Manic Fantasy Setlist October 3, 2009

Inevitably, you resign yourself to the fact that you’ll never see one of your favourite ever bands and then 10 years later – when you’ve completely written it off – the chance comes, you snap up the tickets, and it happens.

It’s crazy to think about, but ever since I was 15 I wanted to see the Manics live. Most logical folks will question their posturing and ridiculous attitude and legacy but in an age where there are no bands with any degree or modicum of substance, I’m glad I can at least say that this (along with one or two others of the time) was a band worth clinging to, a band you could BELIEVE IN. Those bands don’t exist anymore. But I’ll touch on that in a later entry at another time.

Like most people, when I started going to shows you really didn’t know what you were going to get. Now, setlists are immediately posted online from every show on the tour and you know more or less what you’re in for. Ignoring that, and the logic that dictates you’ll get more songs from certain albums than others, and the songs that always get played, I decided to construct a fantasy setlist – 2-3 tracks from each of the 9 albums. I’d love to see other folks do this for bands they feel passionate about as well so feel free to send them along.

These are the tracks I’d want to see on Wednesday, if I were running the show:

Non album singles
Motown Junk – ferocious raw energy in 3 minutes, perfect punk attitude.
The Masses Against The Classes – ferocious raw energy, 10 years later: ‘I’m tired of giving a reason, when we’re the only thing left to believe in…’ and how.

Generation Terrorists
Motorcycle Emptiness – The culmination of pop music’s obsession with the 6 minute power ballad… if it were a ballad. And that guitar just takes you somewhere else.
You Love Us – Just the prospect of a band playing this song to a frothing (not anymore, we’re all too old) crowd of people is tantalising.
Tennessee – ‘Media sells a trace of hate’ - never more resonant than now

Gold Against The Soul
Sleepflower – A little over the top and polished on record, might be great in a raw live environment.
La Tristesse Durera – Classic.

The Holy Bible
Faster – Again, the sheer force of the energy in this one is immense. Used to play this on my bass until my fingers bled.
Of Walking Abortion – They played this at the Millennium gig and Nicky said the bar must have sold a record number of pints during this one, but I love it! The bass drives it, but the ridiculous guitar riff makes that youngster Bellamy look like an amateur.

Everything Must Go
A Design For Life – You have to include it.
The Girl Who Wanted To Be God – Can’t imagine this gets many live airings but everything about this song is fantastic and perfect.
Enola/Alone – ‘I’ll take a picture of you to remember how good you looked…’ drenched in nostalgia.

This Is My Truth…
Ready For Drowning – One of the most underrated tracks of its time.
If You Tolerate This… – Somewhat of a wayward anthem which in a way is a metaphor for much of the catalogue.
Tsunami – Another quiet/loud one with a huge chorus. If only they ever actually played it with the sitar!

Know Your Enemy
Found That Soul – Can’t believe Let Robeson Sing gets more airings than this, straight ahead back to basics rock.
Freedom of Speech… – Particularly relevant (if slightly obtuse) in this country.

Lifeblood
To Repel Ghosts – Seems like the only way this should be listened to is in a very dark room with flashing lights out of booming speakers.
1985 – One of the most underrated album lead-off tracks.
Solitude Sometimes Is – If only for the xylophone.

Send Away The Tigers
Send Away The Tigers – Somewhere, Slash is trying to figure out how he didn’t get to that riff first. Can’t wait to see this.
The Second Great Depression – If only because Indian Summer is essentially A Design For Life Part Deux.

Journal For Plague Lovers
Journal For Plague Lovers – Don’t think this will be one of the new ones to get played, such a shame. Great chorus.
All Is Vanity – See above.
This Joke Sport Severed – Probably their most epic, string laden, beautiful track since the Everything Must Go era.