Manic Street Preachers review

Should have guessed we’d be caught like this, should have noticed the descending hoards with their multitude of Welsh flags, snuffing out the crosses of St George. But we didn’t until there was a huge crowd too huge to escape from easily.

With one stage they’d managed to round up an audience of 40,000 odd and hold us captive.

Nicky Wire bounces as usual and James Dean Bradfield is more energetic than the last time I was unfortunate enough to witness them. They do the Stole the Sun from My Heart song and far too many people join in the sing along.

There’s hardly a cloud in the sky as the sun sets in the west, to the right of the audience, so no chance of rain stopping them play or breaking up the crowd. Huge tunes receive rapturous applause I even nod to Motorcycle Emptiness as some bloke hollers it at me.



They close with Designed for Life and it’s a polished performance if you like the Manics it’s probably one of their best sets ever. I don’t, and my daughter obviously with taste say’s, “Daddy when are they going to finish it’s boring?!” I have no idea and James gives us no clue either as I can’t understand a word he’s mumbling to us between tracks except the profanities.

After the end of their performance the organisers put up apologies about the problems of getting in last night (Friday), as the queues meant many missed the bands. Now they are joking if only it had been the Manics instead of Groove Armada. I wait for the apology for showing the Manics but it never comes.

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