The Beat Surrender

This tour showcases the ninth studio album by Manic Street Preachers with the album “Journal For Plague Lovers”. This album was crafted using the lyrics left behind by the troubled genius Richey Edwards. Fourteen years after Richey’s disappearance, the band decided to put his words to music. The vast array of topics covered in this album range from Giant Haystacks to Stephen Hawking. A truly diverse compilation of lyrics and a glimpse at the mind set of Richey Edwards.

The gig was split into two halves with the first part playing the album in track order and the second part a selection of classic songs from their massive collection of hits.

The Manics were supported by The Answering Machine. They had a sound very similar to Arctic Monkeys and The View. I’m not normally a great fan of support bands but I have to hold my hands up and say that this band was brilliant. With their set featuring songs from their forthcoming debut album it gives the impression that they may be one for the future.

The Manics were welcomed to the stage by a raucous and jubilant packed crowd. The set kicked off with “Peeled Apples” and proceeded to play the new material in album track order. The crowd went wild at the introduction by James Dean Bradfield of the brilliantly titled “Jackie Collins Existential Question Time”. The chorus of “oh mummy what’s a sex pistol” sent the crowd into a frenzy.

This title track is as mainstream as this album gets with the rest of the songs harking back to the sounds of “The Holy Bible”. The set ended with bassist Nicky Wire singing “William’s Last Words”. This was followed by a short interval before the crowd pleasing second set of classic tracks began.

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