James Dean Bradfield, the iron-lunged lead singer (and pretty damn handy guitarist) of the Manics opened the night by reflecting on the fact that this was the first time the band had been back in the USA for ten years. “Ten years! Why did we wait so long?” was his rallying call. And the crowd reacted: “Sort your management out then!” Indeed, it was true that the band had not played a US gig since the turn of the millennium, which in music terms is an absolute age. This was the eleventh date in the group’s twelve date North America tour, which will be culminating on October 8^th in Boston (I hope the Boston crowd appreciates what they will be being treated to!). The band is partially trying to promote their new album  Journal for Plague Lovers as well as reconnect with their American audience. They are doing a sterling job, having taken in all the West Coast, Mid-West, East Coast and a lot of Canada.

Finally. The chance arose for me to see one of my favourite bands OFALLTIME in New York. For the first time ever. And in a venue small enough to fit a hundred times or more in any of the stadiums the Manics are used to playing on the other side of the pond. And this was the response I got from many of the ex-pat Brits who descended on Webster Hall on Wednesday night: “I can’t believe I’m seeing them so close up!”. I know Webster Hall perhaps (a little too) well and was amazed and very excited to be fusing this small, grimy and generally boozy venue with such an iconic band. I knew I had a great night in store and didn’t care that I went by myself. I had invited some fellow pommes to come along but the general response was that “the Manics have sucked since The Holy Bible”. “Their loss” I thought as I forked out the $30 for a ticket on the door (best $30 I ever spent …) and settled down for the night with one of Webster Hall’s legendary “brandies with a dash of coke”.

Webster Hall, New York – Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

The New Album – Journal for Plague Lovers

The new record itself has caused a lot of furore back in the UK, where its striking album cover, picturing a young boy with a bloodied nose, has been banned from a number of major supermarket chains. The band’s record label, Columbia, has been forced to release a blank version of the cover art for the more sensitive Sainsbury’s customers. The painting’s creator, Jenny Saville, is a favourite of the Manics, who used one of her other iconic pieces on the front of their seminal The Holy Bible. The album is also significant in the fact that its lyrics belong to Richey Edwards, who was officially pronounced deceased last year (he went missing around February 1^st 1995 and has not been seen since). The group posted the following message on their website: “All 13 songs on the new record feature lyrics left to us by Richey. The brilliance and intelligence of the lyrics dictated that we had to finally use them”. In this sense, there was a kind of eerie presence in the room when the songs from this album were played. I almost expected (and desperately wished Richey to walk in and start playing!).

The group opened with “Motorcycle Emptiness”, an absolute classic from their 1992 debut Generation Terrorists and a great tune to get the crowd going. The group then kicked into other anthems such as “La Tristesse Durera” and “You Love Us”, during which I attempted to start a mosh but the more sedate New York crowd did not look impressed. It is true that the Manics are not nearly as popular or well known on this side of the Atlantic, but that was no excuse not to get down and dirty to what are, in the end, just fantastic songs to dance around to.

Halfway through the set, Dean Bradfield came on stage with an acoustic guitar and played a wonderful version of “The Everlasting” which silenced the crowd, who watched in awe. It was also a good excuse for me to take a breather. Then the group played three of their biggest hits, which most of the audience seemed to know; “You Stole The Sun From My Heart”, “If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next” and “Design For Life”. This last song was definitely a fitting climax and the whole room was alive and kicking. However, there was also something for the purists out there. Dean Bradfield introduced “Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit’sworldwouldfallapart” from The Holy Bible by saying that he would be surprised if ten people in the room knew it – count me amongst that ten! And I am more than ready to go and preach the word.

Whether the Manics will really achieve the success they deserve in the States is a difficult question. Probably not is the answer. I think it is just too late. The US is a very tough market to crack and you either need to be overblown and bombastic like Muse or go out on a limb a la Radiohead and flick the good old British “V” to everyone. Even then, large swathes of the country will largely choose to ignore you in favour of Kelly Clarkson. But for one night in New York it certainly felt like Dean Bradfield and the gang were the main attraction. Nicky Wire looked resplendent in his sailor’s hat and blazer and Sean Moore beat the hell out of them drums.

The Setlist

Due to the ad-lib nature of the review, all images are taken from http://www.manicstreetpreachers.com