Manic Street Preachers - Funtime Tour of The Holy Bible

[Paul Monk]

That does seem a bit odd. It could either be amazing or it could be rubbish I'm not sure.
Given that Richey didn't contribute musically I don't think his not being there will impact on that side of things but then again, I dunno...

[Si Hunt]

I know if Queen did it with Freddie I'd be thrilled (though they can't because he was too busy having fun to write any more words than he had to), but the inevitable reaction is going to be "they've been below par without him so they're trying to recapture past glories".

Si.

[Rob McCow]

All the songs we are recording are lyrics left to us by Richey. Finally it feels like the right time to use them (especially after the last 18 months being so amazing with Send Away The Tigers).

Should we replace the word 'amazing' with 'dire' in that parenthesis?

It'll be very interesting to see if they can recapture the classic Manic Street Preacher equation of 'Anger' + 'Intelligence' + 'Energy' = 'Great music'.

[Wayne]

Just a gneral comment, not specifically about the Manics, but i've never really 'got' the importance of lyrics.
For me, it's ultimately the melody that makes a good song. You can have the most amazing poetry in the world (or something) but if it's not a very good tune then it's all for nothing.
Of course i realize that lyrics have some importance. There's no point writing a great tune & using the lyrics to 'Baa Baa Black Sheep', but can these lyrics by this presumably ex-member really make or break the music that the other members have written?
I don't get it. You tell me!

[Si Hunt]

Okay, I will.

Si.

[Dave Lewis]

Just a gneral comment, not specifically about the Manics, but i've never really 'got' the importance of lyrics.
For me, it's ultimately the melody that makes a good song. You can have the most amazing poetry in the world (or something) but if it's not a very good tune then it's all for nothing.
Of course i realize that lyrics have some importance. There's no point writing a great tune & using the lyrics to 'Baa Baa Black Sheep', but can these lyrics by this presumably ex-member really make or break the music that the other members have written?
I don't get it. You tell me!

For those who understand, no explanation is necessary; for those who don't, no explanation is possible.

However, it isn't difficult to see that bad lyrics can ruin a decent tune; see almost all of Paul McCartney's solo stuff. But then again, a bad tune can ruin decent lyrics; see almost all of John Lennon's solo stuff.*

Take your favourite piece of music - even if it's an instrumental piece - and either listen to it or imagine listening to it. Then change the original words to(or add in the case of instrumentals) the lyrics to "Doctor In Distress."** Horrid, isn't it? Ruins the tune. Now if lyrics can have such a detrimental effect on a tune, surely that means they have power; and therefore importance. And if they can impact on songs so negatively, surely the flipside is they can impact on them positively as well?



*Wayne's reply will be "The Beatles had shit tunes and shit lyrics..."

** If your favourite piece of music is "Doctor In Distress" then you are probably Shada Pavlova.

[Wayne]

Interesting points. I guess it's 6 of one & half a dozen on the other at the end of the day.
(Wayne consults his handy catchphrase book again)

For those who understand, no explanation is necessary; for those who don't, no explanation is possible.

Reminds of Louis Armstrong's quote when asked: 'What is Jazz?'

"If you gotta ask, You'll never know"
Perhaps because i know very little of their work, you've probably got a point, but it just struck me as a bit odd (or a bit rubbish, depending on my mood) that a band would appear to be so dependent on an ex member's lyrics.

*Wayne's reply will be "The Beatles had shit tunes and shit lyrics..."

Actually, i thought the Beatles wrote some very good tunes, & i agree with you about Lennon & MacCartney's respective talents. Most of my favourite Beatles songs are McCartney's, even if the lyrics were often far more cheesy than Lennon's.
On the whole, i think their best stuff is somewhere in the middle of their bubblegum pop, & the self indulgent crap (not all of it, admittedly) of their latter years.

[Dave Lewis]

Richey Edwards declared as "presumed dead"

Missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards has been declared as presumed dead, a spokeswoman for the band has said.

The musician from Blackwood, south Wales, disappeared nearly 14 years ago.

Despite alleged sightings all over the world many believe Edwards, whose car was found near the Severn Bridge, took his own life at the age of 27.

His parents Graham and Sherry Edwards have been granted a court order for him to be declared presumed dead.

Edwards' father said he did not wish to comment on the matter.

