Shooting Fascists

Manic Street Preachers

In your library (0 pBlackwood, South Wales (1986 – present)

Manic Street Preachers (often known colloquially as “The Manics”) are a Welsh rock band often associated with the resurgence of British rock in the early 90s, who gained mainstream popularity in the UK at the time. They are known for their intelligent and often political lyrics and have a dedicated cult following. Although during the early part of their career they were regarded as a punk rock band, their music is now often generally regarded as alternative rock, due to changes in their sound. Co-lyricist and guitarist Richey James Edwards (Richey James, as he preferred to be known) mysteriously disappeared in 1995; his whereabouts are unknown.

Politically, the Manics appear as a socialist group — a stance inflected by their working class upbringing in Blackwood, South Wales (they grew up during the miners’ strike of the 1980s) as evidenced by their often highly politicised lyrics and actions (they once dedicated an award to Arthur Scargill, leader of the National Union of Mineworkers and later the Socialist Labour Party). The band also played a highly publicized gig in Cuba.

They came together in 1986, when James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Sean Moore and rhythm guitarist Flicker formed Betty Blue in the small South Wales town of Blackwood. Two years later, Flicker had left and Nicky’s friend Richey Edwards (previously the group’s driver) joined in his place.