Welsh legends face both new and old challenges...
22 · 04 · 2025
Although the Manic Street Preachers are not typically associated with self-doubt, lyricist and bassist Nicky Wire addressed a query about "imposter syndrome" while speaking to The Observer earlier this year. He questioned whether their nearly four-decade-long journey is sufficient in a time when “200 dancers” are involved. Additionally, the band's 2025 tour coincides with notable returns from 1990, featuring new music from Pulp and Stereolab, as well as the upcoming Oasis event (with tickets for tonight costing only a third of the original price set by Gallagher). This presents challenges for those who have remained steadfast and continued.
Before the band performs, a series of dynamic quotes and slogans flow across their backdrop, featuring phrases from individuals like Nye Bevan and Anthony Burgess. The standout quote is the most straightforward: “I AM A RELIC.” The evening opens with ‘Decline And Fall’, the lead single from this year’s ‘Critical Thinking’ album (their fifteenth), confronting that assertion directly, accompanied by resonant piano and grand Springsteen-style flair. It exudes resignation in its highest form. The title track of the album sees Wire taking lead vocals for the first time in the band's history. Set to a cool, icy new wave sound, it offers a haphazard list aimed at the 2020s' internet-driven positivity: living your best life, speaking your truth, and it's fine not to be OK. While somewhat effective on record, live – with Wire using an oversized lyric sheet – it adopts a cheerfully chaotic and disruptive vibe. Given the enthusiastic engagement from the audience at the front, it is already becoming a live favorite.
One of the reasons for the Manics' appeal in 2025 is their genuine self-identity. Take ‘Autumnsong’, a somewhat forgotten single from 2007, which juxtaposes its close, observational lyrics with unapologetic hair metal guitar riffs – a distinctive blend that the Welsh trio excels at. Another slogan, in a single word, is seen on drummer Sean Moore’s t-shirt: a tribute to “Clem,” the late, legendary drummer of Blondie, whose explosive influence often resonates throughout tonight's set. A powerful and intense rendition of ‘She Is Suffering’ is dedicated to Richey Edwards, a tradition at every show, with Bradfield remarking that they “still feel like a four-piece” during this song. This year marks over a decade since the Manics’ last significant artistic transformation, highlighted by the double release of ‘Rewind The Film’ in 2013 and ‘Futurology’ in 2014. The downcast opener from the former, ‘This Sullen Welsh Heart’, is exceptional, revealing a wisdom that has only deepened over the past ten years, serving as a meditation on the allure of despair, and the act of creation as a remedy.
This theme is emphasized by the closing track of the night, ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’, which has transitioned from being abstract and historical to directly relevant and impactful. Through remaining timeless, it has gained renewed strength. It may resemble the sort of positive message that would provoke the band’s criticism, but tonight's performance demonstrates that, indeed, the Manic Street Preachers are more than enough.
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Words: Fergal Kinney
Photo Credit: Alex Lake
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Although the Manic Street Preachers are not primarily associated with self-doubt, lyricist and bassist Nicky discussed this topic in an interview with The Observer earlier this year.