Manic Street Preachers,
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
By Rita Maman

Observant fans will have seen notices around the Civic Hall informing them that Manic Street Preachers would play two sets last night.

The first half of the hot and sweaty gig saw their new album Journal For Plague Lovers played in its entirety. The album is probably the most apt tribute the trio could make to missing band member Richey Edwards, whose lyrics feature on all tracks.

Nicky Wire summed up their sense of loss and fond memories as he told the sell-out crowd: ‘’We did some beautiful things together’’. Men and women alike donned Nicky’s trademark feather boas and the band kept fans entertained with local references to a drunken night at the Wolverhampton Novotel and playing JBs in Dudley.

The second half was the best greatest hits set fans could wish for as frontman James Dean Bradfield energetically belted out anthem after anthem, including Motorcycle Emptiness and If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next.

Nicky had a witty dig at MPs as he introduced Faster, with the lyric “I want everything corrupt . . . like politicians’’.