August 6, 2010 9:28

Manic Street Preachers preview new album at intimate London show

The Welsh band play an error-strewn gig to launch 'Postcards From A Young Man'

Photo Gallery: Manic Street Preachers
Photo: Andy Willsher

Manic Street Preachers launched their new album 'Postcards From A Young Man' at an intimate gig at the Hammersmith Working Men's Club in London last night (August 5).

On a stage covered in Welsh flags, soft toys and a glittering mannequin and backed by the album artwork of actor Tim Roth, the Manics mixed new material with classics including 'Motown Junk', 'Everything Must Go', 'Motorcycle Emptiness' and 'A Design For Life' in front of an audience of friends and fans.

The band were joined by a string quartet for the gig, and played an aborted version of new single '(It's Not War) Just The End Of Love' to open. After the false start bassist Nicky Wire, wearing a white suit, sunglasses and dogtags said: "That's an edit for Radio 1. But let's face it, it's all they're going to fucking play."

Red-shirted singer/guitarist James Dean Bradfield took the errors in his stride, introducing 'Everything Must Go' by saying: 'Welcome to the fuck-up Preachers. Welcome to our pork scratching evening tonight." Later, after another error, Wire joked: "Remember when they said we could be the Welsh U2? This is why we never were."

The bassist also took a shot at Damon Albarn's Gorillaz. Donning a white sailor's hat, he said that Albarn had copied the nautical headgear and "bought a job lot" for the cartoon band, sniping: "I'll always be ahead of him."

Though departed guitarist Richey Edwards was not mentioned by name, Dean Bradfield introduced 'Jackie Collins Existential Question Time' by saying: "Last year we did that album 'Journal For Plague Lovers' that's dedicated to him in effect." They also introduced 1991's 'Motown Junk' with a snippet cover of The Jam's 'Town Called Malice'.

Before the finale of 'A Design For Life', a sweat-soaked Bradfield apologised for the mistakes, saying: "This is a personal apology from me for all the fuck-ups."

'Postcards From A Young Man' is out on September 27.

Manic Street Preachers played:

'(It's Not War) Just The End Of Love'
'Your Love Alone Is Not Enough'
'Everything Must Go'
'The Descent (Pages 1 & 2)'
'Motorcycle Emptiness'
'Town Called Malice'/'Motown Junk'
'Kevin Carter'
'You Love Us'
'If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next'
'Faster'
'Jackie Collins Existential Question Time'
'Postcards From A Young Man'
'Autumnsong'
'Some Kind Of Nothingness'
'A Design For Life'