I was only a casual fan and didn't know any of their songs apart from this one.

First saw them play on a BBC gig they had on a few months ago, and just recently knew they were doing an acoustic gig and Q and A session last week in my home town of Kingston and thought I'll give them a go.

I reckon 90% of audience were die hard Manics (as they call them), and I just love them now as a live act.

The girl who took both of these videos, must be a diehard fan and takes some great videos of every gig.

Only seen them live once............... and that was just James on acoustic guitar last week.
Lot's of admiration for the band.

First is the acoustic gig, and next one is the same song at previous gig with full band.

Videos are not there? Really like this band. Saw them in 1999 at a small club show. They were great. “Motorcycle Emptiness” and “If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next” were standouts. They are the obvious track likes. Deeper fans will advise better. Plus they covered the Clash’s “Train In Vain” at that same gig. James Dean Bradfield’s “Even In Exile” solo album from last year is very good. Now you’ve got me going Crawdaddy, time to research more about this band on YouTube. Looking forward to it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-10-26 05:20 by KingmanBarstow.

I'm not super on them but my SO is a big fan.

I do like the new record.

Seen them once in Helsinki, must be about 4-5 years ago by now.

Manic Street Preachers fan checking-in!

Being a child of the 90’s, I was very much aware of their chart hits, such as Everything Must Go, Australia and If You Tolerate This, Then Your Children Will Be Next. They’re all part of that mid-to-late 90’s soundtrack to British life, alongside your Blur’s and Oasis’

Now, I became a fan a near-decade later. A, now, ex-girlfriend - a little older than I, admittedly - had a copy of their second album, 1993’s, Gold against the Soul. She’d spin it regularly, and, suffice to say, I soon became converted.

The first album I purchased was 2004’s Life Blood. I went on to see them the same year I support of this record. If I’m right in thinking, it may have been their last arena tour, before they started touring theatre-sized venues more regularly.


I continued to follow them avidly for their subsequent few releases; catching them live on numerous occasions.

I’ve admittedly lost track of them a little, though I do intend to backtrack and pick-up the last few albums that I’ve neglected.

My two absolute favourite releases are The Holy Bible and their first post-Richey Edwards album, Everything Must Go. The former, I must say, is probably not the most ideal starting-point, however. It’s not the most accessible listening-experience, with Richey’s difficult lyrical themes and the overall sound of the recording. They became quite commercial afterwards.

There’s a wealth to check-out on YouTube. The band’s history and evolution is fascinating. I could talk at length here, but I’d like to think that we’re all up for a little self-discovery. Go ahead; you won’t regret it!

I saw them live 2002 and have been listening to them since the mid-90's. Great band, the fact that Richey disappeared contributed to their legend. First band to play for Fidel Castro in Cuba in I think 1998 which one can have its thoughts about, but I do think music can spread awareness and tear down walls to paraphrase Reagan. If all countries would arrrange Rock n Roll concerts at a regular basis I do think we would get rid of at least some wars and other bad stuff around the world. Maybe not all though, for that you would have to maim all the ex-wives in the whole universe and that would be hard work and take time.

La Tristessa Durera is genius, so is ME of course and lotsa of other great stuff. Granted, they might not look as cool as Oasis, more like office rats, but the music sometimes is great.

You're a rag trade girl, You're the queen of porn, You're the easiest lay on the white house lawn!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-10-26 09:27 by MadMax.

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MadMax
they might not look as cool as Oasis, more like office rats

There's an interview whereby James Dean Bradfield basically states that their ‘image’ went alongside Richey Edwards’ disappearance. Where as they were once kilted-out in eyeliner and, later, military garb, they became flabby and unstylish in the immediate years post-Richey Edwards. It didn’t affect the quality of music, though!

A superb band that continue to make great music (new 14th studio album - The Ultra Vivid Lament - is excellent). A band that should have imploded after Richey's disappearance but they reinvented themselves (it was a big thing at the time and lost them quite a few fans) and came out the other end. Had a bit of a sticky patch in early 2000's with their output (it wasn't best time for British rock music anyway) but they have stuck together and as a unit they continue to deliver both live and in the studio. A band that wouldn't look out of place supporting the Stones at UK venues next summer

The Manics are amongst those great British acts’ who’ve failed to ‘crack’ the U.S.A.; and I think that’s a shame: the alt-rock they released during the Richey Edwards era would surely have gone down well amongst the American college crowd. They were part of a package that toured the States in ’93, though they had a terrible time. Next-to-zero sales, and no genuine label-support has rendered any success hopeless. Checking setlist FM recently, however, I did note that they’ve toured North America a couple of times in more recent years, though they’re seemingly playing venues that are no grander than clubs and bars. I do urge Americans to give them a go.

