Fish and chips, Morecombe and Wise, a bank holiday in the UK and a new DFS sale! These things go together perfectly. So too do two of the country’s legendary bands on tour right now: Wales’ finest Manic Street Preachers and Brit pop heroes Suede.
Currently sharing a joint-headline arena tour and last night in Birmingham ticking off their sixth show of nine UK dates – Nottingham (11th) and Bournemouth (12th) still to go.
Pretty much filled the 15,685 capacity Utilita arena on a damp and misty night, with lots of bangs and flashes around the city from the fireworks in lieu of thr weekday bonfire night on the 5th of November.
Alternating the running order each night, Suede’s turn to go on first here; delivering a faultless 75 minute 17-song set. Then The Manics give us a beautiful 18-song delight, across 80 minutes to close the magnificent night.
Yes, both bands brought out the big guns of their biggest songs ,but there were some deep cuts too and newer original stuff from both acts. Never the stench of gravy train/nostalgia circuit/take the money and run before retirement. No.
This was two bands still capable of coming over as a fresh sounding entity with plenty of gas lefty in the tank. The more recent tracks from both Suede and from the Manics are very decent indeed.
Nice to see a wide age range in the audience; from young teens to their parents and grandparents. This brace of bands first joined forces for a tour 34 years ago in 1994, and then again across the US four years ago, before a UK jaunt in 2024.
The Manics set is perhaps more laid back than Suede’s moody, growling and rawer approach. Both sound well on point, but for me; someone who is not a big follower of either band per say, I loved to hear Brett Anderson’s unique vocals live, sounding just like he did back in the day on my radio or on Top Of The Pops.
Suede setlist
Turn Off Your Brain and Yell
Disintegrate
Trash
Animal Nitrate
We Are the Pigs
Antidepressants
Saturday Night
Can’t Get Enough
Filmstar
Trance State
Everything Will Flow
June Rain
She Still Leads Me On
Shadow Self
Stay Together
Metal Mickey
Beautiful Ones
They kick off with with “Turn Off Your Brain And Yell” and then “Disintegrate”, before “Trash” and the evergreen hit “Animal Nitrate”.
Then “We Are The Pigs” precedes the title cut from their current album, “Antidepressants”. That album is their 10th studio LP and was released in September 2025, peaking at # two in the UK album chart.
Shortlisted for the coveted Mercury Prize in 2026, the band’s third nomination after their 1993 self-titled debut album, and their 1996 release “Coming Up”.
Brett Anderson and his bandmates Mat Osman, Simon Gilbert, Richard Oakes and Neil Codling may have been first up, but they were certainly no support act. A mighty performance that not many bands would want to follow. Brett really is a unique frontman with a one-off vocal style and a commanding presence.
Prowling the stage with the lead from his microphone whipped into a’ lasso’ at times. Totally immersed in the here and now and the music and the vibe.
Clambering onto speakers, striking an obligatory rock star pose for the “pit” full of photographers who were allowed to shoot the first two songs only of Suede’s set. He threw in a few jumps into the air, but the hazy mist effect and the low moody LED lighting put pay to them being seen here.
The more recent stuff such as “June Rain” confirmed that they are not just trading on the back catalogue and the hits, and they still pen a fine tune. But back to the older songs, “Filmstar” was a real sparkler. The last song of the set before a two-song encore, was a lovely moment; with just a piano accompaniment for the tour debut of “Stay Together”, when Brett and Codling perform the song together.
“Metal Mickey” then ramped up the vibe and volume before the closer, “Beautiful Ones”.
James Dean Bradfield and his fellow Manics kick off with “Motorcycle Emptiness” from “Generation Terrorists”.
The core trio of James, Nicky Wire and drummer Sean Moore do not forget their absent founder member rhythm guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards, who went missing in February 1995, and was never found; declared dead in November 2008.
He is referenced by James and by Nicky around songs he was a part of. Specially when Nicky says ‘we may be three, but we’ll always be four’, before “Die In The Summertime” late in the set leaves many with something in their eye! Big hit “Everything Must Go” is delivered early as second song, to the delight of the audience.
I will say that James with Manic Street Preachers and Brett with Suede, sound pretty much the same vocally as they did way back when. Still got it!
Fifth up , “You Stole the Sun From My Heart” prompts flames across the screens behind them on stage. Later some lovely light and shade in the set when “Oceanspray” and “The Everlasting” get the acoustic treatment; the former with trumpet.
“Design For Life” triggers a choir of circa 15,000 voices to raise the roof. It is not only the Welsh that can sing!
Closing the set with “You Love Us” and their number one smash hit, “If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next”, there is no doubt that this band and the chaps before them are having a deserved renaissance and avglorious arena-filling purple period. Both are as relevant today as they were three decades ago.
This tour is about legacy, yes. But as much so it is also stating writ large: “we are not done yet and still have a lot more to create and to give to you. That is the message from from both bands.
With circa 25 studio albums in total between them, I have no doubt that number will rise in the next few years, and they will both go from strength to strength, based on this banger of a gig.
Photos by Jason Sheldon
Words by Les Howard
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