand,” Bragg said in a statement at the time. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you all, but until then, stay safe and take care of each other.”
While his rescheduled dates were planned to take place in January and February of 2021, more travel restrictions meant that Bragg was unable to complete these dates too. Now, with new dates kicking off next month, Bragg has confirmed that these shows will indeed go ahead.
With three-night stands scheduled for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Fremantle, fans will see Bragg perform a career-spanning set on the first night, songs from his first three albums – Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs Spy, Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, and Talking with the Taxman about Poetry – on the second night, and songs from his second three albums – Workers Playtime, Don’t Try This at Home, and William Bloke – on the third night, it’s on track to be a rather unique experience.
“I’ve just finished a five week tour of UK and Ireland and am delighted to be back playing live again,” Bragg said in a statement. “I’ve been given clearance to enter Australia in January and I’m really excited at the prospect of playing these three night gigs that both showcase my new songs and dive deep into my back catalogue.”
In addition to his forthcoming tour (which has also seen his dates in Adelaide and Fremantle pushed back slightly due to border closures), Bragg has also announced a special one-night-only show set to take place at The Northern in Byron Bay on Saturday, February 12th.
“To accommodate South Australian and West Australian border roadmaps, we have decided to move Adelaide and Perth to the end of the tour, so that it will be safe for me to enter and play,” he explained. “Thanks so much for your patience on this – it’s going to be a special tour!”
Billy Bragg ‘One Step Forward, Two Steps Back’ Australian Tour 2022
(Rescheduled Dates)
Thursday, January 27th, 2022
Friday, January 28th, 2022
Saturday, January 29th, 2022
Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022
Thursday, February 3rd, 2022
Friday, February 4th, 2022
The Forum Theatre, Melbourne, VIC
Tuesday, February 8th, 2022
Wednesday, February 9th, 2022
Thursday, February 10th, 2022
The Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday, February 12th, 2022
The Northern, Byron Bay, NSW (Just Added)
Monday, February 14th, 2022
Tuesday, February 15th, 2022
Wednesday, February 16th, 2022
The Gov, Adelaide, SA (New Dates)
Sunday, February 20th, 2022
Monday, February 21st, 2022
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022
Freo Social, Fremantle, WA (New Dates)
Tickets on sale now via Handsome Tours
