Manic Street Preachers, Smithfield, Dublin 4th May 2001 by aoibheann
We spent 4hrs in the car then Una and I went for something to eat. In Burger King we saw these three guys wearing combats and stuff and Una was looking at them a bit strangely. I told her they would be at the concert and of course I was right.
Eventually we found the place at 6:00. We started queuing and we got talking to these two Canadians in front of us. They travelled like 4,000 miles just to see the Manics. Then at about 7:00 they started to let us in. I got the t-shirt. We end up in like the third row right in the middle of the pit and it really started to get crowded around 7:30 coz JJ72 were coming on at 8:00. When JJ72 started (finally) everyone in the pit started jumping and it got really hot and squashy in there. One girl started crying and had to be taken out by the bouncers. I was barely on the ground for the whole thing. Just all over peoples feet. (Sorry everyone!!) Then Mark did his acoustic song. I dunno what it was but all the lads at the front started chanting �Hilary Hilary�. Mark was getting annoyed so Fergal and Hilary came back on. Everyone chanted �Snow Snow Snow� so they had to play it. I screamed along and Una thought they were singing �I want it slow�. JJ72 finished at about 8:35.
At 9:50 they brought out Nicky�s mic stand and everyone went crazy. The whole pit was swaying and everyone was falling over. Una and I got talking to two guys Kieran and Keith who were standing beside us.
At around 9:15 the Manics came out! Everyone went crazy again especially me coz James had the white guitar (or at least one of them) and there was a huge surge to the front of the pit. Then everyone went backwards and I fell all over everyone behind me. (Sorry again!!) I didn�t actually see them when they first came on coz everyone else was jumping up over my head. James said something like �Hello Dublin! It's Nice to be here This Is �Found That Soul�!� or something like that. Then they played �Motorcycle Emptiness� and the pit went wild. I almost fell down on the ground once or twice there. Then they played �You Stole the Sun�� and we went wild again. I did actually fall down in the middle. It was so cool like being under water or something. Then Kieran, Keith and Una pulled me up again.
Then they brought out a guy called Sean to do the trumpet. It wasn�t the real Sean but he was almost as good. They did �Ocean Spray�. We had moved back a bit by now. Then �Click, click, click, click� �Kevin Carter� and for once I could remember the words. Then they did �Yes� and dedicated it to Richey. I went mad coz I love that song.
James said something like �Come on Dublin let me hear you scream.� Then it was �Masses.� Everyone around me was jumping up and down and I could barely see. But I didn�t mind coz I was the only one who knew all the words. I have to say that �So Why So Sad� sounds a lot better live. I think they played an extra chorus at the end. Or else it was just me. They did �Faster� after that and once again the pit went mad. But thank god we were back a bit by now. I jumped around a lot and I sang or screamed as loud as I possibly could.
Things slowed down a bit when they played �Let Robeson Sing.� I knew the words to that as well. Then James did the opening riff of �Sweet Child O Mine� and Una went crazy coz she thought they were gonna play it. Well everyone did. But I knew it was �Motown Junk�.
Then it was the acoustic set. James said something like �Gimme a little respect� and played �Baby Elian.� It was really nice. The two guys standing beside us with the Welsh flag swayed along so I did too. With my flag. Then it was �Small Black Flowers�� I have decided that I like that better live too.
Nicky and Sean came back. Nicky was wearing his skirt/dress thingy. I didn�t see at first. I barely saw Sean the whole night. James played bass for �Miss Europa Disco Dancer� and Kieran was like �Wow he plays bass?� I thought they would play �Wattsville Blues� but they played �Australia� instead. Wow that version of �Australia� was amazing. The drumming was absolute perfection but then why wouldn�t it be? When it was finished James informed us �That was the fastest version of �Australia� we have ever done.� I think it was now that the things with the fire at the top lit up. Yeah it was coz they were on for �Tsunami� and James was like �Wow we have fire.� It was cool. Keith was saying �Haha I knew they lit up!�
Then they did �Tsunami� and I sang or screamed again. At this point I was almost frothing at the mouth I needed a drink so badly. Then they did �Tolerate� and the whole crowd turned into a mosh pit. When they played �You Love Us� I almost started to cry coz I knew it was almost over. Then they played �A Design For Life� and I did actually start crying. It was amazing. They probably said something before it but I don�t remember. And also James did introduce the band at some point but I don�t remember when. Then at the end Nicky got his bass and smashed up the drums. They were chanting something but I couldn�t hear it fully. At this point I was deaf in one ear.
Just as everyone was leaving that bit at the end of �Epicentre� that annoys me came on. Me and Una tried to figure out how to get out. We ended up getting a picture of me and the tour bus, asking about 10 people how to get back to where we were queuing, and I started singing JJ72 songs. Well it was a bit more of humming coz I didn�t know any of the words. We finally found my dad and I was so glad to sit down in the car. We went to Burger King again and I got one of those XXL drinks. Then we went home.
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