Forever Delayed - The Independent Manics Forum  

Go Back   Forever Delayed - The Independent Manics Forum > Manic Street Preachers > Manic Street Preachers Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-12-2014, 23:28
Architect Architect is offline
Born to end
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: A nice house
Age: 57
Posts: 37
Your first Manics live experience

Come on then, what was it like? Did the earth move? Did you know what you were really letting yourself in for?

For me it was all a bit bizarre. I'd heard a couple of tracks and read a couple of articles in the music press, but wasn't all that familiar with the band. When I turned up to work that night (I was a student and earning a few quid working security at a couple of venues) I had no idea who was playing, but was pleased to find out that it was the Manics, I was curious as to what it would be like. As luck would have it the security role I had that night was dressing room/side stage, so got to see all 40 mins of the show from the wings and got to protect the band from the non-existent groupies! (it was January 1991 on a freezing night in Stoke after all!)

Have to admit the band blew me away with the start of the set, You Love Us straight into Democracy Coma, and it was blistering throughout. I realised straightaway that James was a genius on guitar, and this was a band worth following. So I did.

Backstage I got a chance to chat to the band briefly. James was very quiet, seemed a bit unhappy with the show. Sean was totally silent, didn't say a word. Nicky was being a bit of a gobshite to be honest, winding people up and having a couple of diva moments. The only one who was remotely engaging was Richey, who chatted freely about our respective university courses and how nobody could counteract a marxist interpretation of classical Greek history. There was quite a shine in his eye when talking about books and knowledge, so unusual and refreshing. Never did see him again to speak to.
__________________
Veteran. First MSP gig Stoke Wheatsheaf January 1991.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-12-2014, 23:36
trademark's Avatar
trademark trademark is offline
I am purity, they call me perverted
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: glasgow
Posts: 160
glasgow,the mayfair(now called the garage)holy bible tour.the sound was incredible,bought a long sleeve green ,you love us t shirt outside.
seen them everytime since they have came to glasgow.also in edinburgh a few times,liverpool,wales,and Amsterdam.
greatest band on the planet,that means so much to me in so many ways.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-12-2014, 23:43
pineapple pineapple is offline
Knowlede Is Power
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: West of 'the mainland'
Posts: 1,114
My first outing to see the Manics was 1997 - Feile Trip to Tipp in Semple Stadium.

I was there for the Manics so was happy to mind bags against the barrier of the mosh pit till they came on - then went forward. Up till that point it had been a glorious day. The skies opened while the Manics played and they had to go off early. They did get to play a decent enough set though and I remember the sheer joy of 'Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head' as we all got drenched to the bone.

But after they went off and the crowd dispersed I just remember being soaking wet and shivering, waiting for the Prodigy, who could not come on until the set dried out a bit.

So my memory of the Manics is really great followed by hours of wet shivering until I arrived back into Dublin sometime like 3 or 4 in the morning.
__________________
The advantage of a classical education is that it enables you to despise the wealth that it prevents you from achieving

Last edited by pineapple; 11-12-2014 at 14:01.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-12-2014, 03:27
DoodleBug's Avatar
DoodleBug DoodleBug is offline
I am purity, they call me perverted
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: The home of rock n' roll
Posts: 248
Didn't learn about the Manics until I met my husband in 2003. He discovered them around '97 or so when he found a cassette of Generation Terrorists in the bargain bin at the record store and decided to check it out, but since we're in the US, he never got to see them when they toured back then. So our first show was in Detroit in 2009, at a small club called the Majestic Theater where tickets were something like $15 US. And it was amazing. We never thought we'd actually get to see them play live, and then there they were, just five or six rows of people in front of us.

