

The quest for greatness which may never be achieved, but they will always try. At this stage, I cant even remember how many Manics albums there are (let me think about that, 13) ; and you probably wouldnt miss a couple of them if they never existed. After last years underwhelming greatest hits shows, which also underlined the bands lack of creativity, this is a one-off out-of-tour headline show in the midst of a run of dreary outdoor festival shows, and tonight is specifically at Robert Smiths request. And whilst at least half  if not more  of the onstage players are not official members of the band  and that feels weird and all kinds of wrong - Nicky Wire is back on bass after a bereavement,though understandably subdued and not as loud as normal. Theres a new, and staggeringly redundant, third guitar player, and the band of six is twice as large as the last time I saw them play a truly brilliant show (the half-new/half-old Futurology/Holy Bible double header at Rough Trade East). Support comes from the only show of the year by The Anchoress, who confidently delivers a compact halfhour of promising cuts. Like every act here, you can see why Robert Smith chose her. Theres a mysterious, indefinable factor of compulsion and talent. But more than that, The Manics may still be mostly a nostalgia act, but theres also five songs from the new record, and a special one-off performance of The Cures Inbetween Days, which is taken from the album The Manics used to listen to in their childhood bedroom as teenagers. Its an important way of showing, marking, being in touch with who they used to be and where they once were. Its easy to forget how you got here, and the steps you took to get here, and your path through history. So easy to think that where you are  be it a stadium or a club  is where you always deserved to be. Humility is important. Some bands lost that, and they lost us. We never forget why we fell in love, or how, and how we got here. Some bands forget the fans still struggle, still live month to month, day by day, sometimes holding on by the fingernails to whatever reality they can tolerate. But also seeing a band grow older with us. Theres five songs from the frankly average "Resistance Is Futile", with International Blue, Distant Colours, Dylan & Caitlin, Hold Me Like A Heaven and People Give In. Theres some of the lesser songs from their former catalogue  Tsunami and You Stole The Sun from the frankly tepid "This Is My Truth"  and some gems the band have overlooked, such as Motown Junk which is only being played for the second time in four and a half years. And it tears your face off. Im not quite sure why the person next to me is here though, they are so obviously bored, sitting down and reading the internet, and spend the big hits filming them, and the rest of the time looking thoroughly miserable. Why leave the house? At this point, though, the Manics are a mid level rock pop powerhouse, simultaneously at a career plateau like The Charlatans, never to be huge or small again, but a small business, and one that concentrates on trying to be the best they can ever be  even if that isnt to everyones taste  and never ever being boring or average (though obviously your mileage may vary). Most bands are average, and the Manics will never be that. Even if they do leave me cold, and sometimes they do, theyre trying to be their own kind of interesting, and they never stop looking. Its written in every note of tonight  the quest for greatness which may never be achieved, but they will always try. Thats so much more than so many bands. International Blue

Motorcycle Emptiness

No Surface

Distant Colours

Inbetween Days

You Stole The Sun

Little Baby Nothing

Dylan & Caitlin

Everything Must Go

Motown Junk

If You Tolerate This

Faster

Welcome To The Jungle / You Love Us

Walk Me To The Bridge

Hold Me Like Heaven

Slash N Burn

Kevin Carter

People Give In

Tsunami

A Design For Life

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