Camouflage Conviction

Another in the (hopefully only very occasional) series of "gigs I got tickets for, but never made it to" brings Manic Street Preachers. I had a ticket to see their gig at Bath Forum tonight (13th), a great chance to see the band in a smaller venue. I was also looking forward to seeing the support act, The Anchoress aka Catherine Anne Davies, whose albums I've discovered and really enjoyed in the past year.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Sadly, Catherine had to withdraw from all 2021 tour commitments a while back on health grounds. After making the decision not to see Scritti Politti in London a couple of weeks ago, I was in a similar situation this weekend, knowing that there's no way I'd make it tonight.

 

Unlike the much-missed-but-never-seen John Grant, I at least had the great fortune to see Manic Street Preachers once before, at the first Phoenix Festival near Stratford-upon-Avon, 18th July 1993. Richey on guitar, bottle blond James, Nicky Wire in a flowery dress, fourth on the main stage bill but acting like the headliners and deservedly so. I remember it was a fantastic weekend of good friends, good times and good music and the Manics were one of the highlights. There's a ropey quality but energetic VHS recording of the full set on YouTube. There's also a rip of the BBC Radio 1 broadcast: audio only, but much better quality though it sadly drops 2 of the 10 songs (Repeat (UK) and Stay Beautiful).

 

So, to celebrate / commiserate, here's Side 2 of a Manics mixtape that I cut and pasted together on 1st April 1999. Twenty songs, ten per side, mostly culled from singles. The original mixtape cropped the remix of ...Tolerate This... at both ends to roughly 8 minutes. I've lopped off most of the intro, but let it play out at the end to provide a slightly better segueway. Cassette running times be damned! My Little Empire featured on Q magazine's Best Of 1998 cover mounted CD. Faster was originally released as a bootleg 12" when Tom & Ed were known as The Dust Brothers. By the time I picked it up on an official release, both the mix and the DJ's had been renamed... No apologies for including three Stealth Sonic Orchestra/Apollo 440 remixes, for they are truly majestic. Whenever I listen to Motorcycle Emptiness, I'm reminded of a sweeping, cinematic cousin to Street Hassle by Lou Reed. 

Looking at the Setlist website for previous dates on this tour, chances are a fair few of these will get an airing, albeit in their full-on, kick-ass, rock 'n' roll versions. In the meantime, enjoy this camouflaged collection, hiding in plain sight.

 

Side Two (46:54)

1) Love's Sweet Exile (Live @ BK Hall, Bangkok, Thailand, April 1994)

2) You Stole The Sun From My Heart (Album Version By Mike Hedges) (1998)

3) If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (The Class Reunion Of The Sunset Marquis Mix By David Holmes & Tim Goldsworthy) (1998)

4) My Little Empire (1998)

5) Motorcycle Emptiness (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix By Apollo 440) (1996)

6) Revol (Album Version By Mark Freegard) (1994)

7) Faster (Cosmos Mix By The Dust Brothers aka Ed Simons & Tom Rowlands) *

8) Everything Must Go (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix By Apollo 440) (1996)

9) Kevin Carter (Album Version By Mike Hedges) (1996)

10) A Design For Life (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Version By Apollo 440) (1996)

 

1994: The Holy Bible: 6 

1994: M.S.P. Done & Dusted EP: 7 *

1994: Revol EP: 1

1996: Everything Must Go: 9 

1996: A Design For Life EP: 10

1996: Everything Must Go EP: 8

1996: Australia EP: 5

1998: This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours: 2, 4

1998: If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next EP: 3

* aka Faster (Vocal Mix) by The Chemical Brothers on A Design For Life EP, 1996

 
Side Two (46:54)