Random Manics thoughts...

[Son of Stopped]

Petition to save Blackwood Miner's Institute from closure. https://www.change.org/p/save-blackw...ners-institute
It appeared as an NME story but it's the bread and butter link you need.

[Scarecrow]

Wouldn't surprise me if Manics donate to this.

[LA ex]

I hear that some of the far right rioters have adopted Tolerate as their call to arms song... Oh dear!

[Son of Stopped]

Originally Posted by LA ex

I hear that some of the far right rioters have adopted Tolerate as their call to arms song... Oh dear!

"So if I can shoot rabbits then I can shoot... Er... If you tolerate this!".

[counterlanguage]

The BNP did a few years back - if it turns up anywhere 'official' there'll be a quick cease & desist issued.

In the meantime.. they really are as thick as mince, aren't they?

[Routine Builder]

I'm still 90% sure I saw Nick Griffin holding court outside the National Treasures gig....

[Scarecrow]

Originally Posted by LA ex

I hear that some of the far right rioters have adopted Tolerate as their call to arms song... Oh dear!

When I went to Cardiff for the 2021 NHS gig some anti-vaxxers were using it for their street protest!

[Son of Stopped]

And good luck to Nicky's art exhibition in Narberth.
Looked it up online. 4 hours drive. Can't do. 12 hours train journey*! Definitely can't do!
So if you are able to get to it hope you enjoy it.
*=Mainly waiting for trains to start. It would be "Hello. Looks nice. Goodbye" and then a 12 hour journey back.

[Son of Stopped]

Is it my hearing or does the sound cut out and thin during the first number of Nynex on the EMG reissue? Was that why they barely released live stuff because it kept overwhelming the recording equipment?
It's my ears isn't it?

[Europa Gluten Free]

I'm a bit fed up of this Manics era now. Waiting not very patiently for new album and hopefully a little bit of a new era.

Things I am bored with:
- Tour with Suede
- Anchoress singing on Your Love Alone and LBN (She does the best LBN though! Love it!)
- Same setlists
- To Repel Ghosts being the cool Lifeblood track
- The Tolerate sing along

Things I'd like to see
- Shake up in the setlists
- Less 90s tracks
- Less crooning
- Less Wayne guitar
- More solos
- A Wire song

I'm just having a bit of a moan but really they've been doing these shows for at least 2 years now.

[Lee]

Disagree about To Repel Ghosts but agree with everything else.

Wouldn’t hurt to swap out LBN now and replace it with Dylan & Caitlin if The Anchoress is going to continue to support.

Design for Life needs to be the closer. Or even Motown Junk (it’s due a return) or You Love Us.

Fewer covers and I wouldn’t be upset if I never heard La Tristesse or You Stole The Sun (not happening) ever again. Swap EMG for Australia or literally almost any other song, and maybe rotate Tsunami with Ready for Drowning which we know they still rate.

They’re not going to play Patrick Bateman or anything like that but they could definitely give Door To The River or something different from KYE (Baby Elian? Dead Martyrs?) or even give something other than INWJTEOL from PFAYM a go.

[Son of Stopped]

I can't see them going full on Band of Gypsies and doing a set of completely unfamiliar new material*. I think they like the applause. Who wouldn't?
If James does more soloing I'd like him to go off piste and just throw in improvised stuff. I like the idea of "That wasn't in the script!".
But they won't. You know what you're going to get with them live these days. We're closer to the end than the beginning and I'm grateful I'm here to see it. The world's moved on. They kept the faith. I did see the report Coldplay were the highest grossing tour ever.
Much as I'd love the Manics to be on that level. They just can't! James's banter would lose a lot of he put on a transatlantic accent for a start. The songs are big enough to match the crowd. Plus, elaborate Taylor Swift style backing dancers? Nobody was suggesting that. Even a Mick Jagger/AC/DC catwalk would make people think "But this is more space you could have filled the audience with?'.
*=Well on the first date anyway.

[Routine Builder]

If you were give me a choice of Trump losing the election or You Stole The Sun being dropped from the set, you'd have to give me more than a few minutes and a stern talking to.

I think we'll get another one off like Bath 2023 and hopefully a few songs re-introduced into the set. Hopefully something with a bit of energy like Found That Soul, Motown Junk or I don't know Judge Yr'self because it's the 30 year anniversary next year.

[LA ex]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

I'm a bit fed up of this Manics era now. Waiting not very patiently for new album and hopefully a little bit of a new era.

Things I am bored with:
- Tour with Suede
- Anchoress singing on Your Love Alone and LBN (She does the best LBN though! Love it!)
- Same setlists
- To Repel Ghosts being the cool Lifeblood track
- The Tolerate sing along

Things I'd like to see
- Shake up in the setlists
- Less 90s tracks
- Less crooning
- Less Wayne guitar
- More solos
- A Wire song

I'm just having a bit of a moan but really they've been doing these shows for at least 2 years now.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that I quite enjoyed the setlists for this run of gigs. Yes, they played the hits that they always do, but they are shuffling around the 'B-tier' songs a bit. I hadn't heard Little Baby Nothing or Suicide is Painless live since the National Treasures gig (which means there were fifteen gigs since), whilst Kevin Carter was a seven year gap and Elvis Impersonator eight. Along with to Repel Ghosts being something I hadn't heard live before I was pretty happy.

As a comparison I saw the Pixies live last night. In their twenty eight song set a grand total of two songs were released after 1993 - which considering they're about to release their fifth album in the past decade shows how a band can become totally trapped by their glory days.

[IntlDebris]

Originally Posted by LA ex

As a comparison I saw the Pixies live last night. In their twenty eight song set a grand total of two songs were released after 1993 - which considering they're about to release their fifth album in the past decade shows how a band can become totally trapped by their glory days.

That's pretty poor, although four songs from the last nine albums has been the Manics total this year, which is not much different to two songs from the last five albums.