Manic Street Preachers
Encyclopedia
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh
alternative rock
band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield
, Nicky Wire
, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore
. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene
, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s. They are colloquially known as 'The Manics' or 'Manics'.
The band were originally a quartet: main lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards vanished on 1 February 1995. In November 2008, thirteen years after his disappearance, he was officially declared presumed deceased.
The Manics released their debut album, Generation Terrorists
in 1992. Their combination of androgynous
glam punk
imagery, outspoken invective and songs about "culture, alienation, boredom and despair" soon gained them a loyal following and cult status. The band's later albums retained a leftist politicisation and intellectual lyrical style, while adopting a broader alternative rock
sound. Enigmatic lyricist Richey Edwards gained early notoriety by cutting the words "4REAL" into his arm with a razor blade (narrowly missing an artery and requiring seventeen stitches) in response to the suggestion that the band were less than authentic. The dark nature of 1994's The Holy Bible
reflected the culmination of Edwards' instability.
Following Edwards' disappearance, Bradfield, Moore, and Wire persisted with the Manic Street Preachers and went on to gain critical and commercial success, becoming one of Britain's premier rock bands. They have had eight top ten albums and fifteen top ten singles. They have reached number one three times, with their 1998 album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
and the singles "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
" (1998) and "The Masses Against the Classes
" (2000). They have also won the Best British Album and Best British Group accolades at the BRIT Awards in 1997 and 1999, and were lauded by the NME
for their lifetime achievements in 2008. Their ninth studio album, Journal for Plague Lovers
, was released on 18 May 2009 and features lyrics Edwards had left behind to the band weeks before his disappearance.
Manic Street Preachers released their tenth studio album, Postcards from a Young Man
, on 20 September 2010. It was preceded by the single "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
". In 2011 the Manic Street Preachers announced the release of a compilation of all 38 of their singles from Generation Terrorists to Postcards From A Young Man with a cover of "This Is The Day" called National Treasures – The Complete Singles
.
, Blackwood, Caerphilly, south Wales
. During this time, Bradfield had tried writing lyrics, but this later changed and Wire wrote all their earliest lyrics, leaving Bradfield, alongside the classically-trained Sean Moore when he joined, to write the music. Original bassist Flicker (Miles Woodward) left the band in early 1988, reportedly because he believed that the band were moving away from their punk roots. The band continued as a three-piece, with Wire switching from guitar to bass, and in 1988 they recorded their first single, "Suicide Alley
". Edwards joined the band on guitar and often made contributions to lyrics with Wire, designing record sleeves and other artwork, and driving the band to and from gigs.
In 1990, they signed a deal with label Damaged Goods Records for one EP
. The four-track New Art Riot
attracted as much media interest for its attacks on fellow musicians as for the actual music. With the help of Hall or Nothing management, the Manics signed to indie
label Heavenly Records
. The band recorded their first single for the label, entitled "Motown Junk
".
Their next single, You Love Us, sampled Penderecki's
"Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
" as well as Iggy Pop
. The video featured Nicky Wire in drag as Marilyn Monroe and contained visual references to Betty Blue and Aleister Crowley
. In a now legendary interview with then NME
journalist Steve Lamacq
, Edwards carved the phrase "4REAL" into his arm with a razor blade to prove their sincerity. He was taken to hospital and received a total of seventeen stitches. Columbia Records
of Sony Music UK signed the band shortly afterwards and they began work on their debut album.
, was released on the Columbia Records
imprint. The liner notes contained a literary quote for each of the album's eighteen songs and the album lasted just over seventy minutes. The record contained six singles and sold 250,000 copies.
The second album, Gold Against the Soul
, was released to mixed reviews but still performed well, reaching number eight in the UK album chart and displayed a more grungy sound. The nature of the lyrics also changed, with Edwards and Wire eschewing their political fire for introspective melancholy.
By early 1994, Edwards' personal difficulties became worse and began to affect the other band members as well as himself. He was admitted into The Priory in 1994 to overcome his problems and the band played a few festivals as a three-piece to pay for his treatment.
The group's next album, The Holy Bible
, was released in August to critical acclaim, but sold poorly. The album displayed yet another musical and aesthetic change for the band, largely featuring army/navy uniforms. Musically, the band had shifted to a lo-fi post-punk
sound. In support of the album, the band appeared on Top of the Pops
, performing its first single, "Faster
", which reached No.16. The performance was extremely controversial at the time, as the band were all dressed in army regalia. Bradfield wore a 'terrorist-style' balaclava. At the time, the band was told by the BBC
that they had received the most complaints ever.
Shortly after, on 1 February 1995, Edwards disappeared from the Embassy Hotel at Bayswater Road
in London after checking out at 7:00 am. His car was found abandoned 17 February 1995 at the Severn View service station
near the Severn Bridge
, which has since acquired notoriety for being a suicide spot. A car park attendant reported it had been there for three days; police search of the car revealed that it had been lived in for a few days. Edwards was never seen again, although the band have kept a percentage of the royalties aside should he return. He was declared presumed dead on 28 November 2008 by his family. The band commented that they respect their decision. Manic Street Preachers was put on hold for six months and disbanding the group was seriously considered, but with the blessing of Edwards' family, the other members continued.
". The album was shortlisted for the 1996 Mercury Prize
award for best album, and won the band two BRIT Awards
for Best British Band and Best British album, as well as yielding the hit singles "Australia", "Everything Must Go
" and "Kevin Carter
".
1998's This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
was just as successful across most of the world, and gave the band their first number one single in "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
". It was written about the Spanish Civil War
and was inspired in equal parts by George Orwell
's Homage to Catalonia
and The Clash's "Spanish Bombs
". The album also included the hit singles "You Stole the Sun from My Heart
", "Tsunami" and "The Everlasting
". Again the Manics won the Best British Band and album awards at the BRIT Awards in 1999.
On 31 December 1999 they played at the 'Leaving the 20th Century concert'
in the Millennium Stadium
in Cardiff, the first and biggest ever concert to be held there with 80,000 people attending.
In 2000 they released the limited edition single "The Masses Against the Classes
". Despite receiving little promotion, the single hit the number one position on the UK Singles chart, beating U Know What's Up by Donell Jones to the top. The catalogue entry for the single was deleted (removed from wholesale supply) on the day of release, but the song nevertheless spent seven weeks in the UK chart.
