Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers (often referred to as the Manics) are an alternative rock band from Blackwood, Wales, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Nicky Wire (bass, occasional vocals) and Sean Moore (drums, backing vocals, occasional trumpet). The band is part of the Cardiff music scene. Their biggest success was during the 1990s.
Manic Street Preachers | |
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 Manic Street Preachers live in London | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Manics, MSP |
| Origin | Blackwood, Caerphilly, Wales, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Alternative rock, britpop,[1] punk (early) |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Columbia |
| Website | manics.co.uk |
| Members | James Dean Bradfield Nicky Wire Sean Moore |
| Past members | Richey Edwards (presumed dead) |
The band were originally a four piece band: lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards mysteriously vanished on 1 February 1995.[2] In November 2008, 13 years after his disappearance, he was officially declared presumed dead.[3]
The Manics released their debut album Generation Terrorists in 1992.[4] Their combination of androgynous glam punk imagery, outspoken invective and songs about "culture, alienation, boredom and despair" soon gained them a loyal following and cult status.[5][6][7] The band's later albums kept a politicized and smart lyrical style. They also adopted a broader alternative rock sound.[8] Enigmatic lyricist Richey Edwards gained early notoriety by carving the words "4 REAL" into his arm with a razor blade (narrowly missing an artery and requiring seventeen stitches) in response to the suggestion that the band were less than authentic.[9] The dark nature of 1994's The Holy Bible showed the result of Edwards' instability.[10]
Following Edwards' disappearance, Bradfield, Moore, and Wire kept with the Manic Street Preachers and went on to gain critical and commercial success. They became one of Britain's top rock bands.[11] They have had eight top ten albums and fifteen top ten singles. They have reached number one three times, with their 1998 album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours[12] and the singles "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" (1998)[13] and "The Masses Against The Classes" (2000).[14] They have also won the Best British Album and Best British Group accolades at the BRIT Awards in 1997 and 1999, and were lauded by the NME for their lifetime achievements in 2008.[15] Their ninth studio album, Journal For Plague Lovers, was released on 18 May 2009 and features lyrics Edwards had left behind to the band weeks before his disappearance.[16] In 2010 their tenth album Postcards from a Young Man was released. Their eleventh album Rewind the Film was released on 16 September 2013. Their next album Futurology is going to be released in 2014.
Manic Street Preachers Media
Manic's James Dean Bradfield in Chicago circa 1992
The "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" poster
Manic Street Preachers live in Brighton in 2004
Manic Street Preachers at the First Direct Arena, Leeds in May 2018
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References
- ↑ "Britpop Music Genre Overview". AllMusic.
- ↑ BBC Wales, "Manic Street Preachers - Richey Edwards",BBC Wales
- ↑ Evans, "Missing Manic Street Preacher",Western Mail
- ↑ Manics NL, "Generation Terrorists Archived 2010-08-25 at the Wayback Machine"
- ↑ Owen, Paul, "The Manics' Lyrics Were Something Special",The Guardian, 27 Nov 2008
- ↑ Clash Music, "Manics Member Officially Dead", Clash Music
- ↑ BBC Wales Music, "Manic Street Preachers Archived 2009-07-24 at the Wayback Machine", BBC Wales
- ↑ Independent, "Final Farewell For A Cult Hero Archived 2011-05-15 at the Wayback Machine"
- ↑ BBC Wales Music, "Manic Street Preachers - Richey Edwards", BBC Wales
- ↑ Cooper, Colin (2004-05-11). "On Second Thought: Manic Street Preachers - "The Holy Bible"". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-09-22. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ↑ BBC News, "From Despair to Success Archived 2004-05-14 at the Wayback Machine", BBC News
- ↑ EveryHit, "Number One Albums - 1990s"
- ↑ EveryHit, "Number One Singles - 1990s"
- ↑ EveryHit, "Number One Singles - 2000s"
- ↑ BBC News, "Manics named 'godlike geniuses' ", BBC News
- ↑ New Manics album - The Fly.co.uk, "[1]"