MANIC STREET PREACHERS Celebrate Album Milestone at Sold-Out York Barbican [Photos & Show Review]

Back in 1999, Welsh rockers the Manic Street Preachers released their This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours album and here we are twenty years later celebrating this milestone anniversary for an album that has become one of their most important releases. “The first half of the show will be the album performed in full from start to finish” announces frontman James Dean Bradfield much to the delight of the crowd, ahead of the band ploughing through all thirteen tracks from the critically-acclaimed British rock classic. When the news of these dates was released it was obvious these were going to be special shows and it’s not long into their set before it becomes apparent how special they are going to be.

Okay, so the band support rock giants Bon Jovi on their UK return and that does give you some indiciation of where the band have headed soundwise but, having gone through a rollercoaster of a career, and having grown old and wise, these aren’t the snotty-nosed glammed-up rockers that burst onto the scene back in 1996. Nowadays, the Manics are just simply a great rock band and with that comes an audience who have grown up with the band through thick and thin and love every minute of it. This is none more evident than in the York Barbican tonight where there isn’t a single ticket left as a room more used to comedians, theatre and snooker is filled with the sounds of a band who, despite having grown up, are still capable of rocking out as they demonstrate with a surprising cover of Guns N’ Roses classic “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.

The rest of the set, post TIMTTMY, saw the band smash through a plethora of hits and classics including “Motorcycle Emptiness” and “La Tristessa” before bringing the gig to a close with a powerful rendition of “Design For Life” sending this York crowd heading home having spent their evening with one of the UK’s finest rock bands.

Tour Dates (w/ Bon Jovi):

06/19 – Liverpool – Anfield
06/21 – London – Wembley Stadium
06/23 – Coventry – Ricoh Arena

Celebrating an impressive anniversary milestone, the Manic Street Preachers filled their set with classics like this: