GIG REVIEW: Manic Street Preachers
- Posted on December 19, 2007 2:58 PM
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Manic Street Preachers
Brixton Academy,11 December 2007
Review By Tim Kernutt
The Manic Street Preachers have enjoyed the continuing success that the likes of new-UK bands such as the Kaiser Chiefs could only dream of sustaining. Playing to an admittedly ageing crowd (well, ageing in the sense that the average age was thirty five) in Brixton on a chilly London mid-week night, the band still manages to sell out concerts like the band are never going to go out of style.
Of course, the Manic Street Preachers are renowned for being as political as they are successful. However, at their first London performance in their latest tour, the only sign of the Manic Street Preachers being political was that of a Welsh flag draped on an amplifier on the left of the band.
The Manic Street Preacher's stage was overwhelmingly understated, ensuring that the audience was only focused on their music. This particular member of the audience confesses to being a little green in terms of knowledge of the band, and the only personal sing-along was to "If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next", and only the chorus at that. However, notwithstanding my own lack ignorance, the whole audience sung along to most of the tunes with utmost gusto. Stand out tunes on the night, apart from the aforementioned, were "Everything Must Go", "Oceans Spray", "Forever Young", "1985" and "This Is Yesterday". The impression that I was left with was this is a band that takes life, and themselves, quite seriously. However, not in the morbid, existential crisis sense, but more appropriately in the left-of-centre political sense. And Manic Street Preachers are not afraid to enjoy themselves on stage, with band-members joking, jumping, skipping and swearing their way around stage.
There is no doubt that the Manic Street Preachers are now vying for an older audience from their earlier days, reflected in the average age of the audience. However, like the Manic Street Preachers themselves, the audience still looks determined to have fun, especially in the post-Blair days. The Manic Street Preachers put on a first-rate concert, and every member of the audience went away buzzing.
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