They are fantastic! Bought their first album when that came out, and I've been on and off them since then. Saw them live at a festival a long time ago as well. But recently got tickets to see them in Manchester and really started listening up on them again. Even more impressed now. Loved them live. Even more so than years ago. Ended up buying The Holy Bible on vinyl just the other day, and look forward to to listening to it (have never really listened to it before). And to see them live again some time soon!

As I said in my opening post, I've only just started listening to their music since going to the acoustic gig at Pryzm in Kingston.

Had a great view on the first balcony, right in the middle.

Really enjoyed it and picked up the CD as well at Banquet Records, just down the road.
They gave me the deluxe Double CD of The Ultra Vivid Lament, as they ran out of the bog standard one.

Gradually getting to like the songs I have listened to on there and been watching a few youtube clips of gigs from a few years back.

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GeirGG
They are fantastic! Bought their first album when that came out, and I've been on and off them since then. Saw them live at a festival a long time ago as well. But recently got tickets to see them in Manchester and really started listening up on them again. Even more impressed now. Loved them live. Even more so than years ago. Ended up buying The Holy Bible on vinyl just the other day, and look forward to to listening to it (have never really listened to it before). And to see them live again some time soon!

Generation Terrorists was meant to be their big, sole statement. One huge, mega-selling album that’ll mark their arrival and departure simultaneously. It didn’t quite work like that, obviously! I’m hindsight, the record is a little flawed - but good, still! - and the creative urge carried them on.

Absolutely love them, and to echo posts above, they continue to release superb music. Between James' sublime solo album last year, 'Even in Exile', and the elegiac, captivating new Manics opus, 'Ultra Vivid Lament', 33 years into their career, they've proven to be an exceptional band.

Like Big Al, I was aware of them and interested during their 90s reign, 'Gold Against the Soul' in particular, 10 years,later discovered them in a big way during the 2007 Send Away the Tigers campaign. Going back through the catalogue from that point, delving into powerful albums like 'The Holy Bible', 'Everything Must Go' and the beauty and ambience of their 1998 multi million selling 'This is My Truth'.

The last decade has seen top tier work such as 'Journal for Plague Lovers', 'Rewind the Film' and the spectacular 'Futurology'. The sense of a band grappling with ageing, their moment perhaps passed but their creative passion still thriving. Lyrically as rich as ever.

The catalogue is enormous - aswell as 14 studio albums, they have released a significant amount of non album tracks. Half of their album releases contain an entire second albums' worth (10 or more songs) of bonus tracks. 2013/2014 saw a near trilogy: two highly regarded studio albums, and 12 bonus tracks on the singles pulled from both. Three quality sets of songs in less than a year.

One of my favourites is the collection of 14 BSides that accompanied the singles from 2010s 'Postcards from a Young Man'. The Postcards BSide album is even better than the album itself, and essentially unknown outside of fan circles. A secret history, as they are fond of saying.

BSide Manics is an entire alternate history of the band, a journey as magical as the primary releases.

Have seen them numerous times, most recently performing the 1998 album in full. Wonderful.

Time I think to give the new album another play...

Got into them from Generation Terrorists. That lineup peaked with the Holy Bible. But the 2 albums after Richey Edwards were just huge. 4-5 singles from each of those albums went top 10. Everything must go was one of the albums of that summer. Every house party I went to that CD was in people’s collection. Saw them in the pissing rain in 1997. 60,000 people singing along to Motorcycle Emptiness i& a design for life Is something I won’t forget.

This is something I’ll also never forget.... lots of chat at school the next day about this..

[m.youtube.com]

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IrelandCalling4
Absolutely love them, and to echo posts above, they continue to release superb music…

Was expecting you to chime in!

Just watched this video and I guess that was Richey on rhythm guitar and James with the mask on.

Great music, and I guess a lot of bands around back then have got lost somewhere........... or else changed a bit to go with the times.

I'm a very recent fan of The Manics, and only seen the acoustic gig with James live, and the rest have been youtube clips.

Also been looking at the Wikipedia info about Richey, and that's all news to me.