The band's publicist Terri Hall said the move was "hugely emotional" for remaining band members James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore.

The band are unavailable for comment as they are currently abroad, she said.

She told the Mail on Sunday: "This is the parents' choice and the band is happy to go with what the parents decide is best.

"We all dream Richey will come back one day. You hope he is still around somewhere.

"But it is no longer a realistic hope and if this offers some kind of closure then the band will be content with that."

Edwards, whose unused lyrics for the band are set to be used in new Manics material due for release next year, was last seen in London on 1 February 1995.

It is believed Edwards returned to his Cardiff flat, but then drove to the original Severn Bridge where his car was later found.

Inevitable, I suppose - but how on Earth did the Mail on Sunday get the scoop?

[Dino]

I did eventually come to terms with "presumed dead" as opposed to "declared dead".
I've been as nervous over this as the time those feet were found in the Severn. They weren't his and I think he didn't jump off the bridge.
The Guardian wrote the worst ever obituary though. Richey and Nicky did not meet at University they were childhood best friends!
Some better comments.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008...reet-preachers

[Paul Monk]

All the Manics were childhood friends.
Are you coming out of the obsessive Manics fan closet?

[Dino]

All the Manics were childhood friends.
Are you coming out of the obsessive Manics fan closet?

Whoooo's the guy in the leopard print?
Whoooo's the cat with the guitarrrr?
Was I ever in the closet over the Manics?

[Dino]

More details about the new Steve Albini produced album Journal For Plague Lovers released May 18th

1 Peeled Apples 3.32
2 Jackie Collins Existential Question Time 2.24
3 Me and Stephen Hawking 2.44
4 This Joke Sport Severed 3.02
5 Journal for Plague Lovers 3.45
6 She Bathed Herself in a Bath of Bleach 2.17
7 Facing Page: Top Left 2.40
8 Marlon J.D. 2.50
9 Doors Closing Slowly 2.51
10 All Is Vanity 3.34
11 Pretension / Repulsion 2.04
12 Virginia State Epileptic Colony 3.21
13 William's Last Words 4.15


And if that hasn't made you run for cover just yet Nicky Wire sings William's Last Words.

I can't wait for it, but did go through a few days of "Dooomed!"
Here's a fan edited film of the first song to a movie I've never seen called Ben X.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPyWqVLgtMs
The last part of the song is re-edited into the clip and I can't wait for the lyric booklet to work out what the hell he's singing?

I have also heard the second song played on XFM and Kerrang and am now in love with the chorus
"Oh Mummy, what's a Sex Pistol?"

If they made this album using Richey's lyrics after The Holy Bible it wouldn't have had the musicianship they have now. And if you haven't heard Nicky Wire's charming solo album "I Killed The Zeitgeist" I can understand your concerns over the last track.
There are still no singles to be released from this, so I've no idea what favours they are going to do for Sony Records in return?

[Paul Monk]

Those song titles are so Richey. I'm strangely looking forward to this, even if its a hideous mess. And I Killed the Zeitgeist is a cool little album. Nicky's "singing" voice does take a bit of getting used to. In fact this evening I'm going to put it on my shuffle.

[Dino]

Their tour dates were announced weeks ago and only one London date and Glasgow has sold out.

Not releasing a single from the album has had an effect on the publicity of tickets sales, as their last album's tour sold out in a day.
And also, the touring plan is to play the new album in full as a three piece, then a second half with extra guitarist and keyboards for the hits and "oddities" from their career. This might have scared off more than a few gig-goers seeing it typed out like that...
A pity as "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time" is going to sound amazing live. http://www.manicstreetpreachers.com/...lague_lovers_1

Although it's screaming out "Not suitable for casual fans!", if you own at least three of their albums it might be worth checking out... but given the accomodation costs and travel, even hardcore fans are not going to be following them around on this tour as much. A lot are unhappy the north of England and south Wales has been left off. And tickets are again £25.
Apart from the festival dates of course!

