16 July 2025
Welsh rock heroes MANIC STREET PREACHERS released their 15th LP,
baptized Critical Thinking, last February. A record stuffed with sticky,
melancholic tunes and sharp daily life observations.
The Manics are still engaged, socially and politically,
and criticize and address injustice, intolerance
and other related, humankind issues.
The original fast and furious resoluteness has slowly vanished after 39 years.
Quite logical when one gets older and more settled, but their caring mindset
still is intact and in the right place and they have filled a Wurlitzer jukebox with
splendacious gems by now.
But on stage they still sparkle, enrapture and stir hearts and souls like they
did in their 20s (I know, I saw them 20-plus times). Last Saturday they landed
at Rock Zottegem Festival in Belgium. It was a blast, an absolute blast. The sound
was impeccable, the setlist was unflawed, the band was in high spirits and the
crowd’s vivid euphoria went sky-high.
I can’t get tired of hearing imperishable classics such as Motorcycle Emptiness,
You Stole the Sun From My Heart, Australia, A Design for Life, You Love Us (dedicated
to the wonderful Richey Edwards who disappeared in 1995, aged 27) and If You Tolerate
This Your Children Will Be Next, all delivered (like the whole set) with an infectious ardency and tons of vim and vigour and the new album’s poppy singles, the Nicky Wire sung
Hiding In Plain Sight and Decline & Fall fitted in seamlessly.
Frontman James Dean Bradfield voice filled the giant tent, Nicky Wire still looked and played his bass like a bona fide rock star, drummer Sean More hit his gear with the usual sinewy
panache, and their extra guitarist and keyboardist completed the line-up.
Manics are not done yet, far from it.
They’re designed for life. Never delayed.
Hail hail!
SETLIST
Motorcycle Emptiness
Enola/Alone
You Stole the Sun From My Heart
Decline & Fall
La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)
Australia
International Blue
Hiding in Plain Sight
Autumnsong
A Design for Life
The Everlasting
From Despair to Where
Walk Me to the Bridge
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
You Love Us
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
Live photos by Turn Up The Volume