The self proclaimed 'most political band around...'

[SHR]

The Manics claim to be, but are they really? Come on now...
Was there even a peep on their twitter about the referendum?
I think my washing machine had more of an opinion.

[bachelorette]

http://www.redhandedmagazine.co.uk/#...-trinity/y48zz

This article was enlightening on that topic... Everyone but Wire shows their colours. Mind you, their "being political" has always been highly selective and I suppose no one really expects them to actually contribute to such debates in a major way? They do give the odd soundbite about social injustice every now and then, still, that is about it. And it's more than most do. Mind you, after reading Kelly Jones' comments, though, and with all the Manics' recent flag-waving I WAS wondering for a moment whether I had been wasting my life on the wrong Welsh band! (ps I've found this on MSM, no idea if it was linked on here yet?)

[SHR]

They've been well and truly played.
Spectator sport has taken over from politics in the Valleys and they've been bought like the rest of them. Hurts me to say. Especially as Richey understood Deep Politics and foresaw the EU collapse (see the back of GT C.D) and Natwest/Barclays/Midlands Lloyds, WhiteAmerica, Peeled Apples etc.

[Dancing Kirby]

Oh well, maybe Brexit will help Nicky get over his writers block. Or maybe he'll wait 20 years to write about something that's vaguely to do with it but really about the Manics.

Still, there's a fair bit on Futurology that seems kinda apt today - by chance of course. The title track's chorus for one! But yeah, they've lost their right to call themselves a political band with this silence. More interested in football.

[Porco]

Are they supposed to pass comment on politics every day or Nicky's degree will be revoked or something?

I wouldn't actually object to them issuing opinions on everything under the sun every day, but I think it would get a bit annoying for them and I'd rather they saved anything they felt strongly about for some songs later on.

[SHR]

Originally Posted by Porco

Are they supposed to pass comment on politics every day or Nicky's degree will be revoked or something?

I wouldn't actually object to them issuing opinions on everything under the sun every day, but I think it would get a bit annoying for them and I'd rather they saved anything they felt strongly about for some songs later on.

No sweetheart, they're the ones who keep saying they're the only band with any 'political' slant on things and then chicken out when they're actually asked a political question. Gruffalo Rhys has more of an opinion and doesn't proclaim his apparent political superiority like they do. Oh, and the EU referendum wasn't just anything under the sun's now, was it? Only the biggest collective British decision since....? You tell me if you don't think it's that big a deal. Ps: Wire's politics degree? When Richey wrote the majority of his essays? I'm not being nasty here by the way, just asking questions and having a slightly different slant on a band I used to admire.

[Son of Stopped]

Originally Posted by SHR

just asking questions and having a slightly different slant on a band I used to admire.

So it's YOU who the band are thinking of when they accuse of not being real signatures?
EDIT: as that came across more accusatory than comedy

"Thinking for yourselves" has been said in early interviews as a get out clause.
The first part of this post was in answer to SHR. But if you think about it, when the rhythm guitarist goes missing forever, did anyone expect life wouldn't get more shit as the years went on?!
Nicky should be called out on it more for not backing up oh "You knew who you enemy was" and "No real easy solution" is another thing they've said.
And that he's got a Politics degree. And James loves that amp.

[SHR]

I don't give a flying frig whether the band sign their overpriced memorabilia or not. I've not bought any of their radio nostalgia (radio death) rehashes in many years. Neither has the thought of them signing/not signing merchandise ever been important to me.

[Porco]

Originally Posted by SHR

No sweetheart, they're the ones who keep saying they're the only band with any 'political' slant on things and then chicken out when they're actually asked a political question. Gruffalo Rhys has more of an opinion and doesn't proclaim his apparent political superiority like they do. Oh, and the EU referendum wasn't just anything under the sun's now, was it? Only the biggest collective British decision since....? You tell me if you don't think it's that big a deal. Ps: Wire's politics degree? When Richey wrote the majority of his essays? I'm not being nasty here by the way, just asking questions and having a slightly different slant on a band I used to admire.

