02/05/18 Leeds First Direct Arena

[everlasting]

Here's a few pics from last night. Abstract Unknown Girl - I've seen you a few times over the years at gigs always on the barrier, saw you last night when I entered the venue and I believe I saw you today in Wakefield around lunch time walking past the cathedral with I assume your boyfriend The Horses song... well, it's a nice number, and was good to hear it live and I was humming along with the ba ba ba bit, but from my view 5/6 'rows' back I could see a lot of people looking around a bit confused perhaps. Am surprised they throw in what is basically an instrumental.

[hummingbird]

Originally Posted by Abstract Unknown Girl

And oh god, James fell backwards over an amp at the start of Tolerate! He was walking backwards and I could see he was rapidly running out of room, but assumed he would realise that in time (he's a pro right?! It's only us mere mortals that do such things ). Then it all happened in slow motion. Luckily he was ok, so I don't feel bad laughing about it Surprised that doesn't happen more often with all his spinning on one leg though!

ooooh that could've been nasty ! I feel bad for wanting to see it I worry when i see his guitar chord go round his legs. He was jumping on it on Tuesday. Looking forward to your photos.

Jim A yours are ace

[Abstract Unknown Girl]

Originally Posted by everlasting

Here's a few pics from last night. Abstract Unknown Girl - I've seen you a few times over the years at gigs always on the barrier, saw you last night when I entered the venue and I believe I saw you today in Wakefield around lunch time walking past the cathedral with I assume your boyfriend

Haha how random you saw us! That was me and my husband - MSPKYE from here We've really been doing the barrier at Manics gigs for far too long, but I'm not ready to give it up yet

Thanks for sharing your photos, and thank you too Jimi!

Originally Posted by hummingbird

ooooh that could've been nasty ! I feel bad for wanting to see it I worry when i see his guitar chord go round his legs. He was jumping on it on Tuesday. Looking forward to your photos.

Yeah, it left my heart in my mouth when he went over! His guitar wasn't working after he got back up again, but presume it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed. He carried straight on with Tolerate though, what a pro! He's had a few wardrobe malfunctions on this tour too; shirt buttons popping open all over the place, bless him

[hummingbird]

I noticed the buttons right after he asked if he looked alright for nearly 50

[Abstract Unknown Girl]

A few photos:

[Son of Stopped]

Hey Manics! Sell the footage of James tripping to You've Been Framed!
That'll shift a few extra units!

[hummingbird]

very nice.

Everlasting your photos are cool too. Anyone else that adds to the thread too

more photos ... more photos ...

[everlasting]

Very nice photos folks! Here's my one and only video I decided to film, the banter before 4 ever delayed is worth it
https://youtu.be/L93UG8O5cHU

[hummingbird]

ace thank you

[mishima]

Leeds is definitely one of the better arenas, and i'm glad I chose this and a 2 hour drive home afterwards than the 'home' gig of Newcastle (hate that arena so much).

This is the first arena gig I've been to in a while, so the security upgrades were a bit of a shock. I understand their purpose but walking out the arena to see armed police officers standing there (in Tory power stance) was scary. Last time I seen police at a Manics gig was 20 years ago at Bridlington when mounted police were outside the gig at the end. Obviously they thought that 'young people' in town would cause trouble, when all we wanted to do was pat the horses!!

Some of the 'security' was a bit arbitrary and extreme. On going in a lady in the queue next to us was told she couldn't take her medication in. When she queried what would happen if she were taken ill she was told 'we'll call the medics', 'cos paramedics just love 999 calls to treat people who have had their essential meds confiscated. The person in front of me was told that her sweets would have to be confiscated. I was carrying sweets and nobody, and I mean NOBODY, takes my Hotel Chocolate sweeties off me without a fight. Fortunately the security lady was distracted which allowed me to remove goodies into my pocket and were thus saved from the bag check. Got my paracetamol through the check no problem though...

[Nobody]

I though the band were on top form last night. Like a lot of people I was a bit worried how it would turn out based on reacts to the first two shows of the tour.
First of all The Coral fantastic. I'm not familiar with their newer material but thankfully the set was mainly their hits. The crowds reaction also seemed very positive.

Loved hearing There By the Grace of God and Forever Delayed again. Grace of God I haven't heard since my first Manics gig in 2002. I'm glad they brought it back out as I've been under the impression that it was one many of there songs that they quickly grew to hate. In fact there was several aspects of the set that seem remanisant of the FD tour, bringing Slash N Burn and doing Faster acoustically. Even the backing video for Masses was the same one they used back then (though more stylised).