Very sad, if all that's on there is true.

One I really like off the new album, and also performed by James at the acoustic gig at Kingston last week.

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crawdaddy
Just watched this video and I guess that was Richey on rhythm guitar and James with the mask on.

Yep! However: Richey’s guitar was never audible, with it either been turned right down, or not plugged in. He couldn’t play guitar. All guitar on their records is the work of James Dean Bradfield.

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Big Al

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crawdaddy
Just watched this video and I guess that was Richey on rhythm guitar and James with the mask on.

Yep! However: Richey’s guitar was never audible, with it either been turned right down, or not plugged in. He couldn’t play guitar. All guitar on their records is the work of James Dean Bradfield.

It was audible alright, he wasn’t a great guitar player, but he could play power chords, not always the correct ones.

[m.youtube.com]

You can hear him screw up a few times here.
But album wise it’s all James Dean Bradfield. A great guitar player.

Not a great fan, but they have always made their presence felt since their debut to this day, almost thirty years long! That is an achievement in itself.

In the early days of their career, they were hyped for their flashiness and outrageous attitude, culminating with the infamous ‘4 Real Incident’. Way too much sensationalism there. Back in the day, like many other music fans, I thought they would fade away sooner rather than later, following an akin precedent, Birdland (does anybody remember them?).

They didn’t. After the release of the controversial third album, The Holy Bible, and the tragic disappearance of Richey Edwards, something changed. The Manics came back with a strong album, Everything Must Go, and the rest is history. They are still going strong today, after so many of their contemporaries are forgotten in the mist of the time gone by.

Among the few albums I got, Lifeblood is my favorite — not one of their most acclaimed works, but I like the dark passion oozing out from the songs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-10-27 14:53 by RisingStone.

Yeah I remember that 4 Real thing being in the NME or Melody Maker...Bit mental.

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SomeTorontoGirl

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IrelandCalling4
Absolutely love them, and to echo posts above, they continue to release superb music…

Was expecting you to chime in!

Of course Ms. Toronto, God Save the Manics

Lifeblood mentioned above, great choice - though critically and commercially unloved at the time, even the band (except for Sean, who rates it) frosty towards it ever since. A lot of that to do with where they were commercially at the time perhaps, they've admitted they felt lost in the mid 2000s before the next album became a far greater success internationally. Lifeblood still managed two UK hit singles though.

However, any long running band has that album the fans have taken to heart, the cult classic in a sense. Lifeblood receives substantial fan appreciation on the forums and generally in Manics fandom. I love it myself, an atmospheric and beautiful record.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021-10-27 10:20 by IrelandCalling4.

I love the Manics!

The Holy Bible is a brilliant album.

Great band, and "If You Tolerate This" has new meaning, its gone from Lefty Uni unjustified angst to, well, do i have to spell it out, just look at the world now compared to two years ago.

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IrelandCalling4
However, any long running band has that album the fans have taken to heart, the cult classic in a sense.

What is the equivalent in the Stones’ catalogue? Goats Head Soup? Emotional Rescue? Dirty Work? A Bigger Bang?

To be honest I belong to the GHS unappreciative league. For me it feels like a bit too esoteric a record and lacks a strong focus unlike the other Jimmy Miller-produced albums, i.e. the ‘Big Four’.
On the other hand, ER is one of my favorite post-Taylor albums. Many people call Some Girls the Sones’ punk album, but as far as I know few have pointed out the New Wave elements in ER. I remember a Japanese reviewer finding some similarity of the sonic ambience of ER to the albums of The Police from the same period, e.g. Regatta de Blanc. I like ER’s sometimes idiosyncratic, semi-avant-garde song craft as well as sound making, most notably represented by the title track.
Not much to say about the rest, except that I love the openers of both albums, at least, One Hit and Rough Justice, respectively. I miss them live, and wish the Stones would revisit them on their show — even for the song vote.

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Rocktiludrop
Great band, and "If You Tolerate This" has new meaning, its gone from Lefty Uni unjustified angst to, well, do i have to spell it out, just look at the world now compared to two years ago.

Worst interpretation of a lyric award goes to.....

Everyone knew what the Manics were about after that TOTP appearance. It got 20,000 complaints. There was a lot happening world wide at that time, the angst was justified. Not everyone got a chance to go to University then either. Being poor was colourless. Years of apartheid, Cold War, and a lot of other crap left a global angst. It came out of Seattle in an abundance, bands like the manics just carried that flame.