After the show we went outside to hang around their tour bus, where they were greeting fans, taking photos and signing things. Got to talk to James, Nicky, and even Sean came off the tour bus for a bit. My husband's a drummer so they talked shop. I got to give James a kiss on the cheek, and we saw him offer to put someone else on the guest list when told James that he'd be at the Philadelphia show, too. James wrote the guy's name on his hand with the Sharpie so that he wouldn't forget. It really was just magical, one of the best concert going experiences of my life.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-12-2014, 12:06
scott_laconia's Avatar
scott_laconia scott_laconia is offline
I am purity, they call me perverted
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Durham
Age: 42
Posts: 444
cardiff millenium stadium, perfect. didnt book a hotel so had to sleep rough in the bus station, worth every frezzing moment.
__________________
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff December 31st 1999
The Barrowlands, Glasgow 2nd April 2001
Newcastle Area, Newcastle 10th December 2002
o2 Academy, Newcastle 15th May 2007
Manchester Central, Manchester 5th December 2007
o2 Academy, Newcastle 27th September 2010
Carlisle Sands, Carlisle 2nd November 2010
o2 Arena, London 17th December 2011
First Direct Arena, Leeds 28th March 2014
The Corn Exchange, Edinburgh 3rd April 2014
The Barrowlands, Glasgow 8th December 2014
Cardiff Castle, Cardiff 5th June 2015
First Direct Arena, Leeds 20th May 2016
Newcastle Arena, Newcastle 23rd April 2018
Barbican, York 27th May 2019
City Hall, Newcastle 26th September 2021

@cav81
www.scottmichaelcavagan.co.uk
www.facebook.com/scottmichaelcavagan
www.soundcloud.com/visionsofmadness
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-12-2014, 13:41
framedadolescence's Avatar
framedadolescence framedadolescence is offline
I am purity, they call me perverted
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Exeter
Posts: 216
Bournemouth Arena in 1998. Them dressed in white, me bouncing about like mad. Huge spectacular screens...

I guess I was still getting into them at that point and there were probably two or three songs I didn't really know but from then on it was love. Plain and simple love.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-12-2014, 14:49
darkanddivine's Avatar
darkanddivine darkanddivine is offline
Winterlover
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wolfland
Posts: 6,982
V99, Staffordshire. Since about 94 I'd had a growing interest in the band, heightened by the Faster incident. Then Design For Life was commercial enough for me to get truly into them and the following them. I literally destroyed my "Everything Live" VHS, after narrowly missing seeing them on the Everything Must Go tour, which I was really not happy about. So by the time Truth turned up, I was an all singing all dancing obsessive teenager type. Ahhh those were the days.

Anyway, so I trecked down to Staffordshire with a mate; and the day itself was alright. There were the typical bunch of V bands on, so a bit of the Cardigans, Travis just before they went mega, Shed 7 (yeah really!) and Kula Shaker (Britpop yeahhhh!) Faithless was also kinda fun. I can;t remember if I managed to see all of Supergrass but I always thought they deserved more attention than they got.

Meandered over to the Main Stage and caught the end of the Beautiful South set... When the Manics came on I was praying for a bit of Holy Bible stuff. I remember they had been relentlessly slagged off in the media for a "safe" set at Glastonbury, so when they went straight into Faster I went nuts. Looking back at the videos, the pits for them back then were utterly huge, and when they player YSTS it was genuinely like a tidal wave of people. Such a joyous moment. Those gigs were also where they debuted Masses Against The Classes, so that was cool. Overall I was just impressed by the raw energy and sound. The songs were pumped with enthusiasm, so I had a fucking blast, singing along to every word. A true sick puppy! Almost half a lifetime ago now which is vaguely scary; but great memories.
__________________
“I have known many sorrows, most of which never happened.” Mark Twain
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-12-2014, 15:14
Takk's Avatar
Takk Takk is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Chasing ManBearPig through the Alps
Age: 39
Posts: 47,786
Reading 2001. I didn't have a clue what Motown Junk was .
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-12-2014, 15:41
Grant's Avatar
Grant Grant is offline
I live to fall asleep
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Kirkcaldy
Age: 37
Posts: 3,680
Glasgow SECC on the Forever Delayed Greatest Hits tour in 2002.