Horses sounded great except bizarrely the vocals didn't quite work for me, perhaps too loud. Also I thought IB made a great opener.

I also saw the band in the First Direct Arena on the RTF/F tour and its definitely one of the better venues for sound that I've been to. There's been a few where I've found it almost impossible to hear the banter between songs (too muffled), here it was crystal clear.

[Abstract Unknown Girl]

Originally Posted by mishima

This is the first arena gig I've been to in a while, so the security upgrades were a bit of a shock. I understand their purpose but walking out the arena to see armed police officers standing there (in Tory power stance) was scary. Last time I seen police at a Manics gig was 20 years ago at Bridlington when mounted police were outside the gig at the end. Obviously they thought that 'young people' in town would cause trouble, when all we wanted to do was pat the horses!!

Some of the 'security' was a bit arbitrary and extreme. On going in a lady in the queue next too us was told she couldn't take her medication in. When she queried what would happen if she were taken ill she was told 'we'll call the medics', 'cos paramedics just love 999 calls to treat people who have had their essential meds confiscated. The person in front of me was told that her sweets would have to be confiscated. I was carrying sweets and nobody, and I mean NOBODY, takes my Hotel Chocolate sweeties off me without a fight. Fortunately the security lady was distracted which allowed me to remove goodies into my pocket and were thus saved from the bag check. Got my paracetamol through the check no problem though...

Agree about the armed police; it's a bit disturbing that's what it's come to now and it felt a bit surreal to see them outside after the gig. I think there may have been one inside at the entrance at Llandudno too; there was definitely a police officer anyway and they had lots of sniffer dogs there as well.

That's terrible about medication being confiscated. Venues usually say they can make exceptions for medical reasons re: food, so you'd think the same would apply for medication.

They kept going on about not being allowed to take sweets in, but my husband hid our Polos in his wallet and no one even checked there. If you don't have a bag, they don't tend to care what you've got on you, as long as you remove everything from your pockets. No one even noticed what I had in my hands at any of the venues when they were using the hand-held body scanners. At Manchester you had to put everything in a plastic container, but I don't think anyone really looked at it very closely, as we were straight through and away once we'd gone through the airport-style scanners.

[everlasting]

Can someone answer me why in the fuck do they take your ticket off you when yu go in? I said to the guy (having had tickets taken off me before lately but not knowing why and I like to cause a fuss) "why you taking my ticket off me?" "You're not allowed it." "Why not?" "Cos you're not", "I'm already in the venue, let me keep MY ticket" "Youre not allowed, you can get one on the way out as you leave" "That's just stupid mate, what idiot came up with this idea?" and I walked off. I did get one at the end, it was all fuckign creased up, yet I'd kept mine in mint condition. Just a small thing but Goddamn it, it pisses me off. I don't get their logic as they scan your ticket on the way in, so fuck knows why they take them off you at the next part and throw them all into a giant bin bag. Grrrr.

[mishima]

Originally Posted by everlasting

Can someone answer me why in the fuck do they take your ticket off you when yu go in? I said to the guy (having had tickets taken off me before lately but not knowing why and I like to cause a fuss) "why you taking my ticket off me?" "You're not allowed it." "Why not?" "Cos you're not", "I'm already in the venue, let me keep MY ticket" "Youre not allowed, you can get one on the way out as you leave" "That's just stupid mate, what idiot came up with this idea?" and I walked off. I did get one at the end, it was all fuckign creased up, yet I'd kept mine in mint condition. Just a small thing but Goddamn it, it pisses me off. I don't get their logic as they scan your ticket on the way in, so fuck knows why they take them off you at the next part and throw them all into a giant bin bag. Grrrr.

I was not too pleased about that for other reasons. I had Ticketmaster tickets, which had my personal details printed on them. By taking them off me, and possibly giving them to other I think they were in breach of data protection protocols. At the time though I was so relieved at smuggling in my contraband sweeties I couldn't be bothered to argue.

[Politico]

As in Leeds, thought it was a nice touch James dedicating I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You to Gary Speed.
A friend of mine saw Nicky in the Leeds Vivienne Westwood store in the afternoon.
New security measures seemed higher than previously. Don't know if the local elections added to it. I had a rucksack, which I wasn't allowed in with. I've previously taken it in to gigs at Leeds areas, but the security lady said since the Manchester bomb, no ruck sacks allowed. They had a holding area in the next door shopping centre, so it wasn't a problem.