Manic Street Preachers

[bubbadabut]

Did anyone ever hear the James groupie rumours...

Oh he definitely used to partake back in the day. There was a nice story about him on Popbitch ages ago that he went back to a fans flat, did the business, and in the morning he'd tidied up and been out and bought coffee and croissants. What a guy

 

[Miss Demeanour]

Here's James' set list I got from Richey's last gig. Mad to think this piece of battered paper is over 26 years old.

Not sure whose handwriting that is, band member, or roadie?

 

[Miss Demeanour]

Okay, the other story…

This is LONG!!!! So, I have typed this out on my laptop, as it’s too much on my phone, and I may have told this on here somewhere before, so if you’ve read this before, apologies.

In May 1996, I was at a Manics gig at The Forum in London, with a penpal, when we got chatting to a woman (who I’ll call Toni) who was there on her own, turns out she lived in Kentish Town and often got tickets for gigs off a tout for anything that sounded interesting. She had been at the gig two nights before and was raving about how good Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci were and how much we’d enjoy their support set, hence she’d come back again that night.

Long story short, I really hit it off with Toni and despite me being 19 and she 29, we became firm friends. I didn’t live in London, but we would talk on the phone for hours at a time.

Toni was massively into the Super Furry Animals and knowing I was mad for the Manics, she suggested that we get tickets for the tour later than year with SFA supporting Manics on a few of the dates. So we bought tickets for the Cardiff gig on 12/12/96, as well as their first of three nights in London at Brixton Academy on 14/12/96 and the last night at The Forum on 16/12/96.

Toni had become friendly with SFA and when she saw them in the months proceeding the gigs in December, she boldly asked them outright if they’d sort us out with after show party passes, and they said “If you can find us, then sure!”

So that December we rock up to Cardiff in Toni’s old banger, realising in the 4 hour drive we still got on like a house on fire. Checked into a cheap B&B and went straight to Cardiff arena. Once inside, who does Toni spot? Gruff and Bunf from SFA! She was over there like a shot and after a while, returned with two after show party passes.

Well, this after show was very swanky, some of the Manics’ families were there, plus other people from bands, media, as well as other fans and some groupies. It was a fab night. We didn’t get a chance to meet the Manics, but as Toni and I are pretty outgoing and chatty, we spoke to loads of lovely people including the Manics’ press officer who was an absolute sweetheart.

As the after show was winding up, we were getting ready to go to our B&B, when SFA asked if we wanted to come back to the hotel bar to continue the party (all above board BTW, no innuendo) and so we agreed.

We arrived at The Jury’s hotel to find security on the doors and fans all outside, Turned out the Manics were staying there too! SFA swept us past security, into the bar where loads of the lovely crew were drinking, along with some other people working for the Manics. We got a drink, turned to follow SFA to the table and found ourselves sat opposite James!

I became a gibbering wreck (as a James fan) and was trying so hard to act cool and engage him in conversation. But he was in a grumpy mood. Also a groupie was trying to crack onto to him and he wasn’t having any of it.

Anyway, the rest of the crowd and SFA were great company and at one point, I told a lame joke that featured a monkey, to which James jumped up and said, “Talking of monkeys… ” and he disappeared off to his room, to only return with one of those wind-up monkeys with cymbals. Random!

Toni, by this point buoyed with free booze said “Do you spank it James?”, he looked at her confused, so she added, “Do you spank your monkey?” to which everyone roared laughing. James just sat there looking grumpy, he either didn’t get it, or wasn’t in the mood. I think the latter as he announced he was off to bed, to which the groupie jumped up and started following him and was trying to talk to him and he was getting more annoyed and stomped off to bed, alone.

We were getting ready to head back, when one of the crew asked us if we wanted to stay at the hotel. Giving them a suspicious look, they laughed and said that Nick the keyboard player had a room booked but had decided to go home and he’d given him his key card to pass on to anyone who wants it, as it was paid for. So he kindly gave it to us and we stayed over. When we got back the B&B later that morning the old couple were about to send out a search party apparently!

