{"id":13311,"date":"2025-04-12T08:55:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T08:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/13311\/"},"modified":"2025-04-12T08:55:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-12T08:55:08","slug":"heres-what-manic-street-preachers-played-as-they-kicked-off-their-2025-uk-critical-thinking-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/13311\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s what Manic Street Preachers played as they kicked off their 2025 UK ‘Critical Thinking’ tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manic Street Preachers<\/a> have kicked off their 2025 UK \u2018Critical Thinking\u2019 tour \u2013 check out everything they played below.<\/p>\n

The first in their string of UK shows kicked off last night (April 11) at Glasgow\u2019s Barrowland Ballroom. They\u2019ll play there again tonight (April 12) before heading to London, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Manchester and Swansea. You can find a full list of dates further below.<\/p>\n

Before the show yesterday, the band announced that longtime touring keyboardist Nick Nasmyth wouldn\u2019t be joining this tour due to \u201cpersonal circumstances\u201d, and their \u201cgreat friend and producer\u201d Dave Eringa will step in in his place.<\/p>\n

Eringa\u2019s involvement with the band goes back to their first single, 1993\u2019s \u2018Motown Junk\u2019, where he contributed tea-making duties<\/a>. He\u2019s also produced and mixed a number of tracks for the band through the years, and performed keyboards live with them between 1993 and 1994.<\/p>\n

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We\u2019d just like to let you know that unfortunately the brilliant Nick Nasmyth can\u2019t be with us on this tour due to personal circumstances. Our great friend and producer Dave Eringa has stepped into the breach.<\/p>\n

Love,
MSP pic.twitter.com\/sMbKnB8MbD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Manic Street Preachers (@Manics) April 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

They opened the tour with \u2018Decline and Fall\u2019, from their latest album \u2018Critical Thinking\u2019 before launching into \u2018Enola\/Alone\u2019, \u2018La tristesse durera (Scream to a Sigh)\u2019 and \u2018Brushstrokes of Reunion\u2019 \u2013 the latter also from the new LP.<\/p>\n

The gig also included a small acoustic set with \u2018This Sullen Welsh Heart\u2019 and \u2018Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky\u2019, before they eventually ended on fan-favourite hit \u2018If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next\u2019. Check out their full setlist and fan footage below.<\/p>\n

Manic Street Preacher\u2019s setlist was:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Decline & Fall\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Enola\/Alone\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018La tristesse durera (Scream to a Sigh)\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Brushstrokes of Reunion\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018You Stole the Sun From My Heart\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018She Is Suffering\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Peeled Apples\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Motorcycle Emptiness\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Walk Me to the Bridge\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Hiding in Plain Sight\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Autumnsong\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018A Design for Life\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018This Sullen Welsh Heart\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018The Everlasting\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Dear Stephen\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Sleepflower\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Your Love Alone Is Not Enough\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018International Blue\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018People Ruin Paintings\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018Motown Junk\u2019<\/strong>
\u2018If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Happy tears in my eyes when the @Manics<\/a> walked on stage at @TheBarrowlands<\/a> tonight. <\/p>\n

That setlist was as close to perfection as it gets! Never has a band had more influence or inspiration on me \u2764\ufe0f <\/p>\n

God Save The Manics! pic.twitter.com\/9yohKSzzXb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dr Paul Hamilton (@_PaulHamilton) April 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

What a night! Manic Street Preachers in Glasgow \ud83c\udfb8\ud83e\udd18 @Manics<\/a> #ManicStreetPreachers<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zv2Up9BnoH<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Aidan (@afmccloskey) April 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Glasgow crowd great as always #Manics<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/vvYDAZHmYJ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ian David Hamilton \ud83c\udf33 (@ianhamilton1982) April 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Manic Street Preachers at the Barrowland in Glasgow last night.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just the ninth time I\u2019ve seen them. pic.twitter.com\/HS2DI6OmES<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Derek Pilling \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Derek_J_Pilling) April 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Their \u2018Critical Thinking\u2019 tour will continue until May 10, and they will stop off in London, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Manchester, and Swansea. See all remaining dates below and find tickets\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

APRIL<\/strong>
12 \u2013 Glasgow Barrowland\u00a0<\/strong>
18 \u2013 London O2 Shepherd\u2019s Bush Empire<\/strong>
19 \u2013 London O2 Shepherd\u2019s Bush Empire<\/strong>
25 \u2013 Wolverhampton The Civic at the Halls<\/strong>
26 \u2013 Bristol Beacon
<\/strong>
MAY<\/strong>
2 \u2013 Manchester O2 Apollo<\/strong>
3 \u2013 Manchester O2 Apollo<\/strong>
9 \u2013 Swansea Arena<\/strong>
10 \u2013 Swansea Arena
21 \u2013 Bearded Theory Festival, Derbyshire
24 \u2013 Live At Leeds: In The Park, Leeds<\/strong><\/p>\n

AUGUST<\/strong>
02 \u2013 Audley End, Saffron Walden\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In\u00a0a four-star review of Manic Street Preachers\u2019 new album<\/a>,\u00a0NME\u00a0wrote: \u201cSonically, \u2018Critical Thinking\u2019 has touches of the European modernist propulsion of 2014 renaissance record\u00a0\u2018Futurology\u2019<\/a>\u00a0and the graceful\u00a0ABBA<\/a>\u00a0pop flourishes of 2021 predecessor\u00a0\u2018The Ultra Vivid Lament\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut its uplifting warmth met with provocative spikiness feels like an album written staring up at the posters of their teenage art-pop and indie heroes \u2013 meant for the crackle of a record or the buzz of a cassette.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking to\u00a0NME\u00a0recently<\/a>, bassist and lyricist\u00a0Nicky Wire<\/a>\u00a0described the LP as \u201ca different kind of record\u201d to what fans may have heard from the band in the past.<\/p>\n

\"ManicManic Street Preachers, 2025. Credit: Alex Lake<\/p>\n

\u201cAlbums are a reflection of where your mind is at \u2013 certainly in the Manics\u2019 world,\u201d he explained. \u201cSometimes you have to let that honesty out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wire continued: \u201cI just went off myself a bit, but I always find myself to be my most dependable source of inspiration. I\u2019m starting to lose that \u2013 but that\u2019s different to the lyrics from\u00a0James [Dean Bradfield<\/a>, frontman] on the album; his three songs have more of a sense of optimism to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The musician also told\u00a0NME\u00a0that the Manics were already \u201ctalking about what we could do next\u201d, adding: \u201cI haven\u2019t written many words for a while because it\u2019s good to take a break from the album you\u2019ve just done and not repeat yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one is meant for the dark night of the soul and I\u2019m sure the next one will be different from that. Whether it\u2019s broader, whether it\u2019s more macro in outlook. We\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n