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View Poll Results: Was The Holy Bible tour a worthwhile endeavour?
Yes 100 97.09%
No 3 2.91%
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  #1  
Old 24-06-2015, 10:21
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The Holy Bible Tour: Was it worthwhile?

Given that before the tour was even announced, there were quite a few naysayers, I'm kind of interested to see what people have thought about tour and this era in general. I will post my own thoughts later but wanted to get the ball rolling.
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  #2  
Old 24-06-2015, 10:26
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Definitely, I got to hear the album in full played pretty amazingly, and especially since I got to hear some songs I'd never heard live before:

Condemned To Rock 'N' Roll
Removables
4st 7lb
IHOE
Mausoluem
Donkeys

and

Sex, Power, Love And Money
Divine Youth
Show Me The Wonder
Anthem For A Lost Cause
Dreaming a City
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  #3  
Old 24-06-2015, 10:35
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I'd say yes, for reasons Takk mentioned. It was also great to see the band throwing a few lesser-spotted gems into the sets, which is something I wish they'd do more - I could quite happily go without hearing YSTSFMH or YLAINE at a manics gig ever again, if it meant songs like Donkeys and CTRNR got played more often.

Also, the actual album portion of the gigs was just James, Nicky and Sean. So cool to hear the band in the raw like that. I don't hate Naysmith's keyboards on some tracks as much as some might, but on some tracks it sounds cheesy as hell, so a whole hour with no keyboards was a breath of fresh air (I think the only sounds that weren't coming from the band themselves were just the spoken word bits, and the industrial noises on IHOE)

I'm curious as to what Nicky meant when he said on stage that they wouldn't be playing THB ever again after this tour. Did he mean all those songs would disappear from the band's gig forever? Or simply the THB set won't be done again?
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Old 24-06-2015, 10:43
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I think they made the right decision in doing it.

It was the right time being the anniversary (obv), the success of RTF and Futurology, the awards they've won recently, etc etc. It got them back to America. It was a technical and emotional challenge for them that perhaps they needed. It was great to hear them as a 3 piece (I always think James plays better/more when it's just the three of them). Overall the tour was celebratory without being cliche.

But there is another side to it (not necessarily a negative one). I think it showed how much they've aged. It showed that THB is such a unique album and so requires a unique audience. I think personally that hearing it in full didn't have the impact I thought it might. THB is a mood album in many ways, and it's also a muso's album to be listened to, I think, alone. Seeing the nervous energy of the first performance in Glasgow was great - I thought it got a bit showbiz by the end of the tour.

And I think, most of all, it shows that they shouldn't do another nostalgia tour again. Do EMG bits and bobs if you must, throw in some album tracks and B-sides here and there, but I wouldn't want to see another full album thing again.

Take time away. Write some songs. That's all we want.
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Old 24-06-2015, 10:57
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Yes it was. I went to Dublin and the first two London dates. I thought all three were excellent, very enjoyable. I'm not one to over analyse or second guess the band's intentions so that I enjoyed the gigs is all that really matters to me.
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  #6  
Old 24-06-2015, 11:00
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Anything that gets rid of that organ is worthwhile.

Sure, it came back out for the second set but that merely served to prove the point. It ruins songs, it has always ruined songs, it will always ruin songs.
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  #7  
Old 24-06-2015, 11:45
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I only went to one gig, Wolverhampton on the second part of the tour, and I'd heard that it was more intense when played at the December gigs? But as someone who doesn't get to see the Manics live that often (I can't afford to go to multiple dates on one tour or travel far, and I only got into them when I was 17 so missed out on years of gigs!), I really enjoyed it, it was my favourite Manics gig that I've attended after National Treasures at the O2.

I'm not quite as obsessed with the Manics as I once was (although I do still consider them to be my favourite band, as I've never fallen so head over heels in love with any other band), but I'd wanted to hear a lot of songs on THB live since first listening to it so I was really happy to be there and got right into it, I still remembered every word. I think it was the right thing for them to do, and at the right time, with it being the 20th anniversary and their recent success. I enjoyed the second set just as much, didn't expect to get so many rarities, and I agree they should definitely play the rarities more often (would love to hear them do Judge Yr'self or Prologue to History!). I wouldn't mind an EMG20 tour as it's one of my favourites and I still haven't heard a lot of the songs from it live, but I agree it's time to put THB to bed (although I hope they keep playing songs from it as I always really enjoy them live) and work on some new stuff. They've proved they can still make good music with RTF and Futurology.

I guess this post is more on a personal level...most people who went to the gigs seemed to enjoy them and that's enough to make it worthwhile in my eyes.
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  #8  
Old 24-06-2015, 11:50
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  #9  
Old 24-06-2015, 12:21
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A great celebration for the fans, and in that sense it's very likely worthwhile. Many MSP fans either missed the boat in 94, or came in around the time that it all but disappeared from the setlists. I just wonder if 2004, rather than 2014 was the time to tackle such an abrasive work.
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Old 24-06-2015, 12:57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free View Post

Take time away. Write some songs. That's all we want.
All you want perhaps, not all of us! I'd love a few EMG gigs.

The only negative is it rather destroyed the excitement I've always had at gigs about which holy bible song i haven't head live might be played
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  #11  
Old 24-06-2015, 13:38
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Totally worthwhile. Was lucky to see two shows of the tour - caught one here in the states, and then being able to come to Cardiff to see the castle gig was awesome. Never thought I'd see this album performed live. I thought they sounded great.
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  #12  
Old 24-06-2015, 18:22
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I'm glad they did it, even if it's never going to be "the same" as in 1994 - I was 1 in 1994 so this was really cool for me and I think it must have helped them get something out of their system? I'd probably rather go to classic, greatest hits shows, but it's a very unique and important album, so the chance to see it live was fantastic. Especially in Cardiff, I thought the Barrowlands gig was better but Cardiff had such a special atmosphere.
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  #13  
Old 24-06-2015, 18:31
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I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. I wasn't too bothered about the gig format, and treated it as another tour, but when they came out onto the stage at Glasgow, and you could feel the love from the crowd and the determination from everyone that it was going to be a wonderful thing, I knew that the fans were in for something special. Manchester was just as intense.

I agree that things had calmed down a bit by the time they got to Wolves, but it was still fun.
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  #14  
Old 24-06-2015, 19:56
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To hear that album performed by the raw nucleus of the band is an absolute blessing. (I do wait in earnest for a proper Futurology tour though)
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  #15  
Old 24-06-2015, 20:13
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I loved all the gigs. Missed out in '94. Preferred the Holy Bible set in December for the anticipation and intensity. The hits set in May/June were worth it for condemned alone. SPLAM was ace too
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