Manic Street Preachers - Glasgow Barrowlands April 2nd + 3rd - according to Woody the Sean fan
I can't hear a thing out of my right ear, my legs are hurting from disco dancing too much, and I'm really, really missing the Manics and my favourite Manics fans. I didn't want to come home this morning; I could have done another gig tonight no problem. I'm listening to GATS because they didn't play anything off it either night and live GATS drumming is just...
Monday April 2nd
This morning was horrible - I hate the days of Manics gigs, they drag on and you get colder and you lose all feeling in your bum from sitting on cold concrete for hours. As soon as my bus got into Glasgow I gave up all plans of being sensible and trying to find food for the next 3 days. Got a taxi to the venue as soon as I could - fortunately recognised people I'd met Joe Strummer with 18 months ago (and hadn't seen since!), so I had somebody to talk to right away...
It turned out to be the best days queuing I've ever had - met some fantastic new people and a fantastic old friend. I didn't turn up expecting to get along with people at all, but had a great time, was laughing my head off for a large part of it. Dressed in normal clothes which put half of the queue off me (you can tell by the way they look at you) but I really don't care. I like looking like a Sean fan.
James arrived first in a black cab... security surrounded him as soon as he got out - naturally, the fans all started pushing towards him and security pushed back and it was all a bit unnecessary. Fans ended up getting hurt and we all felt like shit after he'd gone in. Security had spoken to and treated us like we were all psychotic for wanting to say hello to him. It wasn't a nice feeling. If there'd been one security guard with him it would have been a much easier job getting him inside the venue.
I wrote a slightly cheeky but pissed off comment about the event on the back of an envelope that I got to him. He mentioned it to me later and I don't think he appreciated my comments much. I don't understand what security were thinking - or who decided to do things this way this tour (the same happened every day, so I was told). I dunno, maybe there are issues we're unaware of, but I don't think the way things were organised
had any reasoning behind it whatsoever. Whatever they hoped to achieve, it didn't work.
Sean and Nick arrived on the bus and security made a line to keep them away from us crazy fans... Sean legged it straight into the building, saw the top of his head rush past, over security guards shoulders. Managed to get Mitch to give him and James the envelopes I had for them. Mitch has
grown a beard... I really like it!
Nick was signing stuff and security were trying to get him in the venue... I was told Nick had told security that were hassling him, to "f*** off, a few autographs isn't going to hurt anybody"!
That was about it before the gig... went to the pub for some food and pints. Then went to the Barrowlands and went to the bar (and decided to paint my nails whilst slightly tipsy). I much prefer doing that before gigs - getting squashed up against the barrier doesn't have much appeal to me any more. The new album having two songs that you can properly dance to, it'd be a crime not to have a proper boogie to them live! Missed all of support band Starsailor but heard lots of good things about them - I'm really disappointed about the bad reaction I heard they got. It's usually the way with Manics support bands though... the few bands I've managed to speak to who've supported the Manics absolutely hated the crowd. Isn't that shameful? I did hear the story of the Manchester support getting "braindead motherf***ers!" chanted at them one of the nights! It's cruel. I can't say I didn't laugh though.
Setlist for the Manics first night was in no particular order because I can't remember: Found That Soul, Motorcycle Emptiness, You Love Us, Motown Junk, Yes, Faster, Design For Life, Kevin Carter, Ocean Spray, Australia, Freedom of Speech, Masses, Tsunami, You Stole the Sun, So Why So Sad, Tolerate, Let Robeson Sing, Miss Europa, Wattsville Blues, and the acoustic set was Baby Elian and Small Black Flowers...
We had Motorcycle 2nd which was an absolutely fantastic time to play it! We had a trumpeter called Sean (but not our Sean!) for Kevin Carter and Ocean Spray. To introduce Yes James said "this one's called Die in the Summertime" to which we all started screaming. I wasn't keen on
Of Walking Abortion at V99 (putting it lightly) but the thought of hearing Die in the Summertime live made me scream very loudly and start jumping up and down. James then said, "only joking" and they played Yes. For the first time ever, I was really disappointed to hear Yes live...
Motown Junk was introduced by Sweet Child O' Mine (the first verse!) And we could remember the words! And James sang the "We live in urban hell, we destroy rock'n'roll" bit really clearly at the end!