Anyhoo, back in London for the Brixton gig, we saw a load of people we met at the Cardiff gig and someone sorted us out with after show party passes again. It wasn’t much of a party, bit shit actually, but I had my photo taken with Andy Cairns from Therapy? and we started tapping up the Manics’ press officer for the lowdown on the after show party after the gig at the Forum, which was the final date of the tour. He told us we had no chance, as it was invite-only, invites went out weeks ago, it was a strict guest-list and at an external venue, not in the gig venue.

So the Forum gig happens, it’s a fab gig and as we gather our stuff to leave and see the press officer, to which Toni says to him in, “Sooooo, this after show party, where is it?” he laughs and said, “No point in me telling you mate, you won’t get in. I can’t get you in”. So Toni says, “Give us a clue, street name?”, he replied, “Greenland Street, that’s all you’re getting out of me!” to which Toni shouts, “Ooooh, Windy Tuesdays? See you there!” to which he laughed, walking off shaking his head.

So we jump on the bus and get down to Windy Tuesdays in Camden, the party looks packed inside and there is two burly doorman with clipboards. Toni (which her massive-titted cleavage on show) starts trying to charm the doormen, but they’re having none of it! But one of them says that if we want to stand back and just watch people arriving, we’d be welcome.

When all of a sudden, a slightly intimidating chap comes out from the party and booms, “I’m Gary, from Sony. Is there a problem here?”, we make up some guff about being invited at the previous after shows to this party and he calls our bluff and said, “There wasn’t after shows at those gigs.” So we reply that there was and start listing all of the crew, management and journalists who were at those parties. To which, he rolls his eyes and says to the doorman, “Go on, just let them in”

We couldn’t believe it, we got in and immediately bumped into the press officer who almost spat his drink out with shock and he said, “Jesus! How?! What?!” We had a brill night, met Sean briefly, he was really sweet. Bumped into Shampoo and I stood on Paul Weller’s foot at the bar. Haha!

We started a popular fanzine after that and became queen blaggers. Those heady days!

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Hello!
Well, I'm a Manics fan. I know, I should listen (while I'm still able) to more but... I'll take the Manics over everything else going. It was this thread that made me think "Yes ok. I'd like to join".
I will be more active as best I can. Got rid of my TV. Massively out of step with modern culture.
Only a matter of time before I'm chased off with a broom.
I really love The Ultra Vivid Lament. I'd put it above everything done by them from 2010-2019.
On good days, I'd even put it above their first four.
I do have Facebook. I even had Sean as a friend. Then he deactivated his account and I thought "Oh now what have I said? Come back Sean!!". Although reading this thread, a light bulb realisation of "Oh THAT'S why!!".
Forever Delayed might be more quiet, but it's a nice place.
This thread is also the first place I'd heard about Richey's Japanese Indiscretions. Hmmm.
I did have an ex who was into the band. She got me into them. On the day Richey disappeared she decided to disappear for a few days too. Ha... Ha... Ha... Oh what a jape.
If you have a dedicated Music forum, I'd be up for that.
This is not spam! I've both introduced the very bare basics of me and talked about the topic at hand.
I've pre-ordered the Know Your Enemy revamped, reordered, receivership edition.
I don't think they'll play Liverpool again as last time I had fun. Didn't harass nobody. (Incredible the amount of space you get on the floor when you are saw openly talking to yourself, isn't it?)
No drugs, no alcohol. But I see audience members as "employees" of the band. It's your job to get everyone dancing and excited. I failed in that regard.
But it was worth it. So yeah. Quite good these Manics. I know lyrically it's now "Ooh me Emma Freuds! Can't bounce back like I used to. Give me a minute" but I still believe what they say. Still think James Dean Bradfield is the best guitarist and frontman you could have*.
Also, thanks for the Thom Yorke update! If ever there was a man who punched above his weight and should have been grateful anyone gave him the time of day, right?
I don't know what happened to Richey. I remember their original forum. I had to use Library computers in them dark days. So had about half an hour each day to take it all in. Quite understandable why they cut ties with it.
If I don't post around the forum (I try not to post about things I don't know anything about. Curious habit I appeared to have picked up) you'll see me in here.
Foo Fighters are selling records... Yet I just can't believe a word Dave Grohl says!
Whereas the Manics could tell me the Earth is flat (It... It isn't), the Earth is getting closer to the Sun (No it isn't!) or Bill Gates blah blah microchip (Mods! MODS! The hell is this?) and I'd still take it. In fact I hope their next album is track after track of them calling me rude names and mocking me... And I'd still sit there going "Ha ha! I guess I DO say stuff like that!".
But of course if anyone else tried that... (Glare at screen that doesn't translate as text).
So yeah! Manic Street Preachers fan logging in.
Est.1995. Couldn't escape Motorcycle Emptiness. Loved Roses In The Hospital. But it was hearing PCP that made me think "Yeah, really should get into these". And then Richey left.
Well if the Summer of 1995 wasn't spent with curtains closed and The Holy Bible on full, then was it really a Summer in 1995? Well yes. It clearly was.
Typed with one finger. Let's try two. Now try whole hands butwhTf cja yeah, stick with the one finger.
As far as I know I didn't write to anyone. Beautiful forum!

