Live Review: Manic Street Preachers – 19th April 2025 – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, UK

Saturday night saw the return of Manic Street Preachers to Shepherd’s Bush Empire for their second night in London on their most recent tour. Shepherd’s Bush is a homecoming of sorts for the Welsh legends, having spent a lot of time in the area in their early years. The was a true celebration of their long and illustrious career, the set list featuring moments from early on in their catalogue up till the present day with their latest album Critical Thinking.

Due to issues with travel, we missed opening act The Anchoress, but there was another chance to see her later on in the night. The band opened with Decline & Fall, the first single off of their latest record and a head-bopping, foot-stomping poppy rock track. Not much time was given to talk, the group eager to get through the entire 22 song set as effectively as possible. La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh), Enola/Alone, and Australia brought everyone back to the band’s 90s hay-day, before the live debut of new song Critical Thinking returned us to the present day. Peeled Apples from 2009s Journal For Plague Lovers was a nice inclusion, the bouncy riff leading the pit to follow suit. Motorcycle Emptiness followed this, surprisingly early on in the set, but proving that the band have so many great songs to choose from that they can play one of their most legendary tunes near the start.

Lana McDonagh took to the stage to sing Hiding in Plain Sight with the group, another track off the new album which she features on, and left quite sharply as the intro to Autumnsong rung out. This was a double-hitter with A Design For Life following, taking the already manic crowd to the brink of excitement. The band exited after this, leaving singer and guitarist James Dean Bradfield alone with his acoustic. What followed was a gorgeous rendition of This Sullen Welsh Heart with The Anchoress, and Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky, a lowkey song from their seminal album Everything Must Go. It was a truly heartfelt moment between James and the audience, leading into an acoustic version of The Everlasting, which culminated in the band’s return and an explosive ending. Sleepflower, Your Love Alone Is Not Enough, and Motown Junk kept up the energy, leading to final song If You Tolerate This Your Child Will Be Next. It was a poignant conclusion to a set chock full of hits, all performed with continued energy and excellence from a band well into their fourth decade together.

Set List:
Decline & Fall
Enola/Alone
La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)
Australia
Critical Thinking
You Stole the Sun From My Heart
She Is Suffering
Peeled Apples
Motorcycle Emptiness
Hiding in Plain Sight (with Lana McDonagh)
Autumnsong
A Design for Life
This Sullen Welsh Heart (with The Anchoress)
Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky
The Everlasting
Dear Stephen
Sleepflower
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
International Blue
People Ruin Paintings
Motown Junk
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

Ryan Bulbeck

Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.