At what point did you realise the Manics were for you?

[Krystal]

11 years old Smash Hits magazine

[Slideling]

Cool!

[Krystal]

And 15-16 years on, I'm still here

[sherlock]

Originally Posted by Disenchanted

I think I would probably have thought the same thing no mater which version I saw first, I still think the same thing half the time when I see them now!

This is so true.

Although I doubt we'd get to see Nicky with '4 real' razored into his arm.

[ninjal]

There were a few points from 1992 to 1994.
The first was Richey topless in Smash Hits - I used that page to decorate the cover of my science folder.
Around the same time I heard Sorrow 16 for the first time and it remains my favourite Manics song.
In 1993 when Nicky had bright red hair I developed a mega crush on him and then in 1994 I saw them live for the first time and started to get properly into them.
It built up from there really. I always have a knack of getting into something just as it's about to end/change completely and when Richey left and their future looked uncertain I felt I'd really missed out.
By the time EMG came out I was a fully obsessive fan.
I'm not even close to that level anymore but they will always be the most important band ever to me.
(And after years and years of being a confirmed James girl I'm starting to look at Wire in a different light again. What's all that about?!)

[Slideling]

Hi Nina, long time no see!

[Blue Cat]

I dunno, I think I listened to them and liked them, tbh.

[The Descent]

The first I was aware of the Manics would be when the hubby got EMG, then several years later I bought FD and SATT, but it wasn't until I got JFPL and saw them perform tracks from the album on Later with Jools Holland and subsequently saw footage on the telly from T in the Park 2009, that I felt the urge to go to a Manics gig.

I never made it to JFPL tour and, having since seen the setlist, am pretty gutted about that! I got Postcards as soon as it was released and absolutely love it and have been fortunate enough to see them twice on the current tour. We've recently managed to get most of the back catalogue of Manics albums, only needing Lifeblood to complete our collection. In the month since the Edinburgh gig, I've been listening the Manics constantly on my Ipod to familiarise myself with their older stuff and found that I really loved their old songs as much as the newer material and it really helped make the Carlisle gig a truly enjoyable experience, so anyhoo I now most definitely consider myself a fan!

I wish I hadn't left it so late to get into this band, but better late than never!

[astrogirl]

The moment they were on my radar, that was it... A Design for Life on the Evening Session. I'd just started getting into McAlmont and Butler and liked ADFL because it sounded like 'Yes'!

Then when I saw this pic - prob in NME or MM single review, that was the start of my Nicky obsession!



I bought Everything Must Go on cassette, using a voucher I got through Midland Bank to get cheap albums by mail order, then proceeded to listen to it on repeat on my sony walkman (haha) during the downtime of our school rehearsals for Alice in Wonderland (I was the mouse that nearly drowns in her tears).

Spent the rest of my teenage years catching up with what I'd missed! I got GT and THB on cassette soon after but I remember having real trouble getting hold of GATS because it was out of production or summat - got it in the end though...Also, there was a guy, called Martin I think, who did massive photocopied compliations of clippings and videos of TV progs they had been on. I think I bought everything he did!

[ninjal]

Originally Posted by Richian

Hi Nina, long time no see!

Hi! I'm easing myself back in Lots of lurking at the moment!

[ninjal]

So my partner has just told me that since we saw the Manics in Bristol he hasn't been able to get You Love Us out of his head.
Tonight I am going to continue to brainwash him!

[The Gutless Wonder]

Originally Posted by ninjal

So my partner has just told me that since we saw the Manics in Bristol he hasn't been able to get You Love Us out of his head.
Tonight I am going to continue to brainwash him!

Good work!

[riot_star]

I'm currently brainwashing my boyfriend.

He loves Motorcycle Emptiness.....of course.

[Lydia]

I have no idea when the Manics really clicked for me. I know I saw them on the FD tour, and was distinctly unimpressed. I was listening to FD a lot and really like MASH (although I had no idea what James was singing) and I guess it grew from that.

[ItNeverEnds]

When I first listened to Gold Against the Soul all the way through and thought "fuck".

Then played it through again. And again.