I didn't think you were being nasty, I think it's perfectly reasonable subject to wonder about. I think you're perfectly entitled to feel they don't engage the media in as much political conversation as they once did, in the same ways they once did.

The EU referendum was/is a hugely significant thing, and my 'everything under the sun' comment was too flippant, I happily apologise for that. Maybe Nicky will be more forthcoming with an opinion now it's happened, but they did just release a song called Together Stronger right after the last album called Futurology that had a tonne of European references on it and a video pastiching a German film. Maybe Nicky just wants their work to do more of the talking these days? As Dancing Kirby so DancingKirbyingly* put it, perhaps it will fire up some inspiration in Nicky's writing.

I just don't think there is any great duty or responsibility for them to pass comment on anything until and unless they want to, and I don't think them describing themselves as political means they have to go out of their way to make mouthy comments like they used to. I still think they are quite political, just not in the same way as when they where younger. The proof of the pudding is in their work, for that is when they are expressing themselves collectively as a band. If they choose to make obviously political comments in interviews etc then fine (like I said, I'd be happy for them to do so) but to me it seems like a lot of the politics in their songs are from a place of reflection upon the past or predictions about the future more than providing a running social commentary, certainly in the post-Richey era(s), and I think it is probably better for it.

As much as I often enjoy their interviews, I'm a fan of the band because of the music they make and the lyrics they write. And I think when they talk about themselves being political, it's often from a place of bemoaning the lack of other, younger bands taking up that mantle, rather than to just be boastful about it.

*not a real word, but I would argue it should be.

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by Porco

All We Make Is Entertainment.

Originally Posted by Porco

Are they supposed to pass comment on politics every day or Nicky's degree will be revoked or something?

I wouldn't actually object to them issuing opinions on everything under the sun every day, but I think it would get a bit annoying for them and I'd rather they saved anything they felt strongly about for some songs later on.

Nicky hasn't got a Politics Degree, Richey's got two.

Yeah, I'm not sure what people expect really. There are plenty of bands out there who hardly ever touch on politics at all. Plus, they've got a song about the Spanish Civil War to number one. Surely that alone makes them one of the most political mainstream bands of all time? When it came out I'd never even heard of the Spanish Civil War, eh I was 15 at one of the worst schools in the country and wasn't being taught history. On the other hand, maybe them getting to number one does undermine the effort, success is an ugly word you know.

I think the problem is their own doing in a way. They've always spoke highly of education and they've cited a hell of a lot of material from their own and other people's educations. The education thing, which I do respect, wasn't something that really drew me towards them when I got into them. Yeah, I went to uni eventually but my education was fucked from the start really, the level of ambition from the teachers at my school was to teach us to avoid prison... Anyway, soz I digress, how un-academic of me But yeah, I think a lot of fans expect more, too much even. Gobshite as Wire may be, you can't know everything. They're political, more political than most established bands, but not political enough for their fans. Maybe they should've split up after that first album...

[relic]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Nicky hasn't got a Politics Degree, Richey's got two.

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by relic

Seriously! They've been quite open about Richey writing Nicky's essays, Nicky's undermined the integrity of academia by cheating. At least I had the decency to drop out, he should be disqualified really. Mind you, it is politics, lying and cheating are pretty commendable/essential in politics.

[relic]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Seriously! They've been quite open about Richey writing Nicky's essays, Nicky's undermined the integrity of academia by cheating. At least I had the decency to drop out, he should be disqualified really. Mind you, it is politics, lying and cheating are pretty commendable/essential in politics.

I was agreeing with you. Nicky's always talking about it, but I reckon he exaggerates a bit to big Richey up.

[Dac X Lee]

I predicted for such a thread to happen. Can't blame, though, you can't not be curious on their opinion. I'll agree with Porco here, and won't blame the band either. But indeed I would have preferred a little bit of input from them on events like these, even though our opinions might differ sometimes.

[Manicben]

On this subject go and take a look at the questionnaire just posted by Delerium
On Helium. The politics questions are ignored. What happened to this band? Urgh.