I can't remember which night it was, but before Miss Europa, James put on a pink tiara somebody had thrown on stage. It really suited him actually. The highlight for the drumming was probably quite obviously Masses. Not my favourite Manics song ever, but the drumming is really
something. Really, really thrilling both nights. Australia got me doing air drums� you just have to don't you? Nothing from GATS either night - the most disappointing thing about the gigs. GATS drums always do something unspeakable to me.
My favourites apart from those two, were Miss Europa and Wattsville Blues - Nicky sang it brilliantly. I really enjoyed hearing him sing a song that suits his voice. James played one of those double guitars - I guess with a bass on the top and a guitar on the bottom. I couldn't figure out what Nicky was playing for that song, I think he was concentrating more on putting his leg up on his monitor posing, looking beautiful� he really did. Not as much as Sean though, obviously. Nicky got us all chanting "Braindead Motherf***er!" before Miss Europa started. So much fun! Nicks
clothes this time were really cool - I remember a lot of shorts! Oh yes! A fantastic sailor suit with shorts the first day - and a fantastic shiny silver top the first half of the 2nd night, and a lovely pink suit the 2nd half.
The acoustic set was Baby Elian and Small Black Flowers - just as Sean and Nick walked off stage I had the bright idea of running over to the barrier in front of the backstage door, jumping up and down and waving whilst shouting "Sean!" - I got a wave! Both when he was going into and out of the dressing room. Tried to take photos at the same time as jumping up and down and shouting, I don't know what they'll be like.
They ended with Tolerate, You Love Us, and Design For Life. I know everybody moaned about this last tour and I was quite happy with it, but I really wish they'd end on You Love Us again. James never sings the Heavenly ending if they don't do it last. Before You Love Us James starts shouting "Who do ya love?" and everybody I hear all mistakingly shout back "you!" instead of "us"...
Can't quite remember Sean's intro but he got a bigger cheer than Nicky! Hurrah! Ran out of the venue as soon as we could and eventually managed to figure out which door they'd be coming out of. There's only two. Enough to confuse us. Security were so funny this time, we laughed more than anything else. At a generous guess I'd say there were 10 fans waiting on them coming out but security numbered about 20. They lined up from the door to the tour bus but fortunately, with the Manics being the wonderful band that they are, all signed autographs and didn't seem in much rush to run away from us.
Got to speak to Sean first of all - it was weird though because we had to stand on our tiptoes over security mens shoulders to see them. Asked Sean if he could manage an interview the next day, but he said he was busy all day and he didn't have time� but he had done the postal interview, which I thanked him for. I mumble something about a tape I was making for him but hadn't finished that I'd end up posting. It was really good - I love getting time to talk to him. Nobody was remotely hysterical after the gig. There was this weird silence - so it felt like everything you were saying was being listened to by everybody there. Everybody was completely calm.
James came over after Sean had gone and mentioned something about what I'd written on the back of the envelope - I couldn't hear him (I was deaf in one ear and had very loud ringing in the other - I swear manics gigs are getting louder) and so had to get him to repeat it about 4 times. I got the feeling he didn't find it funny. Ooops. I really didn't mean to be horrible. He said something about having to be in venues on time.
Managed to poke my head around the tourbus door - I really shouldn't have, it was so nosey, completely invading their privacy (I feel bad about it now), but you should've see the amount of videos they had! At a rough estimate, at least 30 of them. So impressive! Getting back to the hostel we didn't get back in our rooms until 4am - and even then I couldn't sleep a wink all night. I just lay there with a smirk over my face
because of talking to Sean - and anticipating the postal interview arriving.
Tuesday April 3rd
Last day of the tour and I'm not at all tired from not getting to sleep. I was sleeping under this ballet dancer (she was on the top bunk, I mean) and she did the most amazing things with her legs getting down and up to her bunk. I was completely fascinated. Go into town after a lovely
breakfast of hot chocolate and crisps in the smoking room. Decide to go to the signing instead of queuing, it was raining really heavily. Go along to the signing at HMV not really expecting to get in because we don't have passes. We decide to wait around the back to see them arrive but start to change our mind just as their car (with blacked out windows) arrives. We're mortified. They must have just seen the backs of 5 Manics fans running away from them.