I'm not sure what I was more impressed with, the Manics or what Manics fans were wearing.

It was certainly an eye opener for me.
__________________
"Those who deny Auschwitz would be ready to remake it" ~ Primo Levi

"Life is a farce in which all must perform" ~ Arthur Rimbaud

Facebook

Twitter
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-12-2014, 15:52
Mr.Selfdestruct's Avatar
Mr.Selfdestruct Mr.Selfdestruct is offline
Doors slowly closing
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Corcaigh
Posts: 8,994
Quote:
Originally Posted by Takk View Post
Reading 2001. I didn't have a clue what Motown Junk was .
I heard them soundcheck that earlier on in the day and was wondering what they hell they were doing.

That was number 2 for me. Archives was very memorable.


San Francisco September 1999.

I obviously was very aware of the manics as they were pretty big at the time, but didn't have a whole lot of interest in them until my buddy lent me the first 3 albums and that was that.

Only about a month after getting into them i happened to be on holiday with my family in San Francisco where they played a small cool little venue called Bimbos during the rescheduled US tour. I had to give the bouncers a bit of sob story about coming all the way over as i was only 17. They only let me in because my older sister was with me.
Incredible night. It was raw and immense, i jumped a lot, the crowd was great and i loved every second of it. I also managed to get a scarf Nicky was wearing during the gig, but ended up giving it away to girl i fancied when i got home.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 11-12-2014, 16:42
Beej's Avatar
Beej Beej is offline
Doors slowly closing
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Sheffield. I fell asleep on the tube.
Age: 30
Posts: 7,888
I saw them on TV when they won the Godlike Genius award amd fell in love with Richey. Shortly after we got tickets to Leeds Fest 08 and I ditched The Killers to see them. As much as a hard decision it was at the time, I made the right choice. I met them before the gig, Nicky got emotional over my Richey shirt and James was lovely and I decided from that point that they were my favourite band and I screamed along to everything they played. They played Of Walking Abortion and I thought it would be the only time I heard rarer THB stuff live.. little did I know.
__________________
eat the rude
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-12-2014, 16:48
sculptureofabloke's Avatar
sculptureofabloke sculptureofabloke is offline
Stretched out in the sun
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Manchester
Age: 40
Posts: 14,319
My first Manics gig was the opening night of the Know Your Enemy tour at Manchester Apollo in 2001. Thought it was great at the time but had so much better since. Bit like losing your virginity I suppose, only more important.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by allisvanity View Post
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Manics fans, never fucking happy.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 11-12-2014, 16:50
sculptureofabloke's Avatar
sculptureofabloke sculptureofabloke is offline
Stretched out in the sun
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Manchester
Age: 40
Posts: 14,319
Quote:
Originally Posted by scott_laconia View Post
cardiff millenium stadium, perfect. didnt book a hotel so had to sleep rough in the bus station, worth every frezzing moment.
I know a few people who went to that and every one of them roughed it on a bench, how many benches were there?!
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by allisvanity View Post
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Manics fans, never fucking happy.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 11-12-2014, 16:52
Nobody's Avatar
Nobody Nobody is offline
A self-made vacuum
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Sheffield, UK
Posts: 2,443
Quote:
Originally Posted by Takk View Post
Reading 2001. I didn't have a clue what Motown Junk was .
Remember watching them play it at glastonbury 99 on TV thinking it was the new song (masses against the classes) that i heard about.

First concert was wembley 2002. So many memories. My glasses were almost knocked off by the moving crowd when they started ME.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 11-12-2014, 17:38
allisvanity's Avatar
allisvanity allisvanity is offline
Winterlover
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South Walles Valleys
Posts: 5,655
Quote:
Originally Posted by scott_laconia View Post
cardiff millenium stadium, perfect.
Snap.
__________________
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:16.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.