“21 years of living and nothing means anything to me.” – one of the first great lyrics written by Richey James Edwards (and Nicky Wire…) and now it is 21 years since Richard decided to leave a London hotel on the brink of a promotional tour where the best band in the world would attempt to break America, and disappear into the sunset. We never saw him again.
The first time I saw Manic Street Preachers was 1992, they played for around 25 minutes I think but it was like a molotov cocktail to the heart, suddenly every other band on the planet took a back seat to these four lithe beautiful Blackwood youths and everything changed.
I met many of my best friends through them, some I am glad to say still roam heavily through my social world and I love them all dearly despite geography keeping us apart physically, but hey, we just have to turn on ‘Little Baby Nothing’ and we are together forever.
A lot of my favourite gigs were Manics shows, both with and without Richey. The best was Astoria 1994, Monday and Tuesday. Monday I met Richey in Oxford Street and we had a great chat and when he arrived at the venue he gave me a smile and a “Hello again”. 🙂 Tuesday I was the first person in the venue and ran to the point straight in front of RJE. Stunning. Wednesday lunch time we met again and I got another great smile and a handshake. Just over a month later, he was gone.
He still exists in my words, on my bookshelf, in my movie choices, in the way I express myself, in the way I created this image, whatever “me” is, it was a strength given to me by perfect parents, a beautiful sister and my Welsh glitter pop sidekicks.
Wherever you are Richey, I hope that you found the peace that you were looking for. We are all better to have been touched by your beauty and intelligence.
“Need someone to nurse me
Reach our for the first person I see
Comforts the helpless sole vanity
Caressing the broken heart of me
The difference between love and comfort
Is that comfort’s more reliable and true
Brutal and mocking but always there
A crutch for emnity’s saddest glare
I wish that someone would hold me
Wrap their arms around a shrinking somebody
Comfort comes and ease me till the morning
Whispered words of sanctuary
The difference between love and comfort
Is that comfort’s more reliable and true
Brutal and mocking but always there
A crutch for emnity’s saddest glare
Forgetting how I hate self-pity blonde
Comfort comes and smooths her over
Calloused hands turn a beautiful dress
Handcuffs now her pearl bracelets.”
