Manic Street Preachers Announce Australian Dates - To Coincide With The Rugby

1 May 2013, 13:03 | Updated: 8 August 2013, 18:13

Manic Street Preachers have announced they'll play a series of Australian tour dates - so they can be out there at the same time as the British and Irish Lions' games in June and July.

"While making ourselves up to look like the New York Dolls may have meant we didn't always fit in down the working men's clubs, we'd always be glued to the TV whenever there was a match on," Nicky Wire admitted to WalesOnline.

"We were last there in 2010 but have never managed to coincide with a Lions tour before, that's the Holy Grail for rugby fanatics," the bassist continued.

"It'll be like a busman's holiday for us as we're playing Melbourne and Sydney on the eves of the second and third test matches - plus, in between, we're also getting the chance to pop over to do a gig in New Zealand for the first time ever.

"Hopefully we'll get tickets to watch the games live as well."

Nicky Wire also added they'd love to play a few songs on the pitch before kick off.