Firstly let’s get one thing straight – MSP have never made a bad album. Certainly Lifeblood was no Holy Bible, but there was brittle beauty and tragic melancholia there. So calling Send Away The Tigers ‘a return to form’ is slightly misleading. Yet, what cannot be denied is that live, Manic Street Preachers have got the fire again and Bradfield, Wire, Moore are tearing up the stage like a band on their debut album.
Back to tiny venues rather than the enormodomes of the EMG days, Wire especially seems to relish the chance to get close to the fans again, constantly waving his boa covered mike stand around and mouthing the words throughout.

In terms of setlist, the boys have gone back and pulled out a few songs not heard for years. ‘Born To End’? ‘Condemned To Rock N Roll’? Awesome. A sweet moment comes when they play ‘Sleepflower’, a song long requested by fans that bemuses Bradfield completely. As for the new material ‘Send Away The Tigers’ and ‘Autumnsong’ are stunning as are ‘Rendition’ and ‘Im Just A Patsy’. There’s nothing from Lifeblood or Know Your Enemy (although the second night we do get an emotional ‘Ocean Spray’) but there are a trio of treats from The Holy Bible, ‘Yes’, ‘Faster’ and a stunning ‘Die In The Summertime’.

From ‘You Love Us’ through to ‘A Design For Life’, this is a band at the top of its game. Again. Welcome back fellas, we’ll see you in London…