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Leftie Rockers Wage Battle Of Portaloo - The Guardian, 24th July 1999

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ARTICLES:1999



Title: Leftie Rockers Wage Battle Of Portaloo
Publication: The Guardian
Date: Saturday 24th July 1999
Writer: Fiachra Gibbons


We proudly remember the Peterloo Massacre, Tolpuddle and the Leeds lard riots. Now a new name can be added to the roll of honour of great socialist struggles -the Battle of Portaloo. A war of words has broken out between Britain's two best known leftwing rock stars over the ethics of using a private portable toilet.

Hostilities began when Billy Bragg, a leading light in the 1980s Red Wedge movement, chided the Manic Street Preachers for bringing their own personal toilet to the Glastonbury festival. The crime was compounded, in his eyes, by a handwritten notice on the door which warned, 'These facilities are reserved exclusively for the Manic Street Preachers.' The lavatorial arrangements at the festival - which is proud of it egalitarian spirit - were once described as 'the essential shared trauma that unites the megastars with the fans in the mosh-pit'.

The Manics' frontman Nicky Wire responded by using the T In The Park festival near Glasgow last weekend to hurl abuse at Bragg. 'This is for Billy Bragg,' he said before launching into a song called Tsunami about a set of twins who were struck dumb. 'I wouldn't let him piss in my toilet for all the money in the world. Get back to the army, you dickhead, and stop stealing Woody Guthrie's songs.'

Bragg, who was chosen by the Guthrie family earlier this year to record a series of 'lost' Woody songs, retaliated by challenging the Manics to a public debate. The Manics have declined the invitation to thrash out their differences. A spokesman for the band said they bought the loo 'because they could', adding: 'Maybe it's not in the festival spirit, but remember a few years ago the band said they should build a bypass over Glastonbury.'

The battle has even spread to cyberspace, with both sets of fans exchanging insults online.

In an open letter, Bragg accused the self-styled Welsh revolutionaries of a sense of humour failure. 'It was mischief rather than indignation that led me to reveal that the Manics had installed their own private toilets.

'Having to use the festival 'facilities' is an essential part of the Glastonbury experience. Everyone from Michael Stipe (of REM) on down has to use the Portaloo and legend has it that Farmer Eavis (who runs the festival) makes an egalitarian point of ensuring that the backstage toilets are the last call on the daily emptying round. Frankly, if you haven't sat on the old thundermug at Glastonbury, you haven't really been to the festival.

'Maybe that was the thing that bugged me - that the Manics were doing this against the spirit of Glastonbury. That it was contrary to the band's professed ideals didn't surprise me as it seem like it has been a while since they thought about what their politics are now.

'If Nicky Wire has anything to say about that aspect of their current behaviour, rather than just shooting his mouth off about how hurt his pride is, then I would be happy to have a discussion with him about walking it like you talk it.

'It's ironic that he makes a reference to my time in the Armoured Corps. There is an old army saying that the Manics might do well to take note off: if you can't take a joke, guys, you shouldn't have asked for this job in the first place.'

He signed his letter 'Trooper B Bragg 24600765.'