LEFT FIELD IN MOTION

Billy Bragg, Akala, Sound of Rum
Friday 25th and Saturday 26th November from 8pm at The Picket Liverpool

Since taking over the running of the Left Field at Glastonbury Festival in 2010, Billy Bragg has made an effort to showcase young artists who are mixing pop and politics.

The Left Field in Motion Tour will take that concept on the road, with a ticket price pegged lower than usual in an attempt to connect a new generation to the power of music with something to say.

Writing in the NME recently, Bragg recognised that the English riots had created a unique moment for young artists to step up and offer their perspective:

"The disturbances of the past weeks have stirred up a storm of opinion in the mainstream media, much of it from people who have no real experience of the pressures faced by this generation, the first in a century that are likely to grow up worse off than their parents.

Though this situation has been building for some years, the disturbances have created an opportunity for young people to provide an alternative commentary."

Bragg follows that call to arms by bringing together contemporary artists whose songs are full of social comment on the Left Field In Motion Tour: in recognition of what is currently the most political music scene in the UK, MOBO Award winning hip hop artist and founder of The Hip Hop Shakespeare Company Akala will also be joining the tour.

Support for all the shows will be from the astounding genre defying hip hop poetry of Sound of Rum as they continue to attract endless superlatives in their unshakeable quest to make everyone "hear what we are doing".

Bragg says: "Music helped me to make connections when I was growing up - between the situation I found myself in and the powerful people who put me there. Artists need to start engaging in this debate again and Akala and Sound of Rum are inspiring examples of those prepared to push against the power."

Tickets on sale now for the shows at the Picket Liverpool on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th November from www.musicglue.com/billybragg or from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office