Manic Street Preachers - Wolverhampton Civic 21/05/07

So I went to the first of my three Manics gigs on Monday. It was at Wolverhampton Civic. You know, I hate that venue, and yet both times I have seen the Manics there have been totally amazing. They are so suited to the venue, and the crowed just love every minute of it, so did the Manics for that matter!

The enemy were supporting them. They're alright, nothing at all special, and god bless them, they look about 1o. The music currently taking over the indie scene is shit. There needs to be some decent music back on the radio desperatly.

Anyway, the Manics came on at about 9pm, and started the set with You Love Us. I guess it's a relatively predictable song to start off with, but the crowd loved it, as always!

The third song into their set was Motorcycle Emptiness, which James actually dedicated to the venue: 'This might seem a bit abstract, but this ones dedicated to the Civic Hall, we've had so many fucking great gigs here'. As always, it was totally fantastic live!!!

A few surprises to the setlist were Sleepflower, Born to End and James playing the beginning of Condemned to Rock and Roll before Motown Junk. I never thought I'd get to hear Sleepflower live, and I can't even explain how amazing it was to hear it!!! It just utterly blew me away. It's become one of my favourite Manics songs again.

The new songs off Send Away The Tigers all went down well, although I have to admit I'm not too keen on Send Away the Tigers as a live track, think it sounds pretty crap personally the harmony just doesn't work live... Both Rendition and Autumn Song were totally amazing though, as was Imperial Bodybags.

The Wire came out wearing a very attractive skirt in the second half, which was very very attractive. He looked so unbelivabley hot!

I'd gone off the Manics a lot over the past two years or so. I've just not had the interest in them anymore, but since that gig on Monday night I have recognised why I always loved them, and why I became completley obsessed with them. Since then, it's all I've listened to, and since then I seem to have become re-obsessed. There were times in that gig that made me go totally cold, not in a bad way, but some how, some way, the manics always manage to send a shiver down my spine. They're the only band that have ever done that to me, they're the only band that I have ever been obsessed with, and they're the only band I ever want to be obsessed with.

Thank you Manics... you were always such a huge part of my life, and have successfully managed to introduce me into music, literature, and so much else, that no other band have ever managed to do. I will always love you.

Setlist:

You Love Us
Imperial Bodybags
Motorcycle Emptiness
Winterlovers
Faster
La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)
Send Away The Tigers
Everything Must Go
From Despair To Where
Rendition
Born To End
Ocean Spray
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
This Is Yesterday (Solo/Electric)
No Surface All Feeling (Acoustic)
Sleepflower
Autumnsong
You Stole The Sun Form My Heart
Little Baby Nothing
Condemned To Rock and Roll/Motown Junk
A Design For Life

I got to the second row back, right in front of Nicky, as per usual. The Wire was very happy that night :)

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