Fave manics gigs

[Bathtub]

Originally Posted by allisvanity

Plus it made up for that shit, playing the hits and running through the motions debacle at Newport last year.

One of the dullest gigs I've had the misfortune to attend. Granted, not helped by a venue of epic shitness.

[allisvanity]

Originally Posted by Bathtub

One of the dullest gigs I've had the misfortune to attend. Granted, not helped by a venue of epic shitness.

And Pris of course, lets not forget Pris.

Indeed, went to see Frank Turner and his band there a couple of weeks back and they were largely brilliant enough to cover the fact that the venue is terrible.

[piecesofsleep]

The only time I've seen them (joys of being sort of young and a North American fan) was at the Paradise in Boston in 2009. I do think it was an amazing gig, though, and a great venue. It was a weird time in my life, and seeing them just...I don't know, it meant a lot.

[The Crow]

Hammersmith 2005 (1st Night)
Wembley Arena 1998 (1st Night)

[Rammstein]

I'm gutted everybody is saying the Wolves JFPL tour gig. A friend and myself had tickets for this, we were late leaving Cardiff, me blitzing up the Motorway at a stupid speed, finding last minute parking, blazing up the hill on the main street, running in to the venue having our tickets ripped with one bouncer saying "hurry lads you've missed the first part", us giving a longing "oh sh1t" look running in and then hearing "Oi oi lads get back here....something wrong?"

"What?"

"Have a look at your ticket"

My mate looks down "its the wrong day isn't it?"

The bouncer "you think it would be a lost busier than this for a Manics gig?"

Absolutely gutted, and I know there are some songs of JFPL I will never have the chance of hearing live, even the journey back was terrible, very very awkward depressing silence all the way back to Cardiff

[qster]

Originally Posted by counterlanguage

See also: Kettering 98. So dull, Nicky walked off before ADFL had ended it was so bad. But the next night in Chester was one of their best.

Defo the worst gig. But that isnt this thread.

Stand out gigs for me are:-

Cambridge 93 1st gig, Leicester Uni 94 (twice) Total mad events.
Cambridge 2005 PPF tour, Cracking set list. Prob the the best ever.
Astoria Satt tour, 1st time back without Richey, Kicked off with Stay Beautiful.
Blackwood. For just being in Blackwood. Crowd maybe not the best but i Fookin loved it.

[Midlands_Junk]

Originally Posted by qster

Astoria Satt tour, 1st time back without Richey.

Eh?

[qster]

1st time back to the Astoria. :-)

[Blue Cat]

Originally Posted by Jimbojambo

August 30th 1998 at Belfast Ulster Hall always stands out. We were in the Crown pub beforehand watching Liverpool destroy Newcastle United. A bloke spots our Manics t-shirts and asks if we're going to the gig later, we said we were and asked if he was going as well to which he replied "Yeah I work with the band." I then realise that he's Martin Hall. He stop and chats for about 15 minutes and tells us that If You Tolerate This has just gone in at number 1 in the singles chart, the Manics first number 1 single. He says that Nicky got really drunk on Champagne on the bus up from Dublin where they'd played the night before and they were worried he'd be too pissed for tonight's gig. The gig was great too, really great crowd for a Sunday night concert. Managed to hang around a bit after the gig and got Nick and Sean to sign my Welsh flag.

James' solo gig in Newbridge a few years ago was pretty special too, especially as we managed to spot and chat to Martin Hall again about 10 years after our first meeting and he was still a really nice bloke and happy to talk to the fans. Me and my brother bumped into James in Spillers in Cardiff a few days beforehand and didn't realise he was in town for the Newbridge gig. On the day of the concert we went to Newbridge (our parents only live a few miles away from Newbridge) to see if there were any tickets left to buy from the venue. There weren't but we spotted a massive coach pull up and James got off. We tentatively went over and said "hello do you remember us from the other day in Spillers?" kind of stuff and he put us on the guestlist, which was great but meant hanging around in the smallest town in the world for about 8 hours. One of the locals offered to sell us a pub. The venue was so small it was more like a wedding reception than a gig.

best part.

[wireobsessed]

Originally Posted by somesweetkid

Proper loved Liverpool PPF 2005, I know this sounds weird but my Grandad was dying that weekend, but I was meant to be going to the gig and Everton match the Sunday. All our family were in the hospital, and he said to us all (me and my cousins) "Just go and do what you were going to do". Some went to The Grand National, some went to a party and me and my bro went to the Manics.

They were not in the best of ways but the gig and tour seemed like a big blow out for them, and the played DFL second too which gave it a different atmosphere. Archives of Pain got played, Firefight(!), IfWhiteAmerica, a really good version of Roses in The Hospital and Paradise City into Motown Junk to finish, it was just ace given that it was only my second time seeing them, and the time before had been a pretty sterile affair in the MEN in Dec'04, and they hadn't played MOtown then either .

Anyway, my Grandad died that night and we all went the match together and we won 4-0 in blazing sunlight and of course even though the weekend was so sad, it always makes me feel as though we gave him a great send off and that Mnaics gig will always make me feel a melancholy happiness

Its funny but I loved Liverpool too and I know lots of people didn't (plus the band were pissed off cos there were no hotels cos of the National)

I was SO ill at the time but we didn't really know why. I felt like shit all day and almost decided to go home in the afternoon. We'd decided to get a coffee and I sat in the cafe in John Lewis and cried because I felt so ill. I was freezing cold and nothing made sense (it turned out to be severe underactive thyroid condition that had been going on for about 8 years)

I was determined to go to the gig and was so pleased we did. We got down the front to Nicky's side and I finally began to feel warm. When the music started I was just caught up in something I love and for a few hours I forgot how much everything hurt and how terrible I felt. I loved the mixing up of the usual set lists and the fact we got some tracks that are not normally played. The venue was falling apart but I loved that too.

It was just a great night.

Others would be Nots Arena for Lifeblood
Blackpol Empress Ballroom EMG tour for my first gig and Nicky walked past us
Dublin in 2002 where Nicky was just on fire and they opened with Found That Soul
Manchester second night for KYE
and Move Festival just cos they played Judge Yrself and Prologue.

Oh and Nicky at Hay -just a totally unbelievable night with the gig and sat talking to him for about 20 min after the gig.

[gamehenge]

Philly JFPL US Tour, 08? Whenever that was. Only chance I've ever got to see them. When they comin' back to the US? They said they wouldn't wait as long next time!!!!

[astrogirl]

Originally Posted by counterlanguage

See also: Kettering 98. So dull, Nicky walked off before ADFL had ended it was so bad. But the next night in Chester was one of their best.

Haha Jason, you've just ended 13 years of resentment I had against my dad - who point blank refused to let me go to the Kettering gig on the night before I was due to start at uni in Norwich. I had concocted a perfectly reasonable (I thought) plan that I could head to kettering for the gig, then he could drive down with all my uni stuff the next day and pick me up on the way. Releived to hear I didn't miss much, after all this time!!