In 2001 they became the first popular western rock band to play in Cuba
, (at the Karl Marx Theater
) and met with president Fidel Castro
. Their concert and trip to Cuba was documented and then released as a DVD entitled Louder than War
.
In this concert they revealed many tracks from their sixth album Know Your Enemy
. The song "Ocean Spray
" was written by James about his mother's battle with cancer. The first singles from the album, "So Why So Sad
" and "Found That Soul
", were both released on the same day. Other singles included "Let Robeson Sing
".
The greatest hits (plus remixes) album Forever Delayed
was released in 2002, containing two new songs, "Door to the River" and the single "There by the Grace of God
". An album of B-sides, rarities, and cover versions album was released in 2003: Lipstick Traces, which contained the last song worked on with Edwards.
, was released on 1 November 2004 and reached #13 on the UK album chart. Critical response to the album was mixed. Tony Visconti
helped the band produce three songs on the album, which was followed by a UK arena tour in December 2004. A tenth anniversary edition of The Holy Bible
was released on 6 December 2004, which included a digitally remastered version of the original album, a rare U.S. mix and a DVD of live performances and extras including a band interview.
In April 2005, the band played a number of shows as the Past-Present-Future tour — announced as their last for at least two years. The band released an EP entitled God Save the Manics
with only around 300 copies available and given out to fans as they arrived at the venue. After all the copies were gone, the band made the EP available as a free download on their website. In September, the band contributed the new track, "Leviathan
", to the War Child
charity album Help-a Day in the Life
.
The band's eighth studio album, Send Away the Tigers
was released on 7 May 2007 on Columbia Records
. It entered the official UK album charts at #2. Critical response to the album was largely positive, with some critics hailing the album as the band's best for a decade. A free download of a song entitled "Underdogs
" from the album was made available through the group's website on 19 March 2007. The first official single released from Send Away the Tigers was "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
", which features The Cardigans
' vocalist, Nina Persson
. The second single, "Autumnsong
", and a third, "Indian Summer
", were released in August.
The band released a Christmas single in December. "Ghost of Christmas" was available as a free download on their official website throughout December 2007 and January 2008. In February 2008, the band were presented with the God-Like Geniuses Award award at the NME Awards
ceremony.
The ninth Manics album, Journal for Plague Lovers
, was released on 18 May 2009 and features lyrics left behind by Edwards. Wire commented in an interview that "there was a sense of responsibility to do his words justice." The album was released to positive critical reviews, scoring 85 on Metacritic.
will be released on 20 September 2010. James Dean Bradfield said that the album would be an unashamedly pop-orientated affair following 2009's Journal for Plague Lovers. "We're going for big radio hits on this one," he told NME. "It isn't a follow-up to Journal for Plague Lovers. It's one last shot at mass communication."
On 26 July 2010 the first single from the new album, "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
", was played on the breakfast shows of BBC Radio 2, BBC 6Music, XFm and Absolute Radio. It was released on 13 September 2010. The title had previously been suggested as a working title for the album by Nicky Wire. Three collaborations were also confirmed on the band's website later that day: Duff McKagan
will appear on "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun", Ian McCulloch
adds guest vocals to "Some Kind of Nothingness" and John Cale
will feature on "Auto-Intoxication".
The band embarked on a UK tour to promote the album, starting in Glasgow on 29 September 2010. British Sea Power
were the support act for the band on the tour. Two further singles have been released from the album - the McCulloch featuring Some Kind of Nothingness
and the title track Postcards From A Young Man
.
The band initially announced that their next album has the working title
'70 Songs Of Hatred And Failure
' and will sound very different from Postcards From A Young Man
. "The next album will be pure indulgence. There’s only so much melody stored in your body that you can physically get onto one record. It was just so utterly commercial and melodic." However Nicky Wire contradicted this in 2011 while doing promotion for their greatest hits compilation 'National Treasures'. When asked why the band was releasing the compilation Wire stated: 'It's just the end of an era. Not the end of a band. We're gonna disappear for quite a long time.'
A 38 track singles compilation, National Treasures – The Complete Singles
, will be released on 31 October 2011, preceded by a new single.
and Wire
announced that they intended to release solo material prior to a new album by the band. A free download of Nicky Wire's debut solo offering I Killed The Zeitgeist
was posted on the band's website for just one day - Christmas Day 2005. The album of the same name was released in September 2006. It charted at #130 in the UK. The sound of the album, which Nicky referred to as his "nihilistic anti-everything album", was inspired by, among others, Neu!
, The Plastic Ono Band
, Einstürzende Neubauten
, The Modern Lovers
, Richard Thompson and Lou Reed
. Only one official single was released: "Break My Heart Slowly
" charted at #74. Nicky toured small intimate venues across the UK with his band The Secret Society, affording fans the opportunity of seeing their hero at close quarters.
Bradfield's solo album, The Great Western
was released in July 2006. It reached #22 in the UK. The sound of the album was inspired by, among others, Jeff Beck
, Badfinger
, Simple Minds
and McCarthy
. Two singles were released: "That's No Way to Tell a Lie
" (#18) in July and then "An English Gentleman
" (#31) in September. The latter is in remembrance of the first Manic's manager Philip Hall, to whom The Holy Bible
had been dedicated. James toured the album with a band that included Wayne Murray, who would subsequently play second guitar for Manics live performances. James' solo gigs featured covers of The Clash
songs "Clampdown
" and "The Card Cheat", both from the album London Calling
.
In a later interview, when the band were collectively asked what they had learned from making a solo album, Sean Moore dryly quipped, "Not to do one".
") which became their first UK Top 10 hit. They have recorded many cover versions of songs by other artists, primarily as b-sides for their own singles. Bands to whom the group have paid tribute in this way include The Clash
, Guns N' Roses
, Alice Cooper
, Happy Mondays
, McCarthy
, Chuck Berry
, Faces
, and Nirvana
.
