Random Manics thoughts...

[wannagetout]

Did we find out what the smudged GT font represents?

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by wannagetout

Sean was the prettiest of them in pre GT era.

I think Sean's best era was Lifeblood. Long hair and leather - yes sir!

[LA ex]

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

Brutally so:

https://youtu.be/7Z8thHWo7-Y?si=o3_ZntyFzJmQfNPu&t=218

Respect to the one man bouncing away down the front at the end of Motown.

[UEF]

Originally Posted by wannagetout

Did we find out what the smudged GT font represents?

When I first saw it, I thought it was a sort of crying, bookends thing.

[Porco]

Originally Posted by wannagetout

Did we find out what the smudged GT font represents?

I think even before we have the full album it strikes me as possibly meaning a few things (intentionally or otherwise).

Firstly, just on its own terms it could imply a dissolving or breaking down of critical thinking. In an established Manics font from the past it could be referring to their own critical thinking as much as anyone else’s. “What happened to your critical thinking?”

It’s also breaking down into smaller parts. Listen to / read the second verse of Decline & Fall and I think it makes a lot of sense. “…tiny molecules governed by rules / little atoms that only leave clues” “divide and dissolve”.

They’ve talked about the album being about trying to reconcile opposing ideas - and you have the title in red and the black, often associated with money (‘in the red / black’ / gambling (as in roulette, betting on red or black).

I think there’s also a sense of songs still dealing with change / loss / grief / passing, as there nearly always is with the manics. If you interpret the effect as a smudge you might see it as “Brushstrokes”… or some kind of paint splatter. The album cover is a photo, but it has no people in it, but it has an arguably-paint-ish effect to the title and band name over the photo (people’s work ruining a photo?! ). An empty but man-made road with a messed-up markings contrasted by the expected straight lines. We might try and follow a straight line, but life, and nature, isn’t like that. Likewise, the title font is imperfect.

So my interpretation so far is that I think it’s a band asking itself and its listeners, ‘what happened to (y)our critical thinking?’ as traditionally clear opposites dissolve and break down in places, and where it will leave us is a gamble, as we might strive for clear perfect answers but inevitably will fail, because we all do.

[deadmartyr]

On the funny comment that James made about Sean not making eye contact with when they're playing live, I came across a transcript yesterday of this Lifeblood era interview and picked up on the below future facing points:


James: Sean's just kind of like retired into his older, eccentric, kind of like... his mission is just to have a wooden house with a porch, grow a big beard and open Mooro's Drum N Gun shop.

Nicky: Drums N Guns.

You've guys've all got it pretty sorted though. Given the ride that you've been on, at this point you're feeling centred.

Nicky: It's always been a question with trust for us. We have to trust each other to work in each department. I mean on the new record people say it sounds like drum machines. It's literally Sean saying "I want to sound like a drum machine - I want to be Michael Schumacher of drumming". He told us to get out of the room. He's like: I don't want that authentic "hey this band's looking at each other interacting" bullshit...

[Son of Stopped]

Updated documentary. Installments of 9 episodes on BBC2?
Sean's distain for eye contact in studio results in an album in seven days called "Don't Look At Me When I Do It". I don't know if Griff Rhys Jones is still alive but he could present it
Episode 1
Premise of show the explained to Sean who obviously refuses. And the studio time booked left is six days time...
Episode 2
With studio time eating away, it's a telephone call whilst actually driving to his house. But local council roadworks could delay. With special guest Claude from The Apprentice and he was a massive pain in the car saying he could just get a helicopter.
Episode 3
Having failed to catch Sean at the house because he was on holiday, the music mountain comes to Sean's house as a mobile Faster studio is set up in his front garden for when Sean returns from holiday. All the while the studio time window diminishing.
Episode 4
The shouting and smashing up of equipment recorded in Sean's garden have been taken to a studio and mixed by Dave Eringa. But with three days to go is there enough material to fill.
Episode 5
The incandescent rage of legalities the programme faces in a private phone call recorded and then Sean kindly did another few takes of his last point before realising what was happened could prove useful to the final mix? But will the Police get involved due to aggressive tones and phrases?
Episode 6
James and Nicky come in to add overdubs but each take has them pissing themselves laughing each take. With only one day left in the studio... To go.
Episode 7
Whatever recorded listened to. Journalist preview just shrugs and goes "Just give it 4 out of 5." In a tense phone call the finished album is played over the phone to Sean.
Who then agrees to record an overdub ruining the mix of his trumpet being played in next doors house. At the eleventh minute sends over a computer camera shot of him scratching his back.
Episode 8
With the album release the next attempt is Sean to engage in publicity and touring
Episode 9
With over three quarters of the production company hospitalised. We look at how we got to where we got using clips from the series just gone.

[Mumbojumbo]

Manics in Classic Pop magazine? Ah go on!

https://i.postimg.cc/0jnYf9Yq/Classi...-page-0048.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/dQhZNmJy/Classi...-page-0049.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/cJj0v32p/Classi...-page-0050.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/wvhZ9spc/Classi...-page-0051.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/SRgZK6t8/Classi...-page-0052.jpg

[MSPKYE]

Might have to isolate Nicky screaming FUCK THAAAAAAAAAAAT from Critical Thinking to use as my 5:45am work alarm.

[savemejebus]

2025 What they're doing now edition: Manic Street Preachers
Nicky Wire: Basking in the glow of having written the best tracks on the most recent MSP release.
James Dean Bradfield: Diligently working towards his true goal of 'James Dean Bradfield and the Big Bland 80s Indie Orchestra' project.
Sean 'Schumacher' Moore: Anonymously modding multiple forums on why piercings, tattoos and hipster beards in your 50s don't automatically mean mid-life crisis.

[ManicsTheHedgehog]

I was going through some old blogs from a horror story community I used to hang out in when I remembered one of the blogs having a running theme of mentioning the Manics whilst telling the story, lol. I'm curious if anyone knows if the gig mentioned in this post is an actual gig or just something made up to further the story. From the other posts, the guy who wrote it seems to be based in Cardiff.

https://vitamors.blogspot.com/2011/0...c-concert.html

[Scarecrow]

Originally Posted by ManicsTheHedgehog

I'm curious if anyone knows if the gig mentioned in this post is an actual gig or just something made up to further the story. From the other posts, the guy who wrote it seems to be based in Cardiff.

https://vitamors.blogspot.com/2011/0...c-concert.html

It was indeed, I was there. It was that short spring 2011 tour, they played Llandudno and Wolverhampton too and lots of fans were miffed that it clashed with Suede in Brixton. Brilliant gig.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/manic...-7bd3d6b0.html

Edit: Just adding also, I seem to remember there was a big rugby or football match on, me and some friends couldn't get a hotel so we stayed up until about 4am in a hotel bar and then got a coach home. Felt rough as arseholes, especially after going to the other two Manics dates and a Suede gig in London. Man, I did some miles on those tours.