Manics appear out of context on BNP Youtube video; new album may not be easy listening

An article in Saturday's edition of The Guardian featured further proof that fascists just don't get irony or context.

The paper reported that the far-right British National Party posted a YouTube video entitled 'The Cesspit Called London', which was intended to reveal the "violence, hatred, fragmentation and despair" wrought on the capital of the United Kingdom by the "great multi-cultural experiment".

To everyone's surprise, the short film was soundtracked by the Manic Street Preachers song If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next. The 1998 #1 UK hit, from the album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, was written by bassist and lyricist Nicky Wire as tribute to the International Brigades, a volunteer force who fought against the Spanish fascist forces lead by General Franco, and features the lines "So if I can shoot rabbits/Then I can shoot fascists".

The Welsh band's publicist was quoted as saying "How ironic that they've chosen a song inspired by the International Brigades. You can never pre-empt what Nicky Wire is going to say, but I'm sure the band would see the irony in all this." Which is presumably more than can be said for the BNP, whose spokesperson claimed that the lyrics of the song could be interpreted "any way you want." Quite handy that; I'll choose to interpret it as an anti-fascist anthem. Now take your hatred elsewhere, preferably a cliff that we can push you over the edge of.

Last week the Manics unveiled the details for their ninth studio album, Journal For Plague Lovers. Produced by alt-rock legend Steve Albini, the album's lyrics were all penned by missing and officially presumed dead former member Richey James Edwards. The press release said of these lyrics, "the language is stunning and topics include The Grande Odalisque by Ingres, Marlon Brando, Giant Haystacks, celebrity, consumerism and dysmorphia, all reiterating the genius and intellect of Richard James Edwards."

Guitarist/vocalist James Dean Bradfield's claims that the record leant more sonically towards the band's 1994 masterpiece, The Holy Bible, and from the sound of Peeled Apples, which was aired on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show last Wednesday, he wasn't too far off. The opening riff kind of sounds like I Wanna Be Your Dog, which is no bad thing.

The mind-fuck that is the track listing for Journal For Plague Lovers:

Peeled Apples
Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
Me and Stephen Hawking
This Joke Sport Severed
Journal For Plague Lovers
She Bathed Herself In A Bath Of Bleach
Facing Page: Top Left
Marlon J.D.
Doors Closing Slowly
All Is Vanity
Pretension/Repulsion
Virginia State Epileptic Colony
William's Last Words

The Manics will also do a short tour around the UK & Ireland, playing the new album in its entirety:

Monday 25th May - Glasgow, Barrowlands
Tuesday 26th May - Llandudno, Venue Cymru Arena
Thursday 28th May - London, Camden Roundhouse
Friday 29th May - London, Camden Roundhouse
Saturday 30th May - London, Camden Roundhouse

Monday 1st June - Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
Tuesday 2nd June - Brighton, Dome
Thursday 4th June - Dublin, Olympia
Saturday 6th June - Belfast, Ulster Hall