Suede and Manic Street Preachers say joint UK tour has been "brewing for about 30 years"
16 October 2023, 19:45
Brett Anderson and James Dean Bradfield discussed their early "kinship" and revealed what made them embark on a co-headline tour.
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Suede and Manic Street Preachers say their co-headline UK tour has been "brewing" for quite some time.
Britpop icon Brett Anderson and Manics frontman James Dean Bradfield visited Radio X this week and discussed everything from the band's upcoming tour dates to their thirst for making new music.
Asked how the joint tour came about, Anderson replied: “It’s been brewing for about 30 years. We first toured together in 1994 in Europe and got to know each other, obviously, on that tour really well. Then we did a tour of the States last year and that seem to go quite well, so we thought we keep pushing our luck[…] and we haven’t got sick of each other yet”.
Not yet,” quipped James Dean Bradfield. “We know to give each other space in-between interviews. Today or tomorrow, we’ll go our separate ways and then reconvene on the microphone.”
The Motorcycle Emptiness singer revealed the bands first bonded over a musical "kinship" and the fact they both felt like outsiders, but going on the road together in the early 90s made without stepping on each other's toes plus a joint tour in the States last year made them realise they could do it again.
He explained: “All joking aside, we just had some kinship at the start musically and some kind of outsider ethic at the start and then when we toured with each other, I don’t think we ever stepped on each other’s toes which was quite remarkable as it was a long tour.
“At this point in life it’s just kinda nice to have a new experience, because we toured America and it was good watching someone at the stage every night. It pushed us on. I’d like to think it pushed them on sometimes too.“
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Their dates together - which include a newly announced co-headline slot at Eden Sessions 2024 - might provide the perfect dose of nostalgia for their fans, but both bands are still looking to the future.
The Manics are working on their new album and James Dean Bradfield teased they're "slowly" making progress.
"We've slowly started. We've commenced work on a new record," teased the Welsh singer, adding: "It's finished when its finished basically.
"It gets a bit harder, because you don't want to repeat yourself as you get older."
Despite them also having a healthy back catalogue to draw from, Brett Anderson revealed that making new music is what keeps the Britpop veterans together.
"Writing new music is possibly the most important thing out of everything I do in my career," said the Beautiful Ones singer. "Without new music... that for me is the generator. That's the motor that makes the whole thing move along.
"If it wasn't for Suede releasing new albums, I'd don't think I'd want to just be touring old stuff. It has to feel like it's going forward somehow."
See Suede and Manic Street Preachers' 2024 UK & Ireland tour dates:
- Friday 28th June Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod*
- Saturday 29th June 2024 - Eden Sessions, Cornwall *JUST ANNOUNCED*
- Tuesday 2nd July Dublin Trinity College **
- Friday 5th July Cardiff Castle *
- Wednesday 10th July Edinburgh Castle *
- Friday 12th July Manchester Castlefield Bowl *
- Saturday 13th July Leeds Millennium Square **
- Thursday 18th July London Alexandra Palace Park **
*Manic Street Preachers close the show
**Suede close the show