The band's first musical appearance since Edwards' departure was recording a cover of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" for The Help Album
, a charity effort in 1995 in support of aid efforts in war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Lightning Seeds' song "Waiting for Today to Happen", from their fifth album, Dizzy Heights
(1996), was written by Nicky Wire
and Ian Broudie
. That same year, James Dean Bradfield
and Dave Eringa
produced Northern Uproar's
first single, "Rollercoaster/Rough Boys
". The 808 State
song "Lopez" (1997) features lyrics by Wire and vocals by Bradfield. It is featured on their greatest hits album, 808:88:98
. Kylie Minogue
's sixth album, Impossible Princess
(1997), features two songs co-written and produced by the Manics: "Some Kind of Bliss
" (Bradfield/Minogue/Moore
) and "I Don't Need Anyone" (Bradfield/Jones/Minogue) were produced by Bradfield and Dave Eringa. Bradfield provided backing vocals, bass and production for the Massive Attack
song "Inertia Creeps" (1998), which features on their successful third album, Mezzanine
. Patrick Jones
' album of poetry set to music, Commemoration And Amnesia (1999), features two songs with music written by Bradfield: the title track and "The Guerilla Tapestry". Bradfield plays guitar on both songs. Furthermore, the track "Hireath" features a section called "Spoken Word", in which Nicky Wire talks about Welsh identity.
In February 2006, the band contributed a cover version of "The Instrumental" to the album Still Unravished: A Tribute to the June Brides
.
In February 2008 the Manics covered Rihanna's
hit song "Umbrella". Their version appeared on a CD titled NME Awards 2008
given away free with a special souvenir box set issue of NME
magazine, which went on sale 27 February. Additionally, the Manics' version of the song was made available on iTunes
since 5 March 2008. Despite being chart-eligible (it reached number 47 in the UK), the release was not intended as an official single. Two further versions (Acoustic and Grand Slam Mix) were later made available on iTunes and now comprise a three-track Umbrella EP.
James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire contributed an original song, "The Girl from Tiger Bay", to Shirley Bassey
's 2009 studio album, The Performance
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
, Nicky Wire
Nicky Wire
Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore
Sean Moore (musician)
Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene
Cardiff music scene
The music of Cardiff has been dominated mainly by rock music since the early 1990s with later trends developing towards more extreme styles of the genre such as heavy metal, post-hardcore and emo music....
, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s. They are colloquially known as 'The Manics' or 'Manics'.
The band were originally a quartet: main lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards vanished on 1 February 1995. In November 2008, thirteen years after his disappearance, he was officially declared presumed deceased.
The Manics released their debut album, Generation Terrorists
Generation Terrorists
- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Richey Edwards – guitar*Sean Moore – drums, percussion, backing vocals*Nicky Wire – bass, piano on Little Baby NothingAdditional personnel...
in 1992. Their combination of androgynous
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
glam punk
Glam punk
Glam Punk is a music genre that mixes elements of glam rock with protopunk or punk rock ....
imagery, outspoken invective and songs about "culture, alienation, boredom and despair" soon gained them a loyal following and cult status. The band's later albums retained a leftist politicisation and intellectual lyrical style, while adopting a broader alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
sound. Enigmatic lyricist Richey Edwards gained early notoriety by cutting the words "4REAL" into his arm with a razor blade (narrowly missing an artery and requiring seventeen stitches) in response to the suggestion that the band were less than authentic. The dark nature of 1994's The Holy Bible
The Holy Bible (album)
The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was...
reflected the culmination of Edwards' instability.
Following Edwards' disappearance, Bradfield, Moore, and Wire persisted with the Manic Street Preachers and went on to gain critical and commercial success, becoming one of Britain's premier rock bands. They have had eight top ten albums and fifteen top ten singles. They have reached number one three times, with their 1998 album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the fifth album by Welsh band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in September 1998 on Epic Records, and in the United States the following year, on Virgin Records.- Background :...
and the singles "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
"If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released as the first single from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, with lyrics written by Nicky Wire , and music written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore...
" (1998) and "The Masses Against the Classes
The Masses Against The Classes
"The Masses Against the Classes" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as a limited-edition single in January 2000. It was a stand-alone single, not featured on any studio album, and was deleted on the day of release.The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 16...
" (2000). They have also won the Best British Album and Best British Group accolades at the BRIT Awards in 1997 and 1999, and were lauded by the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
for their lifetime achievements in 2008. Their ninth studio album, Journal for Plague Lovers
Journal for Plague Lovers
Journal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 18 May 2009, and features posthumous lyrics by Richey Edwards, who vanished on 1 February 1995, and was presumed deceased in 2008. It is the only Manic Street Preachers album...
, was released on 18 May 2009 and features lyrics Edwards had left behind to the band weeks before his disappearance.
Manic Street Preachers released their tenth studio album, Postcards from a Young Man
Postcards From a Young Man
Postcards from a Young Man is the tenth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, which reached the number 3 spot on the UK Charts. The Manics began recording the album in October 2009 at their Faster Studio in Cardiff...
, on 20 September 2010. It was preceded by the single "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
" Just the End of Love" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and both the opener and the lead single of their tenth album Postcards From a Young Man....
". In 2011 the Manic Street Preachers announced the release of a compilation of all 38 of their singles from Generation Terrorists to Postcards From A Young Man with a cover of "This Is The Day" called National Treasures – The Complete Singles
National Treasures – The Complete Singles
A DVD featuring the music videos to the tacks featured on the album is available in the deluxe edition. It also contains extra bonus content including alternate videos for "You Love Us" and "Autumnsong" and the video for "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time"....
.
Formation and early years (1986–1991)
The band was formed in 1986 in Oakdale Comprehensive SchoolOakdale Comprehensive School
Oakdale Comprehensive School is a comprehensive school located in the village of Oakdale in Caerphilly county Wales. It has a total enrollment of about 800 pupils aged 11 to 16...
, Blackwood, Caerphilly, south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. During this time, Bradfield had tried writing lyrics, but this later changed and Wire wrote all their earliest lyrics, leaving Bradfield, alongside the classically-trained Sean Moore when he joined, to write the music. Original bassist Flicker (Miles Woodward) left the band in early 1988, reportedly because he believed that the band were moving away from their punk roots. The band continued as a three-piece, with Wire switching from guitar to bass, and in 1988 they recorded their first single, "Suicide Alley
Suicide Alley
"Suicide Alley" was the debut self-financed single from the rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in Autumn of 1988, while they were still an unsigned act.Only 300 copies were originally pressed. Around 200 came in a picture sleeve...
". Edwards joined the band on guitar and often made contributions to lyrics with Wire, designing record sleeves and other artwork, and driving the band to and from gigs.
