Suede and Manic Street Preachers

Manics and Suede on a dual headline tour? What a treat!. As soon as we heard about this one I've been counting down the days to this gig at Eden.

I've loved both bands since they started, but followed the Manic Street Preachers more closely from the early days and it's them that have drawn the short straw tonight and play first. I'm imagining they take turns on each gig. Both bands get a 75-minute set tonight, enough time to bang out a decent amount of tunes but not enough time for any meandering banter.

The opening strains of Motorcycle Emptiness ring out just as we're getting our first drinks from the bar (the 2 pint glasses they do now are mighty handy!) so we hot-foot it in to the already jubilant crowd, singing along to every word.

They're not pulling any punches tonight as they kick straight into From Despair To Where followed by Everything Must Go. Seans crashing drums accompanied by Nicky's thundering bass and the effortlessly perfect guitar of James Dean Bradfield. James' voice sounds as good as it ever did, this is, and always has been one seriously talented, and dare I say underrated frontman.

Since the band tragically lost Richey all those years ago, they swore they would never replace him and have always remained a 3 piece. Live however they are backed by a Rhythm guitarist and a guy on keyboards and percussion, who both do a great job of making the Manics sound as big and beautiful as possible live.

Highlights for me were Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier, A Design For Life, and a rare live outing for To Repel Ghosts from the 2004 album Lifeblood. But the one track I always want to hear from the Manics is their early classic You Love Us. Banged out with all the raw energy it was recorded with it made the night for me. The cherry on top would have been the outro guitar solo from James, but sadly, it was missing tonight, but you can't have it all.

As they always do they left by saying thanks from them and thanks from Richey. He's always on the stage with them in spirit. A fantastic set from one of the UK's finest artists.

Suede up next, both bands get the same length set, but Suede get to play 2nd when everyone's had a couple more drinks and when it gets dark, but they need no such assistance, they are on fire from the moment they come on stage.

Turn off your Brain and Yell is a gritty, monster of a song from their most recent long-player Autofiction. Brett Anderson is all over the stage from the off, jumping around, posturing, on and off the monitors, and showcasing, at 56 years of age, his faultless vocals and range.

Trash and Animal NItrate are banged out perfectly before Brett heads into the crowd for, in my opinion, their first, and still impossible to beat single, The Drowners. We can't see him but we can hear him, and sing " You're taking me over" back at him as he, well, takes the crowd over for the next hour.

The rest of the band are their usual understated selves, concentrating on providing the superbly crafted tunes which back this insatiable front man.

Pantomime Horse is as stark, beautiful and moving as ever and a real showpiece for Brett's vocals as it rises to it's triumphant repeat of "have you ever tried it that way?"

We get treated to a career-spanning set, including a brand new one only ever played a couple of times before, Antidepressants, and it's a cracker. Also To The Birds, not played as often as it's partner on the Double A side (remember them eh?) The Drowners.

They save some of the best for last though. Brett singing "Because we're young" might have a touch of irony attached now, but So Young sounds fresh like it was written yesterday and Metal Mickey is as much of an out and ut banger as it always was.

Beautiful Ones finishes off a superb energy blast of a set.

What a night. Two fantastic bands in the beautiful setting of Eden. Same again next year please, or similar anyway!