Dates anyway:

May
25th - Barrowlands, Glasgow (sold out)
26th - Venue Cymru Arena, Llandudno
28th - Camden Roundhouse, London
29th - Camden Roundhouse, London (sold out)
30th - Camden Roundhouse, London

June
1st - Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
2nd - Dome, Brighton
4th - Olympia, Dublin, Ireland
6th - Ulster Hall, Belfast
13th - Rock Under Broen Festival, Middelfart, Denmark

July
10th - Exit Festival, Serbia
11th - T in the Park Festival, Scotland
12th - Oxegen Festival, Ireland
19th-20th Nano Mugen Festival, Japan

[Si Hunt]

Oh dear!

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Whatever, they will be good live. They WILL be!

[Dino]

Well it's leaked... and given I hate Elastica, lo-fi Blur and The Other Side by Red Hot Chilli Peppers...

..oh dear...
..oh dear oh dear...

False idols, eh?

I apologise to all for trying to keep this thread going!
As they more or less said at the end of Vengeance On Varos "What do we do now?"

[Paul Monk]

You not like then?

[Si Hunt]

So why no single?

Bradfield said: "It's hard to envisage some of these lyrics just being played as a single. When you go through the lyrics it's just such a body of work. You're actually reading the words and the concerns of somebody that doesn't care about commercial success.

"We did worry that our record company perhaps wouldn't know how to deal with this, but they've been pretty gracious."

Bassist Nicky Wire added: "I think there's an element of bafflement and bemusement on their behalf. But it's a tribute to Richey [Edwards] and his lyrics this album. It's a tribute to the notion of an 'album'.

It's a tribute to you being pretentious more like.

Baffled? Why so?

Nicky Wire: "So, right, we've decided we don't want to promote this album. That way hopefully we won't sell as many copies. Er... let the shareholders know will you. It's a tribute to the notion of an album."

Record Company Exec: "Lend us a tenner will you."

Si.

[Si Hunt]

But if only there was another way they could commercially sink the project...

James Dean Bradfield has claimed that some supermarkets have refused to stock the Manic Street Preachers' upcoming studio album.

The band's frontman told The Guardian that the retailers will not sell Journal For Plague Lovers because of the Jenny Saville painting on its sleeve.

Bradfield said: "This album could seriously damage us in a commercial sense. Already, supermarkets won't accept the album cover, which I am really startled at.

"You can have the Pussycat Dolls poledancing, but you can't [have this?] So already I'm thinking: 'Oh f**king hell, are we putting them off already?'"

Bassist Nicky Wire revealed that he suggested the band never release the album and instead "dig a hole and bury it and make it even more of an art statement".

I have to say I don't get his comparison. You can have scantily clad girls but you can't have a mutilated face? Er... YES!

Si.

[Milky Tears]

It sounds like their best album in a decade, possibly since The Holy Bible.

[Rob McCow]

Will there be more songs like 'Ocean Spray' then?

[Paul Monk]

Genius! This is almost old skool Manics. I love it.

[Milky Tears]

There's a half hourish loop of their T In The Park set currently running on BBC Red Button (Channel 301). They're on fine form.

[Rob McCow]

Let's go Manic!

Manic Street Preachers have announced details of a new UK tour to coincide with the release of their forthcoming new album.

The group's 10th studio album, 'Postcards From A Young Man', is out in September. A UK tour starts in Glasgow on September 29.

Frontman James Dean Bradfield said that the album would be an unashamedly pop-orientated affair following 2009's bleak 'Journal For Plague Lovers'.

"We're going for big radio hits on this one," he told NME. "It isn't a follow-up to 'Journal For Plague Lovers'. It's one last shot at mass communication."

British Sea Power will support the band on the tour.

Manic Street Preachers will play:

O2 Academy Glasgow (September 29)
Aberdeen Music Hall (30)
Edinburgh Corn Exchange (October 2)
Carlisle Sands Centre (3)
Hull City Hall (5)
Sheffield Academy (6)
Liverpool University (8)
Blackburn King George's Hall (9)
O2 Academy Leeds (11)
Derby Assembly Rooms (12)
Manchester Apollo (14)
Lincoln Engine Shed (16)
Norwich UEA (17)
Southampton Guildhall (19)
Southend Cliffs Pavillion (20)
Bournemouth Academy (22)
Newport Centre (23)
Bristol Coulson Hall (25)
O2 Academy Birmingham (26)
London O2 Academy Brixton (28, 29)
Leicester De Montfort Hall (31)
Cambridge Corn Exchange (November 1)

Tickets go on sale on Friday (June 4) at 9am (BST).