In 1990, they signed a deal with label Damaged Goods Records for one EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. The four-track New Art Riot
New Art Riot
New Art Riot is an EP released in 1990 by Manic Street Preachers, and it was the first release from the band to feature the four-piece line-up ....
attracted as much media interest for its attacks on fellow musicians as for the actual music. With the help of Hall or Nothing management, the Manics signed to indie
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
label Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records, aka Heavenly Recordings, is a London-based record label, distributed by EMI. Founded by Jeff Barrett, a former press officer for Creation Records and many successful indie bands of the time including Happy Mondays, Heavenly Recordings' first releases were 7" and 12" singles for...
. The band recorded their first single for the label, entitled "Motown Junk
Motown Junk
"Motown Junk" is an early stand alone single from the rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on January 21, 1991, and peaked at #94 on the UK Singles Chart. The track has long been a live favourite from the earlier part of their career to the present day...
".
Their next single, You Love Us, sampled Penderecki's
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
"Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima is a musical composition for 52 string instruments, composed in 1960 by Krzysztof Penderecki , which took third prize at the Grzegorz Fitelberg Composers' Competition in Katowice in 1960...
" as well as Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
. The video featured Nicky Wire in drag as Marilyn Monroe and contained visual references to Betty Blue and Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
. In a now legendary interview with then NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
journalist Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
, Edwards carved the phrase "4REAL" into his arm with a razor blade to prove their sincerity. He was taken to hospital and received a total of seventeen stitches. Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
of Sony Music UK signed the band shortly afterwards and they began work on their debut album.
Generation Terrorists to The Holy Bible (1992–1995)
Their debut album, Generation TerroristsGeneration Terrorists
- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Richey Edwards – guitar*Sean Moore – drums, percussion, backing vocals*Nicky Wire – bass, piano on Little Baby NothingAdditional personnel...
, was released on the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
imprint. The liner notes contained a literary quote for each of the album's eighteen songs and the album lasted just over seventy minutes. The record contained six singles and sold 250,000 copies.
The second album, Gold Against the Soul
Gold Against the Soul
Gold Against the Soul is the second album by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers released on June 14, 1993.All lyrics were written by Nicky Wire and Richey James Edwards, all music was written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore.-Album overview:...
, was released to mixed reviews but still performed well, reaching number eight in the UK album chart and displayed a more grungy sound. The nature of the lyrics also changed, with Edwards and Wire eschewing their political fire for introspective melancholy.
By early 1994, Edwards' personal difficulties became worse and began to affect the other band members as well as himself. He was admitted into The Priory in 1994 to overcome his problems and the band played a few festivals as a three-piece to pay for his treatment.
The group's next album, The Holy Bible
The Holy Bible (album)
The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was...
, was released in August to critical acclaim, but sold poorly. The album displayed yet another musical and aesthetic change for the band, largely featuring army/navy uniforms. Musically, the band had shifted to a lo-fi post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
sound. In support of the album, the band appeared on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, performing its first single, "Faster
Faster/P.C.P.
"Faster/P.C.P." is a double A-side single by the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. It is the ninth track from their 1994 studio album, The Holy Bible, and was released as the album’s lead single in June 1994. It reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart...
", which reached No.16. The performance was extremely controversial at the time, as the band were all dressed in army regalia. Bradfield wore a 'terrorist-style' balaclava. At the time, the band was told by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
that they had received the most complaints ever.
Shortly after, on 1 February 1995, Edwards disappeared from the Embassy Hotel at Bayswater Road
Bayswater Road
Bayswater Road is the main road running across the north of Hyde Park, London. To the east Bayswater Road becomes Oxford Street . It is where the fictional upper middle class Forsyte family live in the BBC series the Forsyte Saga...
in London after checking out at 7:00 am. His car was found abandoned 17 February 1995 at the Severn View service station
Severn View services
Facilities:*Costa Coffee - formerly Little Chef *Burger King*WHSmith - there also formerly was a 'Scoop' Convenience Store *BP Facilities:*Costa Coffee - formerly Little Chef (removed 2009)*Burger King*WHSmith - there also formerly was a 'Scoop' Convenience Store (removed 2009)*BP Facilities:*Costa...
near the Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
, which has since acquired notoriety for being a suicide spot. A car park attendant reported it had been there for three days; police search of the car revealed that it had been lived in for a few days. Edwards was never seen again, although the band have kept a percentage of the royalties aside should he return. He was declared presumed dead on 28 November 2008 by his family. The band commented that they respect their decision. Manic Street Preachers was put on hold for six months and disbanding the group was seriously considered, but with the blessing of Edwards' family, the other members continued.
Everything Must Go to Know Your Enemy (1996–2003)
The first album without Edwards, Everything Must Go, contained five songs either written or co-written by Edwards, and was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews. The bulk of the lyrics were written solely by Wire including number two hit single "A Design for LifeA Design for Life
"A Design for Life" was released by Manic Street Preachers in 1996 and was the first single release from the Everything Must Go album of May that same year.The title was inspired by the Joy Division EP record "An Ideal for Living"...
". The album was shortlisted for the 1996 Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
award for best album, and won the band two BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
for Best British Band and Best British album, as well as yielding the hit singles "Australia", "Everything Must Go
Everything Must Go (single)
"Everything Must Go" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as a single on July 22, 1996, the second single released from Everything Must Go, released in May of the same year....
" and "Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter (single)
"Kevin Carter" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as the third single from their album Everything Must Go in 1996. Its subject was the 1994 Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, Kevin Carter...
".
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the fifth album by Welsh band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in September 1998 on Epic Records, and in the United States the following year, on Virgin Records.- Background :...
was just as successful across most of the world, and gave the band their first number one single in "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
"If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released as the first single from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, with lyrics written by Nicky Wire , and music written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore...
". It was written about the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and was inspired in equal parts by George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's Homage to Catalonia
Homage to Catalonia
Homage to Catalonia is political journalist and novelist George Orwell's personal account of his experiences and observations in the Spanish Civil War. The first edition was published in 1938. The book was not published in the United States until February 1952. The American edition had a preface...
and The Clash's "Spanish Bombs
Spanish Bombs
"Spanish Bombs" is a song by The Clash, with principal vocals by Joe Strummer and additional vocals by Mick Jones, and featured on their 1979 double album London Calling...
