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SINGAPORE : When the Manic Street Preachers were starting up, they drafted out a manifesto which went as follows: 1) Release one album that would outsell Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction; (2) tour the world; (3) headline Wembley for three nights; 4) then burn out.
Now, almost 20 years on, they’ve yet to release an album to outsell "Appetite" (which has since breached the 28 million mark); but they have toured the world several times over, headlined Wembley (well, Wembley Arena, at least) several times, and, no, they haven’t burned out yet.
They have, however, mellowed out somewhat, as bassist and chief lyricist Nicky Wire told TODAY over the phone from his home in Wales. In fact, Wire was doing daddy duties with his 15-month-old son while we had a chat.
“My wife and daughter have gone away for a couple of days, so I’m stuck at home with my little boy. So, if you hear any cries or baby noises, you’ll know why,” he said.
This is, of course, a far cry from the punk roots from which the band emerged. Originally named Betty Blue (after Jean-Jacques Beineix’s film of the same name), the Manics came into being when Wire, guitarist-singer James Dean Bradfield, drummer Sean Moore and guitarist Miles Woodward got together in 1986. After Woodward left, they recruited Richey James Edwards, who ended up as co-chief lyricist with Wire.
The Manics quickly built up a reputation for their irreverent attitude and, yes, it must be said, manic behaviour. Edwards once carved “4 Real” on his arm with a razor blade during an interview. He later received 17 stitches.
Wire, in the meantime, would mimic Monty Python’s lumberjack wannabe and put on women’s clothing for gigs and, on occasion, whip out a skipping rope in the middle of a set and have a little aerobic workout onstage. The band would also slag off other bands in no uncertain terms. At last year’s V festival, for example, Wire called Snow Patrol “deplorable” and The Killers “truly dreadful”.
But in 1995, Edwards disappeared from the Embassy Hotel in London after checking out on February 1. His car was found abandoned a fortnight later near Severn Bridge, a popular suicide spot. His body was never found.
Ironically, the band finally hit their stride after Edwards’ disappearance, with 1996’s "Everything Must Go" and the No 1 follow-up album, "This is My Truth Tell Me Yours" (1998). Last year, the band released "Send Away the Tigers", an album that many critics and fans hailed as a return to form after 2004’s disappointing "Lifeblood". According to Wire, the album and subsequent tour reignited their passion for performing live. “Onstage, there’s so much adrenaline going on - it’s brilliant,” said Wire.
But, said the 39-year-old, those manic days of before are over.
“Done anything manic? Not a lot, to be honest! Taking my kids to school and walking my dog at the same time is about as manic as it gets,” he told TODAY.
“Well, we did a show in London a couple of months back and we played six songs we recorded in 1991 for an independent label called Heavenly Records. We’ve never played them live before, and that was pretty manic and exciting. We just came on and pretended to be 19 years old and jumped around like idiots!”
But they’ve still got more good years left, he added.
Really? No more sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll?
That was a long time ago! Then our bodies started falling apart! Playing live is the newest thing we’ve had an addiction to. You know, we’re clean-living boys! (Laughs)
You guys have been known for your over-the-top stage shows, but what’s the most manic thing a fan has done for you?
A fan in Japan wrote me a postcard every single day for four years! Then there were a couple of people who used to write letters in their own blood because, you know, we had a strange reputation a long time ago. There’s been some weird stuff, but mostly they’re really dedicated and loyal.
What’s the secret to the Manics’ longevity?
I think the big thing is that we’ve stayed friends, and I think that’s what’s kept us going. A lot of musicians are sort of thrown together to make music and then they realise they don’t really like each other. I think our friendship has really kept us going and we’re really lucky.
Oh, and sport – we’re huge sports fans! Sometimes it’s just good to sit down and just talk about football or rugby or boxing or Formula 1, just to get away from the music ... Blank out your mind and talk about something else. I’m a real sports addict. I was up at 3am watching archery at the Olympics this year.
Any regrets?
That Richey never got to play with us and be around when we got really huge with everything’s that going, you know we started selling millions of records and, unfortunately, Richey wasn’t around then. It’s just a real shame because it would have been great to see what he would have done. Even with just the lyrics – what he did was so cool.
Do you guys talk about Richey a lot, or is the subject taboo?
We talk about him all the time. We think about him. He’s a friend, a band mate we played football with, a brilliant lyricist. We do (his early songs) with a lot of pride, as well. Motown Junk was the first song we wrote together as a band, and we haven’t stopped playing that ever since – about 20 years we’ve been playing that song.
You’ve got a wife, kids, and tours. How do you achieve a work-life balance?
I’m not an expert or anything, but I think it’s easier when you’re older. I’m 39 now, and if I had to do this when I was 25, I would have really struggled trying to mix the two. But when you’re older, you’re more sensible. Well, a little bit more!
Are you doing anything big for your upcoming 20th anniversary?
I don’t know. I think we would like to do something. But sometimes, you know, the idea gets bigger than what you wanted. It’s hard to keep control of everything. So maybe we’ll do something on a smaller scale, not like what we did with the Millennium gig - that was a real one off, and something that will never be repeated. At all.
How about a new album?
We’ve started doing stuff and we’re hoping to release the record next April or May. It’s a bit heavier and darker, with an acoustic side that’s tender. So about half dark and heavy, and half, er, like a small black cloud that grows in the sky – it’s something very beautiful.
How long more before the Manics close shop?
We’re only 39 and we’re on our ninth album ... As long as we feel like we got something to say, we’ll carry on. The last 16 months have been so good because it’s probably been our best record in 10 years. As long as we can keep connecting with people and mean something to them, I think we can avoid the whole karaoke thing.
Catch Manic Street Preachers on November 24, 8pm at For Canning Park. Tickets at S$95 (advance) and S$110 (event day) from Sistic.
- TODAYrose
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