Manic Street Preachers @ Liverpool University's Guild of Students - 08/10/10

Manic Street Preachers bring their Postcards From A Young Man tour to Liverpool University’s Guild; bounding onto the stage James Dean Bradfield shouts “Hello Liverpool…You love us!” And indeed we do. They then launch into, as you may have guessed, You Love Us.

On-stage we have the 8ft tall, statuesque Nicky Wire; with trademark black eyeliner, pink feather boa and Welsh flag draped around the microphone.

Nicky is joined by fellow Manics: the brooding and beautiful James Dean Bradfield, and the lovely Sean Moore. The band also extends to a third guitarist, and a keyboardist/ everything elser; and as always, in spirit and lyrics, Richey Edwards.

The Manic Street Preachers obviously have a deep fondness for the city and they dedicate From Despair To Where to Liverpool.

The bad seem to have genuine warmth towards the city as singer James Dean Bradfield explains with great disbelief how his favourite café has been closed down. The Manics seem pleased to be here and the feeling is completely mutual.

If ever a band was born to play live it was these guys; the Manics are musically and lyrically in a league of their own. Whilst James Dean Bradfield’s voice still generates a huge ferocity and passion.

James announces that they will play a song off each one of their ten albums, which reminds you of the back catalogue this band posses. They could quite easy conjure up an entirely new set list and it would still contain definitive songs that most other bands can only dream of.

The set list includes the classic Motorcycle Emptiness- the band wrote this song when they were in their teens! That’s quite an amazing feat.

There is also a stripped down, acoustic version of You Stole The Sun From My Heart; with the crowd breathtakingly singing along with James, as he acknowledges “what a choir”.

The Theme from M.A.S.H (Suicide Is Painless) was a highlight of the night. Manics and M.A.S.H fans will obviously be familiar with this song, anyone who isn’t should immediately go out and familiarise themselves with it.

The rest of the set includes classics such as Roses In The Hospital, Faster, If You tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, Jackie Collins Existential Question Time, Your Love Alone, and Tsunami.

There is also a surprise guest in the form of Ian McCulloch, as James introduces him as “the greatest British singer of all time… Mr Ian McCulloch.” James modestly under-estimates himself here as many would agree he also falls into this category.

Ian McCulloch joins the band for two songs, Some Kind Of Nothingness and the beautiful Killing Moon.

Nicky Wire introduces Kevin Carter as a song “with the genius lyrics that only Richey Edwards could write.” It’s also a poignant moment as Richey is still very much part of the band, even since his disappearance back in the mid-nineties; Richey’s lyrics play a prominent part of the manic street preachers’ songs, even to this day.

The Manic Street Preachers are still feisty after all these years, they have a boundless energy and they sound amazing live. They epitomize what a great band is. If you get a chance to ever catch this band live grab it with both hands.

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