God Save The Manics EP - Hammersmith Only? - Forever Delayed

Delta of Venus · #1 18-04-2021, 11:41

A discussion on FB involving the EP has made me question my memory. Many are claiming it was only handed out on the last night of the PPF tour at the Hammersmith Apollo but I'm convinced that copies were also available on other dates as I have a copy which I'm sure I got from the Derby gig.

Anyone have any memories from that time about this? I remember the whole thing was a bit of a farce with people grabbing handfuls of copies which later showed up on eBay...

Imperial Bodybag NO. 17 · #2 18-04-2021, 12:37

Yeah 100% they were available at other gigs. I was at the Southampton gig and remember them. I was finishing Uni at the time and couldn't afford one (only just managed to afford the ticket and food for those last few weeks!).
I ended up getting a copy later in the year for 10 quid.

hummingbird · #3 18-04-2021, 12:47

Makes sense that they were available at other dates.
London were the two final dates and I think someone mentioned they forgot to hand them out after the first one? I definitely didn't see any, though I was up in the seats so maybe they'd all gone if people were grabbing loads

Routine Builder · #4 18-04-2021, 12:50

My memory is that it was Hammersmith only but I never made it to any of those gigs.

blackflower · #5 18-04-2021, 13:30

My memory is that they were only handed out after the second Hammersmith date, and that this was always the plan, they were never planned to be available at the first date. They were given out for free. Discogs also states this, and says that they were also sent to fans on the mailing list:

https://www.discogs.com/Manic-Street...elease/1882868

hummingbird · #6 18-04-2021, 13:31

https://twitter.com/welshmusicpod/st...156809728?s=19

Glyn · #7 18-04-2021, 15:49

My memory shouldn't always be relied on but I have memories of them being handed out at the Swansea PPF gig and there was also an address that you could send a self addressed envelope (whatever happened to the Blue Peter generation?) and request one.

LA ex · #8 18-04-2021, 17:32

I think the original plan was that they'd be handed out at the final Hammersmith gig, then there was uproar from the fan base who weren't all able to get to the London gig. Eventually they decided to post them out to fans who signed up for the mailing list or something like that.

As a similar give away I seem to recall on the preceding Lifeblood tour slip cases for the various formats of the Empty Souls single being given out. At least that's where I think I got mine from (I didn't buy the singles....).

blackflower · #9 19-04-2021, 10:07

This thread has got me thinking - those of us who were on fd at the time would surely have been posting about the EP. What has happened to those old posts? Are they archived somewhere or are they permanently deleted?

relic · #10 19-04-2021, 13:58

They were definitely offered mail order, if you sent a SAE. I sent a SAE but got nothing back because they ran out.

I went to at least five gigs on that tour, and the CDs were not available at any of the ones I went to. They were only given out at one of the London gigs, as far as I remember. The handout was fairly random, as I recall, as not everyone got one.

Fortunately a friend of mine came across a few of the CDs outside the venue, and rescued them from the bin, which is how I managed to get a copy eventually.

mrvitaminpill · #11 19-04-2021, 14:48

I also remember this was announced on April Fools Day. Given the title of the EP and the fact that press release said that one of the songs features handclaps (and that another used some unpublished Richey lyrics) many people thought it was a joke and didn’t believe it.

Routine Builder · #12 19-04-2021, 16:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackflower

This thread has got me thinking - those of us who were on fd at the time would surely have been posting about the EP. What has happened to those old posts? Are they archived somewhere or are they permanently deleted?

Any threads pre 2009 were 'archived' (effectively deleted).

Gusto · #13 20-04-2021, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by relic

They were definitely offered mail order, if you sent a SAE. I sent a SAE but got nothing back because they ran out.

I went to at least five gigs on that tour, and the CDs were not available at any of the ones I went to. They were only given out at one of the London gigs, as far as I remember. The handout was fairly random, as I recall, as not everyone got one.

Fortunately a friend of mine came across a few of the CDs outside the venue, and rescued them from the bin, which is how I managed to get a copy eventually.

I was at the first London show and they were not available. Someone on here offered me one but my SAE came back with a copy and I no longer needed it.

Porco · #14 20-04-2021, 13:03

I had to get mine on ebay I think, I forget exactly how it worked, but I didn’t get one in the post either (and I am sure I would have tried to). It was a nice idea in theory but all a bit of a farce in its execution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

Any threads pre 2009 were 'archived' (effectively deleted).

It’s a real shame all those older posts aren’t available.

Tim · #15 20-04-2021, 21:17

The entire database may be out there somewhere when it was left in the open for anyone to help themselves, though i don't know if it includes posts.
Some forum topics appear to be cached on the internet archive but mostly i just got the forum index and that's it.

http://www.foreverdelayed.org.uk/for...1&postcount=22

http://www.foreverdelayed.org.uk/for...9&postcount=34

My memory is hazy but i seem to remember i did the SAE thing to get a copy of the EP but i certainly remember the cockup around the whole thing. The WEK had their hands full that tour.