*= Oh you too tried forming a band and getting singers to sing your lyrics too, huh?

 

[maytoseptember]

Oh he definitely used to partake back in the day. There was a nice story about him on Popbitch ages ago that he went back to a fans flat, did the business, and in the morning he'd tidied up and been out and bought coffee and croissants. What a guy

I remember that story! Was a relief to hear he wasn’t an arsehole (not then, anyway) because he’d said some pretty misogynistic things in his youth, about women being “irrelevant” to him or something (equally, those could have been the bitter words of someone recently dumped )

I have friends in Cardiff from my Manics fan circles back in the day, and one now sees JDB on the school run as their kids go to the same school. Imagine hero worshipping a musician all through your teens/20s, and then exchanging small talk with them in the playground. I’d die. He also did a PTA fundraiser for them a couple of years ago and played a small concert for them

 

[Coop]

I was a big fan of the Manics when I was a teenager, this would have been 2004/2005ish. A friend and I went to see them in Belfast at the Waterfront Hall. It has a Hilton hotel next to it so we hung about there aaaaaaall day hoping to get a glance of them, and made friends with the hotel concierge/doorman who promised to give us a nod when they came down to go over to the venue.
James was polite but a little standoffish, Sean was shy but Nicky was an absolute charmer and super friendly. I gave him a leopard print scarf and he wore it on stage. I was delighted!!

 

[slothella22]

I almost fell over in excitement when I just saw there was a Manics thread on Tattle!

I've loved this band for song. I'm only gutted I got into them when I was 11 back in 1996 when Design for Life came out. So I was too late for the Richey era. I must have seen them live around 50+ times in the past 25 years. I also have so many links to the band it's ridiculous. Thanks to my many years of fandom.

Although i'm not as obsessed as I once was but they hold a special place in my heart.

 

[Miss Demeanour]

I'm a huge Manics fan. Loved them since Slash and Burn. Saw them play in tiny venues, right up to massive stadiums.

We used to get to the venue hours before it opened, then as soon as doors opened, we'd peg it to the barrier and stay there until the end. I had bruised ribs and tits for days from that barrier with hundreds of people behind, crushing me!

I've seen them live 49 times, saw Richey's gigs and even got James' setlist from Richey's last ever gig, 21st of December 1994, London Astoria. I'll dig it out tomorrow and post a pic.

I have met them a few times and the first time was a fluke. We were at the Northampton Roadmenders and met a young lad called Jamie if I recall. He was disabled with Thalidomide, in a wheelchair and tapped me and my friend on the leg and asked if we could let him in front of us, so he could see the stage through the barriers. We gladly gave up our prized spot in front of where Richey was and stood behind Jamie.

Anyway, the band came on and about a song or two in, someone barged into the front and grabbed the wheelchair and pulled it out through the doors. We span around to see it was a security guard pulling Jamie out into the corridor. In shock we ran after him to see what was going on and the meathead twat said Jamie's wheelchair was blocking a fire exit and called him a fire hazard!! Anyway, I'm known for being a massive gobshite most of the time in times of injustice and I kicked off, causing such a scene that other security guards came over to diffuse it and told us to go back inside with Jamie. Luckily other gig goers let us all back into our spot.

