MANIC STREET PREACHERS // YORK BARBICAN, YORK
MANIC STREET PREACHERS PLAY YORK’S BARBICAN AS PART OF THEIR UK HEADLINE TOUR
★★★★★ (5/5)
MANIC STREET PREACHERS PERFORMING AT YORK’S BARBICAN
PICTURE BY: | JOHN HAYHURST AT SNAPAGIG.COM
I’d never seen the Manic Street Preachers before this gig, it wasn’t for the want of trying but a number of issues had prevented me in the past, was it worth the wait? Absolutely!
The Manics may seem like rock establishment these days (and they are to an extent) but they’ve never lost their punk ethos, their political engagement or their sheer energy. As someone who has loved Generation Terrorists since it’s release I was particularly pleased that they played four songs from that album, but they also played a number of other songs from all stages of their career and even managed a cover version of Sweet Child of Mine. All in all they nailed it.
Their support came from Low Hummer, an intriguing and challenging band from Hull who boast twin lead vocalists, the intensity of Wilko Johnson at his starriest best and a certain sweetness and innocence . All in all it’s hard to reconcile and just shouldn’t work but, for the majority of their songs it not only worked, it drew you in, made you wonder what was coming next and never failed to capture the interest and imagination of the audience. One or two of the songs felt like they maybe needed pared back a little and had too many ideas for just one song but on the whole, keep this up, and this band are going to be well worth paying attention to!
The manics opened with what is still one of the best songs written in the 1990’s, Motorcycle Emptiness. It’s one of those songs that instantly transports you back to a time and place in your life, it was a perfect show opener. How do you follow that?
Well if you’re this band clearly you fall it with a a barrage of songs, there was no real let up in the intensity of this show, even the brief acoustic set felt like just a brief pause for breath and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a lead singer change his guitar so many times in the one gig. Song filled song and there were so many h to it was hard to keep up!
New songs were interspersed amongst the many hits the manics have had, seamlessly fitting in, the crowd were kept involved throughout, with both James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire coming across as funny engaging people, Nicky even dedicating a song to his mother’s voice.
What came across clearly is how much this band love what they do, what great musicians they are and how engaged they still are, I have seen a number of acts, who have been going for a while, dial in their performances, that’s something no-one could ever accuse the manics of!
There were so many highs to this show and no lows, it was a pleasure to be there and listen to such a quality band. The second last song was You Love Us and, judging by the audience reaction, the bands fans clearly still do, for good reason. If you have the chance go and see one of the UK’s great live acts perform, take it you won’t regret it!