I manage to speak to Steve from security and he told me if we wait around they'd let us in after the people with passes have finnished. We have to wait behind barriers outside - feeling very silly and starting to go hysterical for the first time over the two days. A group are giving out pro-Cuba flyers and they have a petition (being sent to the American government) which I take in for the band to sign. Gave it to James first who reads it, looking suspicious. He signs it, as they all do, and I'm really amused. Nicky said something about something being American and he laughed really loudly but I didn't understand.
Got my Cuba NME signed which looks amazing� we're only allowed to get two things signed. Sean gives me a smile and I take a couple of photos and I can feel my face burning up because he keeps looking at me and smiling and I can't remember if I said anything or not and I don't know what to do, I'm all confused. Just as we're walking away I give him an embarrased grin to which he gives me a wink back� that really was too much to cope
with (I haven't stopped smiling since!).
We go to Tescos and walk around not understanding what wine we want. I feel like I've suddenly gone really idiotic. Go back to the hostel and go to bed and drink wine and attempt to stop grinning, and I try to stop talking about Sean constantly [I'd been going on constantly for almost 24 hours]
I enjoy tonights gig more than the previous night. I can't remember the set list very well, but James doesn't play Small Black Flowers - he plays Raindrops & This Is Yesterday instead. They also play Everything Must Go - I love that song live. I can't remember what else. Just before Motown
Junk (which is introduced by Paradise City tonight) suddenly have the urge to go and get a better look at Sean playing and end up on the 2nd row just before they play it� good timing.
No Wattsville Blues tonight - I hear Nickys back was really killing him. He looks like he's wincing after the gig. These gigs were the only night they didn't trash things as well, so I believe.
Go back to the side of the venue and dance the gig away again - this time turning around and dancing with the people behind me. I can't remember the introductions to the 2 Nicks - but Sean's was "He used to beat me up when I was little, but I forgave him because he's so beautiful". Everybody booed Sean (except me) for beating up James�
After the gig, it's a lot more confusing than the previous night - there are lots more people and they come out of the main doors instead. Nicky and Sean first - managed to get Nick to sign a couple of things and see Sean walk onto the tour bus. I thought I'd missed him but he turned around just before he got inside the bus, had a look around and caught my eye, I gave him a smile and he gave me a nod goodbye and a smile back again. I'm on cloud 9. He had made me so happy those two days, he can't possibly imagine.
Somebody drops their stuff for Nicky to sign and even though his back is killing him, he picks it up for them, even though there are plenty of security to do it for him. He's wonderful... but not as wonderful as Sean! James came out about half an hour afterwards - they pulled the car right
up to the door - as close as they could without scratching it. A little excessive? They really think we're completely psychotic. It doesn't matter anyway because he signs autographs for everybody and poses for photos for quite a while. Think he may have been a teensy bit drunk�
We all line up to wave off the car (how sad) not wanting it to be all over. Had such a fantastic time. Best tour I've been to since the April 97 one (that was completely joyous). Lots of happy memories that nobody quite understands the significance of� the trials of being a Sean fan?
Wednesday 4th April
Woke up the next day and burst out laughing really loudly (realisation that the previous night had really happened) - other people in the room gave me a very strange look. Can't get the huge grin off my face all day. As soon as I got home I had to put the Nynex video on. I'm really, really, really
missing Sean. It was definately one of those weekends where you end up loving the Manics even more than you did before - more than you ever thought possible. I love them like they're my own flesh and blood - it's unconditional, and I can't imagine ever not loving them. They mean more than any other band could ever mean, ever. We're so lucky.
Postscript� after much mental debating I've decided to say that Nick and James both looked miserable both days. They look like they really aren't enjoying themselves at all. It's worrying but I'm not letting myself worry about it. Sean seemed fine though - I didn't get that feeling with him.
I had the gut feeling after the first night that they're only going to be together for another 12 months-ish, I can't see another album happening. I might be wrong, I don't know. I feel nervous about saying this, wondering if it's really any of my business. Something felt hollow at the gig. Not to say
everything I've said about it isn't true. I really did enjoy them. I don't know how to explain it though. Something felt wrong. It didn't seem much of a pleasure to them - more so the first night.
I'm sorry if I've upset anybody. But I'm not going to lie about the overall impression I got from the two days. Just go and see them while you still can okay?
me: you are entitled to express your opinion just like any other fan don't worry about it.
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