Manic Street Preachers

The Manic Street Preachers formed in Blackwood, South Wales in 1986, James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Sean Moore, and Richey Edwards developing a sound and aesthetic that was simultaneously glam, punk, and deeply literary. Edwards and Wire's lyrics were unlike anything else in British music — dense with cultural references, politically engaged, and possessed of a self-destructive romanticism that felt genuinely dangerous.

The early albums — 'Generation Terrorists' (1992), 'Gold Against the Soul' (1993), 'The Holy Bible' (1994) — established the Manics as one of the most important British bands of their era. 'The Holy Bible' in particular was a remarkable achievement: a record of almost unbearable intensity, largely written by Edwards as he struggled with anorexia and self-harm. It remains one of the most harrowing and brilliant British albums ever made.

In February 1995, Richey Edwards disappeared. His car was found near the Severn Bridge. He was never found. The remaining three members faced an impossible decision: continue or stop. They continued. 'Everything Must Go' (1996) was their response — a record of extraordinary beauty and grief that reached number two and won the Mercury Prize. 'A Design for Life' became one of the great British anthems.

The Manics have continued to record and tour with remarkable consistency. 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours' (1998) reached number one. 'Send Away the Tigers' (2007) was a late-career triumph. They remain one of the most important and most loved bands in British music — a band whose story is inseparable from the music, and whose music is inseparable from the story.