Niki N. Phaser

The legend grows… A new documentary about Manic Street Preachers has reached its final stages and is… “coming soon”, to quote the latest trailer. No Manifesto is directed by Elizabeth Marcus, produced and (most importantly with documentaries) edited by Kurt Engfehr, who has quite some experience with editing documentaries: Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11. It promises to change the world of rockumentaries, focusing both on the band and the fans. It doesn’t really sound so new, but what’s important is that this film goes to show once more what modern rock legends Manic Street Preachers really are. They deserve all the attention and all the movies one can make about them, though, to be entirely honest, I am still waiting for a biopic about them or, at least, about Richey. The 2002 Sidney J. Furie comedy Global Heresy seemed like a nod to the whole Richey disappearance episode, even though no one admits it officially. Still, No Manifesto does offer some enticing material, like the band’s time in the studio working on Send Away the Tigers. That alone promises to be very interesting.

No Manifesto TRAILER

NME is informing us about a new Manic Street Preachers tour in the United States and Canada, after a decade since their last official visit there. The first gig will be in Seattle in September and it will be an occasion for the Manics to take their new album, the already legendary Journal for Plague Lovers, to new crowds. The response to the new material has been more than positive in Europe, both in concerts and in the musical press, though their tour has been a bit jinxed by illness. In the beginning, Nicky Wire had some back problems due to a prolapsed disc, which limited his stage movements dramatically. Also, their Japan appearance at the Nano Mugen Festival had to be cancelled because of Wire’s bacterial gastroenteritis. Hopefully, their US shows will go as planned.

Well, it is pretty much official: Manic Street Preachers have done it again. Journal for Plague Lovers, their latest album, is neither a comeback, nor a return to early days, despite the several connections between this album and The Holy Bible (1994). It is just perfect. It is true, is less piano, strings and synth than Lifeblood (2004), but the exquisite riffs at the core of their latest effort show that they are more sure of themselves than they have ever been. They are an electric guitar band and Send Away the Tigers (2007) gave them just the right push to embrace that identity.

Still, fans of Lifeblood and This is My Truth Tell Me Yours, there are no reasons to worry. Tracks like This Joke Sport Severed, Doors Closing Slowly and Facing Page: Top Left offer plenty of melancholic moments. We can also include here the closing number, William’s Last Words, with vocals by Nicky Wire. Considering the beauty of older B-side Dying Breeds, the return is more than welcomed. Hopefully, this direction will be further investigated.

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