Band cancel gigs after Bradfield contracts laryngitis
Manic Street Preachers' long-cursed assault on North America took another turn for the worst last Tuesday (September 14) when they were forced to cancel the third night Of their tour (their second at New York's 500-capacity Bowery Ballroom) amid scenes of furious booing and catcalling. At 10.45pm - 15 minutes after they were due to be - it was announced that Singer James Dean Bradfield was suffering from laryngitis and would be unable to perform.
According to their manager, Martin Hall, it was the first time in their ten-year career that the Manics have had to pull a gig under such circumstances.
Since first playing Stateside in 1994, the US has consistently posed problems for the Manics. Richey Edwards disappeared on the eve of their 1995 tour, in 1996 they found themselves bottom of
the bill on the ill-fated Oasis tour which Noel Gallagher quit after only a handful of dates, and this year they had to postpone a prospective summer trip due to the death of Bradfield's mother.
Their band's last album, 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours', struggled to find a US release, only going on sale this June after the band quit their US label Epic for Virgin.
As NME went to press, the band were hastily trying to reschedule the tour.
Martin Hall told NME on Wednesday morning (September 15); "We're going to Boston. James is in New York and we're going to get the doctor to see him this morning. The rest Of the band are in Boston now, and the idéa is to try to do the gig tonight.
"I haven't spoken to James this morning, so I don't know if it's worse or not, but it's just a strain really. If we can't do tonight, we'll stay and go to Detroit the next day. We're not coming home or anything."
"The thing is, we just don't know what it is. He can't hit any range in his voice. If a doctor comes in and says he's got to rest it for a week, then that creates a problem, but we're hoping it's just a strain. He'll just have to rest it, no soundcheck tonight and try to do the gig. What we don't do is wait until we're at the gig and everyone's in there and then blow it. We'll have to make a decision early evening. We're going to Boston today."
"The dates have been really good so far. The Virgin lot have been really supportive."
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