The Manic Street Preachers have always been an explosive live act. In 1991, they were a mess of hairspray, Guns n’ Roses riffery, punk-rock sloganeering and fake-fur coats. Richey Edwards, their lyricist who disappeared in 1995, could barely play guitar. But he was smart, and looked the part. Singer James Dean Bradfield had a tremendous voice and musical talent, while his cousin, Sean Moore, bashed away on drums. Beanpole bassist Nicky Wire towered over everyone – often in a dress and eyeliner. Live shows were either inspired or shambolic. It was splendid.
In 2009, Nicky Wire is 40 and is sitting in a Vancouver ballroom. The Manics’ live shows haven’t lost their spark. Tonight, he will grin and bounce and the band will play an heroic set. But Nicky hasn’t been to North America for more than a decade and in the final part of this three-part interview, he reflects on life on the road, the life in the new album and the past life of his old mate.
The Manics: Back in the US
What’s been the best and worst of being back on tour in North America?
I am genuinely impressed by the fact that people are even turning up. I am quite surprised as well. We haven’t been here in f*cking 10 years and some of our albums haven’t even been released in North America, like Lifeblood. But I am struggling being on a bus. Because we don’t really do that much anymore, so the lack of a mirror and wardrobe is a struggle too. But we’re not just here to promote our new album, we’re playing from [early EP] Motown Junk, all the way through. We’re not trying to ram the new record down peoples’ throats.
Some feel the tour is a bit of a celebration to honour Richey. All the lyrics on this album were written by him and given to you before he disappeared...
It is a celebration. But we tried it in the UK where we did the whole album in its entirety and then we did another set of the regular songs afterwards, it was like 29-30 songs...
...versus the 40 minutes you used to play circa 1992!
You were lucky you got 40! We couldn’t even do “Motorcycle Emptiness” then, because me and Richey hadn’t even learned it! But the people who turn up now have been with us for a long time and they deserve to hear as much of our past as we can give them without dying on stage.
Working with Steve Albini on Journal for Plague Lovers
In terms of having Steve Albini work with you on this album, was it a blessing that he didn’t know your...
...’baggage’? [laughs]
I think that’s his real raison d’etre isn’t it? Much as [1994 Manics album] Holy Bible had no producer credit, we just wanted someone to record us. We were well-rehearsed and disciplined, we had the concept in our heads and the words were the guiding light. Even the artwork was a guiding light and we knew Jenny Saville [who contributed the artwork on the Holy Bible album] was going to be part of it, so they were the final parts in the link. I really enjoyed Steve’s company. I didn’t expect to become long-time friends, but we did we did 80% of the record with him. And it really does feel in the moment. No matter what bands tell you, you don’t really get that, but I think this is good.
When you look back on finishing JFPL, what did the three of you think you’d accomplished?
After we finished it and looking back, that emotional side came through. But when we were recording it it was just a great experience. We sort of went ‘okay, do we need to talk about this?’ We don’t really know what all this means. We’re going to have to play this every night and some of the songs are much more demanding, all the rhythms and so on. I’m really pleasantly surprised it sold pretty well, we weren’t expecting that.
The critics were nearly unanimous in their appreciation for this album.
Yeah, we were over the moon with stuff like that.
Do you actually read the reviews?
Yeah, I read every review I can. That’s never changed.
Remembering Richey
Richey would have, too. He loved all that stuff, didn’t he?He was just so entertaining. It wasn’t just his intellect. He was really entertaining!
But people don’t have that perception of him.
No, they don’t.
They also don’t know about his sense of humour. What were your favourite memories of Richey?
There’s just too many. Though I remember when we nearly gassed ourselves because we were spray-painting our shirts in my room university and we didn’t open any windows and we had all this car spray paint and all of a sudden we started to feel lightheaded. We’d done about 20 shirts. And I also remember the plainer moments in Blackwood where he was just Richey, and it was us eating pies. And we’d just sit there and talk.
To have him around now, it’d just be so brilliant. He’d still be the person he was, and that would have been magnificent to see.
Read the Introduction to the Interview with Nicky Wire and on recording Journal for Plague Lovers
Read more from Nicky Wire on the genius of Richey Edwards and the “rebirth” of the Manics
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