Tonight the Manic Street Preachers are coming home with a special BBC Radio 2 gig at the Blackwood Miners’ Institute.
This is the first time in over 25 years that the Manics have played in their home and they will be introduced on stage by DJ Jo Whiley. The band will perform some of their classic hits and songs from their latest album, Postcards From A Young Man, in front of an audience of BBC Radio 2 listeners.
As well as hearing the concert on Radio 2, listeners can watch it streamed, live, online and highlights are available on the BBC Red Button. There are also highlights from earlier in the day when the Manics show Jo some of the sights of Blackwood.
Reminiscing about their early years, the band also talk about their approach to songwriting in a special acoustic session as part of Radio 2’s Great British Songbook.
Bassist Nicky Wire is looking forward to playing at the Miners Institute: “I don’t think we have done a gig there in the little theatre since 1987, my misspent Jimmy White-esque years! The one and only gig we did there turned into a full-scale riot when we went there, and the piano was smashed, I think, which we felt really bad about.”
Talking about where the band will be visiting in Blackwood Nicky said: “Maybe Pen-y-fan Pond, where we used to go and pretend we were the beat generation and read poetry to each other and my dad’s shed, where we used to practice. You wouldn’t believe how we did practice in there because it is so small! It’s amazing to see actually.”
The gig was originally postponed from its original slot in December after singer James Dean Bradfield went down with laryngitis.