After the gig, we stayed chatting to Jamie for a bit and another security guard came over to apologise to Jamie and said he'd arranged for the band to come down and meet him. Then told me and my two friends the venue was shutting and we had to leave. So Jamie piped up and lied that we were his three carers and had to stay. I think the dude knew it wasn't true but let us stay.

I was shaking when I met James and Richey. Sean didn't make it, Nicky swept past saying hello, but James and Richey stayed and spoke to us and signed our tickets.

I have another story about a time I spent drinking all night with Super Furries and JDB. But I'll save that one, as I've got wanker's cramp from typing all this.

I have friends in Cardiff from my Manics fan circles back in the day.

I had "Manic pen pals" around the UK, we'd buy as many dates as we could get tickets for on each your and stay with our penpals round the country.

I'm really good friends with two of my former pen pals, we've been on holidays together, go to festivals and gigs. Shiiine On is our annual pilgrimage. It's one bloody amazing festival. Like being 17 again.

 

[maytoseptember]

Big fan of the boys back in the day. Great to see a thread here as you know the Manics themselves would have loved a gossip site like this in their heyday of mixing high/low art and being so catty about other media figures all the time. Anyone think if Nicky said his Stipe/AIDS comment in today’s climate he’d be cancelled?

Nicky would have been cancelled about three thousand times over with the edgelord crap he spouts

 

[sleepflowers]

JDB has a fantastic voice. Went to see them at Brixton about 18 years ago and they were fantastic as you’d expect. Nicky was wearing a pink feather boa and smashed his guitar up at the end

Forgot how hot JDB was back in the day PHEW

This is the James peak



Like most my fave albums are probably Holy Bible/Everything Must Go, but Journal For Plague Lovers is amazing. Just shows their musical talent has never waned. Futurology is also great, it's a shame it wasn't played live more

 

[Miss Demeanour]

(I didn't mean for this to also be a really long post. sorry in advance.)

Hey, if any of you like a good, fun read. Let me tell you about my favourite book. I saw it advertised in a Sunday supplement in 1999 and bought it on a whim.

Essentially it's a true story about a geeky, awkward girl from New York, in the 70s. She was into stuff like Bowie and Zappa and somehow got into the Bay City Rollers, despite being hugely embarrassed by her absolute love for them!

It chronicles her years as an obsessed (older) fan, in what she describes as her "tragic love affair" with the Bay City Rollers.

Now, I'm too young to remember the band, although I was aware of them, but it didn't matter. The fandom, the story of obsession and unrequited love with your favourite band member really hit a (good) nerve with me.

I got butterflies reading how she got butterflies from seeing a glimpse of them at the hotel after the gig, how she was heartbroken when the object of her affection was rude to her, the friendships she made with other fans and buying tickets for multiple dates on tours, pissing off her mum and even visiting a penpal in the UK.

God, it's a brilliant book. I've read it loads, currently reading it again. It's called Bye Bye Baby, by Caroline Sullivan.

Then, in a massively weird twist of fate. In 1999, the same year I bought and read that book. That lovely MSP press officer invited Toni and I to a planned Manics press conference at the Cardiff Millennium stadium, we only did a fanzine, so was sweet of him to invite us. Toni couldn't go, but I could, and the record company put me and the journalists on a coach from London to Cardiff.

Manics announced at the conference that they were doing a millennium gig, I even stood up and asked a question, despite my 22 year-old knees knocking!

After the conference, there was food and drink served before the coach went back to London and because I wanted to work in the media, I did a bit of informal networking / brain-picking.

One of the people I met was a journalist for a broadsheet, she did the music column. She was from America, really lovely and when I told her my dreams, she told me never to give up, or think I'm not good enough. She was so lovely and encouraging.

Anyway, a few years later I dug out Bye Bye Baby, as I'd not read it since I'd bought it.

I got to the end and it had a bit about the author. Turns out the author moved to the UK and became a music journalist. Feeling this was a bit oddly familiar sounding, I looked up the author (on fucking Ask Jeeves or something! ) and fuck me, it was the lovely woman I met at the Manics gig in 1999!

How friggin' crazy is that? I was quite freaked out in fact.