". The album also included the hit singles "You Stole the Sun from My Heart
You Stole The Sun From My Heart
"You Stole the Sun from My Heart" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released on March 8, 1999 as the third single from the album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. All three members of the band - James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire - share the writing credits.The lyric concerns Nicky...
", "Tsunami" and "The Everlasting
The Everlasting (song)
"The Everlasting" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as a single on November 30, 1998, the second single to be released from the This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. All three members of the band - James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire - share the writing credits...
". Again the Manics won the Best British Band and album awards at the BRIT Awards in 1999.
On 31 December 1999 they played at the 'Leaving the 20th Century concert'
Leaving the 20th Century
Leaving the 20th Century is a recording of the so-called Manic Millennium concert by the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, released 2000. The concert, which also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the band, was performed on the New Year's Eve night 1999-2000 at the Millennium Stadium in...
in the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff, the first and biggest ever concert to be held there with 80,000 people attending.
In 2000 they released the limited edition single "The Masses Against the Classes
The Masses Against The Classes
"The Masses Against the Classes" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as a limited-edition single in January 2000. It was a stand-alone single, not featured on any studio album, and was deleted on the day of release.The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 16...
". Despite receiving little promotion, the single hit the number one position on the UK Singles chart, beating U Know What's Up by Donell Jones to the top. The catalogue entry for the single was deleted (removed from wholesale supply) on the day of release, but the song nevertheless spent seven weeks in the UK chart.
In 2001 they became the first popular western rock band to play in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, (at the Karl Marx Theater
Karl Marx Theater
The Karl Marx Theater is a theater in Havana, Cuba, formerly known as the Teatro Blanquita, and renamed after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the venue has an enormous auditorium with seating capacity of 5500 people, and is generally used for big shows by stars from Cuba and abroad...
) and met with president Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. Their concert and trip to Cuba was documented and then released as a DVD entitled Louder than War
Louder Than War
Louder Than War is a DVD release from the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. It is a recording of their live concert in the Karl Marx Theater in Havana, Cuba in 2001....
.
In this concert they revealed many tracks from their sixth album Know Your Enemy
Know Your Enemy (Manic Street Preachers album)
Know Your Enemy is the sixth album by the Manic Street Preachers. It was released in March 2001 on Virgin Records. The album has songs ranging from energetic lo-fi rock songs reminiscent of their earlier material to highly produced, more melodic pop songs as well as a disco song...
. The song "Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray (song)
"Ocean Spray" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, which was released as a single on June 4, 2001, the third song to be released from the album Know Your Enemy...
" was written by James about his mother's battle with cancer. The first singles from the album, "So Why So Sad
So Why So Sad
"So Why So Sad" was released by Manic Street Preachers in 2001 and was jointly the first single to be released from the Know Your Enemy album. All three members of the band - James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire - share the writing credits...
" and "Found That Soul
Found That Soul
"Found That Soul" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released on February 26, 2001 from the Know Your Enemy album. Writing credit was shared by all three members of the band, James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire....
", were both released on the same day. Other singles included "Let Robeson Sing
Let Robeson Sing
"Let Robeson Sing" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers in 2001 , the fourth single to be released from the Know Your Enemy album...
".
The greatest hits (plus remixes) album Forever Delayed
Forever Delayed
Forever Delayed is a greatest hits album by the Manic Street Preachers, released in October 2002. The album included three singles which had never appeared on earlier albums , the latter being one of the band's two UK #1 hits, along with "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next." Several...
was released in 2002, containing two new songs, "Door to the River" and the single "There by the Grace of God
There by the Grace of God
"There by the Grace of God" is a single released by Manic Street Preachers on 14 October 2002. It was a one-off release to coincide with the release of the greatest hits album Forever Delayed....
". An album of B-sides, rarities, and cover versions album was released in 2003: Lipstick Traces, which contained the last song worked on with Edwards.
Lifeblood to Journal for Plague Lovers (2004–2009)
The band's seventh studio album, LifebloodLifeblood
- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Sean Moore – drums, drum programming*Nicky Wire – bassAdditional personnel*Patrick Jones - additional lyrics on "Fragments"*Nick Nasmyth - keyboards*Jeremy Shaw - keyboards...
, was released on 1 November 2004 and reached #13 on the UK album chart. Critical response to the album was mixed. Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
helped the band produce three songs on the album, which was followed by a UK arena tour in December 2004. A tenth anniversary edition of The Holy Bible
The Holy Bible (album)
The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was...
was released on 6 December 2004, which included a digitally remastered version of the original album, a rare U.S. mix and a DVD of live performances and extras including a band interview.
In April 2005, the band played a number of shows as the Past-Present-Future tour — announced as their last for at least two years. The band released an EP entitled God Save the Manics
God Save the Manics
God Save The Manics is a free, three-track download only EP by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. It contained three new tracks that were created around the time of their seventh studio album, Lifeblood....
with only around 300 copies available and given out to fans as they arrived at the venue. After all the copies were gone, the band made the EP available as a free download on their website. In September, the band contributed the new track, "Leviathan
Leviathan (song)
"Leviathan" is a song by the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was recorded for the charity album Help!: A Day in the Life for War Child UK in 2005. It takes its title from the 1651 book about political power, Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and...
", to the War Child
War Child (charity)
War Child is a non-governmental organisation founded in the UK 1993, which focuses on providing assistance to children in areas of conflict and post-conflict. They use their film and entertainment background to raise money for aid agencies operating in former Yugoslavia...
charity album Help-a Day in the Life
Help-a Day in the Life
Help!: A Day in the Life, released in 2005, brought together many contemporary artists from Britain and Canada. It was produced by War Child UK in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original Help album, and aimed to raise money to fund the charity's efforts in war-torn countries such as...
.
The band's eighth studio album, Send Away the Tigers
Send Away the Tigers
- Album Charts :- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar, backing vocals*Sean Moore – drums, percussion*Nicky Wire – bass, backing vocalsAdditional personnel...
was released on 7 May 2007 on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. It entered the official UK album charts at #2. Critical response to the album was largely positive, with some critics hailing the album as the band's best for a decade. A free download of a song entitled "Underdogs
Underdogs (Manic Street Preachers song)
"Underdogs" is the title of a song by the Manic Street Preachers, it is taken from their eighth studio album Send Away the Tigers. The single is non chart eligible and was released as a thank you to fans for their support over the years....
