Manic Street Preachers
Camper Calling
Ragley Hall
Sunday, August 29th
ROCK royalty topped off a welcome return for the Camper Calling festival at Ragley Hall when Manic Street Preachers headlined the Lakeside stage.
Momentum had built through the day with an impressive set from The Blow Monkeys proving their longevity, 80s act Altered Images, 90s band Jesus Jones before The Magic Numbers and Pixie Lott saw revellers of all ages gravitating towards the front.
Cue Wales’ finest then who exploded into their headline billing with breakthrough hit ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’ setting the pace for a whirlwind 90 minutes that featured hits, a brilliant cover and new songs from the Blackwood boys’ forthcoming new album ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’.
‘Orwellian’ and ‘The Secret He Had Missed’ from the new LP (out September 10) sounded as lyrically poignant and deliciously melodic as you would expect from the three-piece who have been busy writing and recording during lockdown. Another new album track ‘Complicated Illusions’ was revealed too.
Frontman James Dean Bradfield told us this was only their second big gig since the pandemic started but rusty they were not and James’ hugely underrated guitar playing was a joy to behold.
Nicky Wire. Picture by James Iles.The Manics’ first No.1 single ‘If You Tolerate This’…’ and classics like ‘You Stole The Sun From My Heart’ and ‘Tsunami’ went down a storm but there was space too for fan favourites like ‘No Surface All Feeling’.
If the festival crowd’s interaction on the tongue-in-cheek ‘You Love Us’ was not as partisan as a regular Manics gig, the brilliant cover of Guns ‘n’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ (James proving a worthy rival on the Gibson Les Paul to his hero Slash) brought all the crowd together.
It was perhaps inevitable James, Nicky and Sean finished off the night with their epic 1995 signature hit ‘Design For Life’. It never disappoints, and we were left wanting more.
Camper Calling has a great family-friendly vibe, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s festival.
James Iles