Oasis did it in the most working class way, which is “@#$%& it all and have a good time” that was needed also.

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Paddy

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Rocktiludrop
Great band, and "If You Tolerate This" has new meaning, its gone from Lefty Uni unjustified angst to, well, do i have to spell it out, just look at the world now compared to two years ago.

Worst interpretation of a lyric award goes to.....

Everyone knew what the Manics were about after that TOTP appearance. It got 20,000 complaints. There was a lot happening world wide at that time, the angst was justified. Not everyone got a chance to go to University then either. Being poor was colourless. Years of apartheid, Cold War, and a lot of other crap left a global angst. It came out of Seattle in an abundance, bands like the manics just carried that flame.

Oasis did it in the most working class way, which is “@#$%& it all and have a good time” that was needed also.

Sounds like you went through the same experience they did at the same time, it's mind control throughout the education system and then they really train the brain through Universities, especially in the UK and it's even worse now, what people tolerate today is worrying beyond anything you can imagine.

So for me those lyrics ring louder and true more than ever, I know that's not what the writer intended but play that song on YouTube today and read the comments.

This is how people feel today about those lyrics, proves it's not just my interpretation. Worst interpretation oh really.
[m.youtube.com]



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2021-10-28 02:26 by Rocktiludrop.

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Rocktiludrop

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Paddy

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Rocktiludrop
Great band, and "If You Tolerate This" has new meaning, its gone from Lefty Uni unjustified angst to, well, do i have to spell it out, just look at the world now compared to two years ago.

Worst interpretation of a lyric award goes to.....

Everyone knew what the Manics were about after that TOTP appearance. It got 20,000 complaints. There was a lot happening world wide at that time, the angst was justified. Not everyone got a chance to go to University then either. Being poor was colourless. Years of apartheid, Cold War, and a lot of other crap left a global angst. It came out of Seattle in an abundance, bands like the manics just carried that flame.

Oasis did it in the most working class way, which is “@#$%& it all and have a good time” that was needed also.

Sounds like you went through the same experience they did at the same time, it's mind control throughout the education system and then they really train the brain through Universities, especially in the UK and it's even worse now, what people tolerate today is worrying beyond anything you can imagine.

So for me those lyrics ring louder and true more than ever, I know that's not what the writer intended but play that song on YouTube today and read the comments.

This is how people feel today about those lyrics, proves it's not just my interpretation. Worst interpretation oh really.
[m.youtube.com]

These countless comments on the YouTube channel. Many of them extrapolate the title, the lyrics and the video clip of “If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next” to the current situations surrounding the pandemic for the purpose of raising voices of disapproval against the safe measures promoted by the “totalitarian” or “fascistic” government as well as mocking the “sheepish” crowd who submits to the rules. These types of appeals, now the same old cliché, are so many out there that you may wonder if they are the majority. I’d say this is a typical example of ‘echo chamber’. Same goes for Eric Clapton YouTube channel and Facebook page where hordes of “rebels” post comments of praise on his anti-vaccination stance. In a bigger picture, you will be able to see there are millions of people with different views who have serious concerns about the health, unlike these reckless bunches.

This global pandemic we are all suffering from is, primarily, a non-political, non-partisan phenomenon. It is us humans who make it political or partisan.

To oppose the various safe measures doesn’t make you a rebel. It has nothing to do with a rock and roll attitude, either.

So you think it best all those people making those comments should be censored because you believe they are spreading false information.
Ever read 1984.

I've been listening to the new CD, The Ultra Vivid Lament just lately, and it's starting to grow on me and I do really like it ,

I know it was my first Manics gig last week, and an acoustic one with just James, who is a terrific guitarist and vocalist, and Nicky was on first for 20-30 minutes on the Q and A session.

This was one for the real devoted fans with the Q and A session, but Nicky talked a lot of sense, and came across as a nice guy.

I'm not a tight git with money, but I really got value for money from The Manics and Banquet Records for getting the gig and the Deluxe Double CD for 15 quid.

Half hour to get back home, and I was well happy.

The more I think about it, the more I think The Manic Street Preachers would be the ideal support band for The Rolling Stones Tour of UK next year, and possibly Europe Tour as well, hopefully if that happens.

Not competing with The Stones, as differant music, but just as compelling to watch and listen to at a live gig.