" from the album was made available through the group's website on 19 March 2007. The first official single released from Send Away the Tigers was "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
"Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" is a single by Welsh rock group the Manic Street Preachers, taken from the album Send Away the Tigers. The song is a duet featuring the vocals of lead singer James Dean Bradfield and Nina Persson of The Cardigans, as well as additional vocals from bass guitarist...
", which features The Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
' vocalist, Nina Persson
Nina Persson
is the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish pop group The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and appearing on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited...
. The second single, "Autumnsong
Autumnsong
"Autumnsong" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and the second single taken from the album Send Away the Tigers. It was released on 23 July 2007....
", and a third, "Indian Summer
Indian Summer (Manic Street Preachers song)
"Indian Summer" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and the third single released from their eighth studio album Send Away the Tigers. Nicky Wire mentioned around the time of Autumnsong's release revelation that "Indian Summer" was a strong candidate for the second single from the album, and would...
", were released in August.
The band released a Christmas single in December. "Ghost of Christmas" was available as a free download on their official website throughout December 2007 and January 2008. In February 2008, the band were presented with the God-Like Geniuses Award award at the NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
ceremony.
The ninth Manics album, Journal for Plague Lovers
Journal for Plague Lovers
Journal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 18 May 2009, and features posthumous lyrics by Richey Edwards, who vanished on 1 February 1995, and was presumed deceased in 2008. It is the only Manic Street Preachers album...
, was released on 18 May 2009 and features lyrics left behind by Edwards. Wire commented in an interview that "there was a sense of responsibility to do his words justice." The album was released to positive critical reviews, scoring 85 on Metacritic.
Postcards from a Young Man (2010–present)
On 1 June 2010 the band announced on their homepage that a new album called Postcards from a Young ManPostcards From a Young Man
Postcards from a Young Man is the tenth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, which reached the number 3 spot on the UK Charts. The Manics began recording the album in October 2009 at their Faster Studio in Cardiff...
will be released on 20 September 2010. James Dean Bradfield said that the album would be an unashamedly pop-orientated affair following 2009's Journal for Plague Lovers. "We're going for big radio hits on this one," he told NME. "It isn't a follow-up to Journal for Plague Lovers. It's one last shot at mass communication."
On 26 July 2010 the first single from the new album, "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
" Just the End of Love" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and both the opener and the lead single of their tenth album Postcards From a Young Man....
", was played on the breakfast shows of BBC Radio 2, BBC 6Music, XFm and Absolute Radio. It was released on 13 September 2010. The title had previously been suggested as a working title for the album by Nicky Wire. Three collaborations were also confirmed on the band's website later that day: Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
will appear on "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun", Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (singer)
Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
adds guest vocals to "Some Kind of Nothingness" and John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
will feature on "Auto-Intoxication".
The band embarked on a UK tour to promote the album, starting in Glasgow on 29 September 2010. British Sea Power
British Sea Power
British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live...
were the support act for the band on the tour. Two further singles have been released from the album - the McCulloch featuring Some Kind of Nothingness
Some Kind of Nothingness
Some Kind of Nothingness is a song by Manic Street Preachers and the second single from their tenth album Postcards from a Young Man. It features Echo & the Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch. To promote the single the band performed the song on Strictly Come Dancing...
and the title track Postcards From A Young Man
Postcards from a Young Man (song)
"Postcards from a Young Man" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and the third single from their tenth album Postcards from a Young Man. It was released on February 28....
.
The band initially announced that their next album has the working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
'70 Songs Of Hatred And Failure
70 Songs Of Hatred And Failure
70 Songs of Hatred and Failure is the working title of the eleventh studio album by the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. The title was announced by bassist Nicky Wire in an interview with NME.com in November 2010....
' and will sound very different from Postcards From A Young Man
Postcards From a Young Man
Postcards from a Young Man is the tenth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, which reached the number 3 spot on the UK Charts. The Manics began recording the album in October 2009 at their Faster Studio in Cardiff...
. "The next album will be pure indulgence. There’s only so much melody stored in your body that you can physically get onto one record. It was just so utterly commercial and melodic." However Nicky Wire contradicted this in 2011 while doing promotion for their greatest hits compilation 'National Treasures'. When asked why the band was releasing the compilation Wire stated: 'It's just the end of an era. Not the end of a band. We're gonna disappear for quite a long time.'
A 38 track singles compilation, National Treasures – The Complete Singles
National Treasures – The Complete Singles
A DVD featuring the music videos to the tacks featured on the album is available in the deluxe edition. It also contains extra bonus content including alternate videos for "You Love Us" and "Autumnsong" and the video for "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time"....
, will be released on 31 October 2011, preceded by a new single.
Solo work
In late 2005, both BradfieldJames Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
and Wire
Nicky Wire
Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
announced that they intended to release solo material prior to a new album by the band. A free download of Nicky Wire's debut solo offering I Killed The Zeitgeist
I Killed The Zeitgeist
I Killed the Zeitgeist is the debut solo album by Manic Street Preachers bassist/lyricist Nicky Wire, released on September 25, 2006 on Red Ink Records. Many of the album's songs had previously appeared elsewhere in various formats, and contain lyrics about his Richey...
was posted on the band's website for just one day - Christmas Day 2005. The album of the same name was released in September 2006. It charted at #130 in the UK. The sound of the album, which Nicky referred to as his "nihilistic anti-everything album", was inspired by, among others, Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
, The Plastic Ono Band
The Plastic Ono Band
The Plastic Ono Band is a conceptual supergroup formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 before the dissolution of the Beatles. Among the various other members of the band were Eric Clapton, artist Klaus Voormann, future Yes drummer Alan White, Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, & friends, the Who's...
, Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten is a German post-industrial band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N.U...
, The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison...
, Richard Thompson and Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
. Only one official single was released: "Break My Heart Slowly
Break My Heart Slowly
"Break My Heart Slowly" is the debut single by Manic Street Preachers bassist/lyricist Nicky Wire, released on September 18, 2006 on Red Ink Records. The song premiered on Phil Jupitus' show on 6music in early May. The lyrics reference Dora Maar, a French photographer and one-time lover of Pablo...
" charted at #74. Nicky toured small intimate venues across the UK with his band The Secret Society, affording fans the opportunity of seeing their hero at close quarters.