Anyway, I didn't give up. And although I started late, I've presented my own radio show on a regional station for 7 years, started a new show on a different local station last year, I also have a monthly music column in a local magazine. All part-time.

I know it's not 6Music, or NME, but I get into gigs for free, get backstage passes for festivals, I interview bands (including some of my heroes) and I just love presenting and writing.

They are side gigs, as I work full-time and pay my mortgage from a career in PR and Communications. Which has some great synergies, such as writing, doing podcasts, interviews etc.

I'd love to do radio full-time, it's just so hard to get into a big station nowadays, I've had amazing feedback from the big cheese one of my fave big stations and he just says to keep in touch and keep sending demos. Tends to be a case of right place, right time, right fit. Maybe one day.

I've had some brilliant book recommendations from fellow Tattlers, so it's only fair I pay it forward hope someone loves Bye Bye Baby as much as I do.

 

[slothella22]

I didn’t think that James had lived in London for a long time. Like I said in an earlier post, I know his kids go to school in Cardiff.

Yes he definitely lives in Cardiff with his wife and two children. I used to work in the NHS in Cardiff (I moved out of Wales a few years ago) and dealt with registration of new child births. I’m happy to say I was the person who registered his two children & he lived round the corner from me. I used to bump into James every day as my walk to work involved walking past his house and I often saw him walking the dog. He must have thought I was stalking him as I’m always stood at the front at gigs too! James is best friends with one of my friends and Nicky lives round the corner (in Newport) from one of my other friends. I have too many Manics connections!

 

[Silverback]

JDB has a fantastic voice. Went to see them at Brixton about 18 years ago and they were fantastic as you’d expect. Nicky was wearing a pink feather boa and smashed his guitar up at the end

Forgot how hot JDB was back in the day PHEW

 

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

I loved The Manics back in the 90s, not the biggest fan of anything they did after This is My Truth, Tell Me Yours. My claim to fame is I saw Nicky Wire walking down the street in Manchester in 2000 and I winked at him (I cringed so hard at myself). He smiled back at me.

 

[ForeverMakingJibesWicked]

Lovely thread and I’m here because I’m a big fan of their singles; might make me a bit of a plastic but I’ve got such happy memories of doing floor slides to the middle bit in “From Despair to Where”.

talking of which, does anyone remember the programme “Game On”? The main character in it (played by Ben Chaplin at the time) used to play “from Despair to Where” really loudly in the flat when the other two went out and I just loved it.

I’m not even 40 yet but I sound like Methuselah

 

[thegirlscout]

Nicky’s daughter has a cool look about her

 

[Adayinthelife]

Was at Wembley last night. Hands down the best gig I’ve been to in years, and quite possible the best Manics gig I’ve ever seen

Spoiler: ladies and gentleman, Mr Nicholas Allen Wire

 

[bubbadabut]

I think Richey is dead. Occam's razor and all that. From everything I have read about him and what I have heard from people who actually met him, he was clearly not a well man at all. I have seen the conspiracy theories and stuff, but I don't give it much credence. Like other common suicide points such as the Humber, the Severn is strongly tidal; some bodies are found, others are lost forever, which just fuels the conspiracies and adds to the anguish of the loved ones. I am local to the Humber and basically once a body is past Spurn Point, it's lost to the open water, especially if the tidal times are 'favourable' for it. I imagine the Severn has a similar point.

 

[bubbadabut]

First band I was ever truly obsessed with, and I mean properly obsessed. Always a place in my heart for them, though the last album of theirs I owned was Journal For Plague Lovers. I can't listen to anything after that. I listen to the old stuff regularly; I prefer to remember them young and beautiful.

 

[societyshewolf]

Sean had an affair with a fan. He left his wife & kids and moved up north to be with her, where he still is now. She’s a fan. He literally did the dirty on his wife and was shagging the fan behind her back and then left his family for her.

I know someone who knows someone, that’s all I can say, but it’s what went on!!

Sean is still with her (the fan) but has been messaging female fans on Facebook and has had a few women on the go at the same time, meeting up after gigs for hanky panky. Naughty Sean. How do I know? . A close friend fell for his lies and bullshit !