In their place was a warm, crowd-shaped glow of admiration for the man who managed to bolt Richey Edwards’ jagged lyrics to a careering, magnificent rock’n’roll juggernaut. He’s already sweating as he begins a phenomenally loud set. There’s something of Jack White in his wild movement and mastery of the guitar during An English Gentleman, which stomps around the hall like a deranged Ocean Colour Scene. After some deeply generous praise for this drizzly city, we’re told that “Nick and Sean say hello”, with predictably cheery result. JDB’s at pains to let the faithful in on a secret: that the Manics will be playing a gig in Manchester around Christmas in Manchester. You heard it here first. Another quip comes at the expense of the Manics’ back catalogue as Bradfield describes Archives of Pain, an rusty old chainsaw of a song, as “an old favourite” before the leisurely Wrong Beginning softens and sweetens the atmosphere delicately. JDB’s vocal range continues to impress, especially when matched by his sumptuously elaborate guitar solos. His bassist is the spitting image of Paul Simonon, resplendent in quiff and black braces. Little wonder, then, that next up is an awesome cover of The Clash’s Clampdown. Bradfield seems ecstatic playing: for all his new found melody, he just can’t resist the Clash. Back to the acoustic and into the back catalogue, a stripped-down This Is Yesterday still has a yearning, panoramic presence. There are endless futile requests for Revol and Faster – which only garners a “We can’t go any faster!” An acoustic Kevin Carter precedes a wonderful, spine-tinglingly delicate Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky. The Manics megamix continues with From Despair To Where and a blow-out No Surface, All Feeling smashes the eardrums to conclude the set. Typically, there is no encore but a sense of satisfaction at having experienced a very special moment fills the noise gap. Well, that and chronic tinnitus. | 