Bradfield's solo album, The Great Western
The Great Western
The Great Western is the debut solo album by Manic Street Preachers vocalist/guitarist James Dean Bradfield, released on July 24, 2006 on Columbia Records. The majority of the lyrics were written by Bradfield, who had only contributed lyrics to the songs "Ocean Spray" and "Firefight" previously for...
was released in July 2006. It reached #22 in the UK. The sound of the album was inspired by, among others, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
, Badfinger
Badfinger
Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
and McCarthy
McCarthy (band)
McCarthy were a British indie pop band, formed in Barking, Essex, England in 1984 by schoolmates Malcolm Eden and Tim Gane with John Williamson and Gary Baker...
. Two singles were released: "That's No Way to Tell a Lie
That's No Way To Tell A Lie
"That's No Way to Tell a Lie" is the debut single by Manic Street Preachers vocalist/guitarist James Dean Bradfield, released on July 10, 2006 on Columbia Records. It is from the album The Great Western. The song premiered on Janice Long's show on BBC Radio 2 in late April.The song was added to...
" (#18) in July and then "An English Gentleman
An English Gentleman
"An English Gentleman" is the second single from the album The Great Western by Manic Street Preachers vocalist/guitarist James Dean Bradfield, released on September 25, 2006 on Columbia Records. The title track pays tribute to the late Manics publicist Philip Hall...
" (#31) in September. The latter is in remembrance of the first Manic's manager Philip Hall, to whom The Holy Bible
The Holy Bible (album)
The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was...
had been dedicated. James toured the album with a band that included Wayne Murray, who would subsequently play second guitar for Manics live performances. James' solo gigs featured covers of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
songs "Clampdown
Clampdown
Strummer, like Simonon, spent time on the dole, but Strummer did not come from a lower-class family. In the same interview with the LA Times Strummer said,...
" and "The Card Cheat", both from the album London Calling
London Calling
London Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...
.
In a later interview, when the band were collectively asked what they had learned from making a solo album, Sean Moore dryly quipped, "Not to do one".
Collaborations and covers
The band released in 1992 a split single with The Fatima Mansions (a rock cover of "Suicide Is PainlessSuicide Is Painless
"Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman , which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H" ". Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14...
") which became their first UK Top 10 hit. They have recorded many cover versions of songs by other artists, primarily as b-sides for their own singles. Bands to whom the group have paid tribute in this way include The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
, McCarthy
McCarthy (band)
McCarthy were a British indie pop band, formed in Barking, Essex, England in 1984 by schoolmates Malcolm Eden and Tim Gane with John Williamson and Gary Baker...
, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
, and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
.
The band's first musical appearance since Edwards' departure was recording a cover of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" for The Help Album
The Help Album
The Help Album is a 1995 charity album devoted to the War Child charity's aid efforts in war-stricken areas, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, a charity effort in 1995 in support of aid efforts in war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Lightning Seeds' song "Waiting for Today to Happen", from their fifth album, Dizzy Heights
Dizzy Heights
Dizzy Heights was The Lightning Seeds' fourth studio album, released in 1996, and reached #11 in the UK Albums Chart. It was re-issued in Sony Mid Price range in August 1999.-Writing and recording:...
(1996), was written by Nicky Wire
Nicky Wire
Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
and Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie is a British singer-songwriter, musician and record producer from Liverpool, England. After emerging from the post punk scene in Liverpool in the late 1970s as a member of Big in Japan, Broudie went on to form the short-lived groups Original Mirrors and Care in the early 1980s as well...
. That same year, James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
and Dave Eringa
Dave Eringa
Dave Eringa is an English record producer from Essex who has engineered, mixed, produced, and played on albums by such bands as Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, Idlewild, 3 Colours Red, South and Johnny Boy...
produced Northern Uproar's
Northern Uproar
Northern Uproar are an English rock band from Heald Green, Stockport. They formed in 1995 and initially disbanded in 1997. The band reunited in 2006 and are currently working on their fourth album. They released three albums and a number of singles, several of which charted in the UK Singles Chart...
first single, "Rollercoaster/Rough Boys
Rollercoaster/Rough Boys
"Rollercoaster"/"Rough Boys" is the debut single from self-titled debut album by British band Northern Uproar. It reached number 41 on the UK Singles Chart in 1995....
". The 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
song "Lopez" (1997) features lyrics by Wire and vocals by Bradfield. It is featured on their greatest hits album, 808:88:98
808:88:98
808:88:98 is a greatest hits compilation by 808 State.-Track listing:#"Pacific 707"#"Cübik"#"Cobra Bora"#"In Yer Face"#"The Only Rhyme That Bites" #"Olympic" #"Ooops"...
. Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
's sixth album, Impossible Princess
Impossible Princess
Impossible Princess is the sixth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released in Japan on 1 November 1997 by BMG Records, Australia on 12 January 1998 by Mushroom Records and 23 March 1998 in Europe by Deconstruction Records to mixed reviews. The album was produced by...
(1997), features two songs co-written and produced by the Manics: "Some Kind of Bliss
Some Kind of Bliss
"Some Kind of Bliss" is a song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written by Minogue, James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore for Minogue's sixth studio album Impossible Princess...
" (Bradfield/Minogue/Moore
Sean Moore (musician)
Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
) and "I Don't Need Anyone" (Bradfield/Jones/Minogue) were produced by Bradfield and Dave Eringa. Bradfield provided backing vocals, bass and production for the Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
song "Inertia Creeps" (1998), which features on their successful third album, Mezzanine
Mezzanine (album)
Mezzanine is the third studio album by English trip hop group Massive Attack, released on 20 April 1998. It was produced by Neil Davidge along with the group. The album was released on Virgin Records....
. Patrick Jones
Patrick Jones
Patrick Jones is a Welsh poet, playwright and filmmaker. His work is often in collaboration with the rock band Manic Street Preachers; his brother, Nicky Wire, is their bassist.-Biography:...
' album of poetry set to music, Commemoration And Amnesia (1999), features two songs with music written by Bradfield: the title track and "The Guerilla Tapestry". Bradfield plays guitar on both songs. Furthermore, the track "Hireath" features a section called "Spoken Word", in which Nicky Wire talks about Welsh identity.
In February 2006, the band contributed a cover version of "The Instrumental" to the album Still Unravished: A Tribute to the June Brides
Still Unravished
Still Unravished - A Tribute To The June Brides is a tribute album to the English indie pop band The June Brides, consisting of cover versions of their songs. The liner notes were written by Dave Eggers and Everett True...
