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Manic Street Preachers

A Short History

Jim Mowat
The Riff

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Photo by author 2017, public sculpture ‘A-maze-ing Laughter’ by Yue Minjun, Morton Park, Vancouver

If one of these things had happened to a band, they would have easily got their 15 minutes of fame in rock history. All these things are in this band’s history:

  • They write one of the great guitar riffs, and it propels Motorcycle Emptiness to be an anthem of its time and in the pantheon of all time
  • Prove the press wrong for the accusation of being Clash wannabees and fakes by carving: ‘4 REAL’ into your arm in front of them
  • Founding member disappears on the eve of a PR tour and remains presumed dead
  • Make a singular and never-bettered song about overcoming tragedy and moving on (Everything Must Go)
  • Successfully couple up serious political statement in a rock song that you can sing along to: ‘Libraries gave us power’ (A Design for Life)
  • Write a song with Kylie (Some Kind of Bliss)
  • Be part of Britpop/but remain splendidly aloof, successful, and never break up
  • Halfway through Ocean Spray the drummer picks up a trumpet and plays a beautiful brass solo
  • They play communist Cuba and meet President Castro, who attends their gig
  • Duet with Nina from the Cardigans in a song of beautiful pathos about loss (Your Love is not Enough).

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Jim Mowat
Jim Mowat

Written by Jim Mowat

Writes about rock and indie music. Long term music lover and follower of Indie-Alternative sounds, rock with an edge and a good lyric.

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