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.

[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.

[hummingbird]

They will probably say something in future interviews. Twitter is not the centre of the universe. Why is it that if you don't tweet your opinion or stick it on facebook you don't care about anything ???

[bachelorette]

I'm more in the camp of Dac and Porco on this one, I think - if there are camps? Can't we at least get along for once in these utterly miserable times? I'd be interested to here them say something, especially because they always came across as politically interested and informed, but of course I don't expect them to give me directions or change the world or do a running commentary on current affairs. Even the Manics are just a band at the end of the day, let's keep things a wee bit in perspective.
But I must say, the fact that they completely avoid the topic, even when directly asked, points to more than just "not tweeting about it". I doubt from the fact that they refuse to talk about it now that they will in the future. Which can be read in several ways, of course. It doesn't have to mean that they have been "bought" - maybe they are just confused. Though all this waving flags and singing football songs is a bit like fiddling while Rome is burning to an immigrant who is surrounded by rampant nationalism on all sides, I must say!

[UEF]

They've never quite walked it like they've talked it. I remember them going completely silent over 9/11 too and that was disappointing.

[Donkey]

Thanks God they don't say anything :-)

[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.

[Europa Gluten Free]

When have the Manics ever been political?

Any of the "politics" that they have spouted from day one has always been very carefully orchestrated as part of whatever "image" they were looking to project at the time rather than something they truly believe in.

They are a band that used politics rather than ever being a political band.