.
In February 2008 the Manics covered Rihanna's
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
hit song "Umbrella". Their version appeared on a CD titled NME Awards 2008
NME Awards 2008 (album)
NME Awards 2008 is a CD album given away free with a special souvenir box set issue of the NME magazine on 27 February 2008. It features artists who played at the NME Awards ceremony at the IndigO2 and the 'Big Gig' played at the O2 Arena in London, plus others who had featured in the ShockWaves...
given away free with a special souvenir box set issue of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
magazine, which went on sale 27 February. Additionally, the Manics' version of the song was made available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
since 5 March 2008. Despite being chart-eligible (it reached number 47 in the UK), the release was not intended as an official single. Two further versions (Acoustic and Grand Slam Mix) were later made available on iTunes and now comprise a three-track Umbrella EP.
James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire contributed an original song, "The Girl from Tiger Bay", to Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
's 2009 studio album, The Performance
The Performance
The Performance is an album by singer Shirley Bassey, released on 9 November 2009. It is her first studio album of original compositions in three decades...
.
Current members
- James Dean BradfieldJames Dean BradfieldJames Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
- vocals and lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
(1986–present) - Nicky WireNicky WireNicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals; previously guitar (1986–present) - Sean MooreSean Moore (musician)Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion and trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
(1986–present)
Former members
- Richey Edwards - rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
(1989–1995) - Miles Woodward (AKA Flicker) - bass guitar (1986–1988)
Touring members
- Wayne Murray - rhythm and lead guitars, backing vocals (2006–present)
- Sean Read - piano/keyboards, percussion, saxophone (2006–present)
- Guy Massey - guitar (2004–2005)
- Greg Haver - guitar, percussion (2002–2003)
- Nick Nasmyth - keyboards (1995–2005)
- Dave EringaDave EringaDave Eringa is an English record producer from Essex who has engineered, mixed, produced, and played on albums by such bands as Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, Idlewild, 3 Colours Red, South and Johnny Boy...
- keyboards (1993–1994)
Discography
- Generation TerroristsGeneration Terrorists- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Richey Edwards – guitar*Sean Moore – drums, percussion, backing vocals*Nicky Wire – bass, piano on Little Baby NothingAdditional personnel...
(1992) - Gold Against the SoulGold Against the SoulGold Against the Soul is the second album by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers released on June 14, 1993.All lyrics were written by Nicky Wire and Richey James Edwards, all music was written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore.-Album overview:...
(1993) - The Holy BibleThe Holy Bible (album)The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was...
(1994) - Everything Must GoEverything Must Go (Manic Street Preachers album)Everything Must Go is the fourth album by Manic Street Preachers, released in 1996. It contains five songs with lyrics by Richey James Edwards, who disappeared and presumed to have died circa 1 February 1995 and was the last album to feature his contributions until Journal for Plague Lovers...
(1996) - This Is My Truth Tell Me YoursThis Is My Truth Tell Me YoursThis Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the fifth album by Welsh band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in September 1998 on Epic Records, and in the United States the following year, on Virgin Records.- Background :...
(1998) - Know Your EnemyKnow Your Enemy (Manic Street Preachers album)Know Your Enemy is the sixth album by the Manic Street Preachers. It was released in March 2001 on Virgin Records. The album has songs ranging from energetic lo-fi rock songs reminiscent of their earlier material to highly produced, more melodic pop songs as well as a disco song...
(2001) - LifebloodLifeblood- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Sean Moore – drums, drum programming*Nicky Wire – bassAdditional personnel*Patrick Jones - additional lyrics on "Fragments"*Nick Nasmyth - keyboards*Jeremy Shaw - keyboards...
(2004) - Send Away the TigersSend Away the Tigers- Album Charts :- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar, backing vocals*Sean Moore – drums, percussion*Nicky Wire – bass, backing vocalsAdditional personnel...
(2007) - Journal for Plague LoversJournal for Plague LoversJournal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 18 May 2009, and features posthumous lyrics by Richey Edwards, who vanished on 1 February 1995, and was presumed deceased in 2008. It is the only Manic Street Preachers album...
(2009) - Postcards from a Young ManPostcards From a Young ManPostcards from a Young Man is the tenth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, which reached the number 3 spot on the UK Charts. The Manics began recording the album in October 2009 at their Faster Studio in Cardiff...
(2010)
Awards
- Viewers' Favourite Album of All Time (The Holy Bible) - Newsnight
- 15th Best Album of All Time (The Holy Bible) - Melody Maker
- 10th Best Album Since Creation of Magazine (The Holy Bible) - Q
- 18th Best Album of All Time (The Holy Bible) - Q
- 10th Greatest Album of All Time (The Holy Bible) - Kerrang!
- Best Band of 1996 - NME Awards
- Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - NME Awards
- Best Band of 1999 - NME Awards
- Best Album (This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours) of 1999 - NME Awards
- Best Track (If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next) of 1999 - NME Awards
- Best Music Video (If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next) of 1999 - NME Awards
- One of The Writers' Best Albums (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
- Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Melody MakerMelody MakerMelody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
- Readers' Band of 1996 (Runner Up) & "Writers' Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996" - NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
- Writers' Best Live Band of 1996 - NME Brat Award
- Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Vox
- Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
- Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Sky
- Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 & Readers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Select
- Readers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Q Awards
- Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Music Week
- One of Writers' Top Ten Albums (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Metal Hammer
- Writers' Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 (Runner Up) - Kerrang!Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
- One of Writers' Top Five Albums (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Independent On SundayThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
- Readers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Hot Press
- Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Best Album & "Best Group" - BRIT AwardsBrit AwardsThe Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, 1997 - Best Band In The World Today - Q Awards, 1998
- Best Album & "Best Group" - BRIT AwardsBrit AwardsThe Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, 1999 - Best Live Act - Q AwardsQ AwardsThe Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event...
, 2001 - Q Merit Award - Q Awards, 2006
- Best Track (Your Love Alone Is Not Enough) - Q AwardsQ AwardsThe Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event...
, 2007 - 'God-Like Geniuses' - Shockwaves NME AwardsNME AwardsThe NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
, 2008 - The MOJO Maverick Award 2009
- Songwriting Prize at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour awards, 2011