How It All Started...
Also the stories he had written, the lyrics, the poems and his practice on guitar would go to waste. Nick made a list of old school friends he would like to form a band with. Miles Woodward on Bass, Sean Moore on Drums, James Dean on Lead and Nick on Rhythem.
James and Nick came up with the name Manic Street Preachers "Dunno where it came from or what it means. Maybe we saw some looney walking around with a Bible or something".
They did covers of Sex Pistols, Clash and Blondie. "They were raw energy and it took Nick a while to show James his lyrics but when I saw them I knew straght off they were brilliant".
Then Miles turned up for practise one day and said he was leaving the band because he wanted a solo career. "Nick begged him but he would have nothing of it". Then Nick came up with the idea of the trio busking in Cardiff. A test to see if they would be OK.
Nicks Dad took them in his car but there was only room for Seans drums in the boot. Sean threw a wobbly though when they got there and insisted he would look a prat carrying his drums so he just took a tambourine. They didnt seem to impress anyone though and only mannaged to make 32p.
Nick passed a letter onto one of Jenny's friend's because he was interested in having a female singer in the band. He said that "A female singer and male musicians is a winning combination. Look at Blondie".
Jenny phoned her self and said she was interested and Nick asked her to sing down the phone and she did and he also asked her to later in his bed-room.. The first time she had been to his house.
Nick's mum whose dressed he regulary wore like gold ones and flowery ones was a tall and attractive lady. Everyones idea of a perfect mother.
Nick told Jenny he had spent months at a time on his own in his bedroom workign on poems and lyrics.
Nick's bedroom was small in size with dark heavy curtains and blue velvet wallpaper with hundreds of posters and photographs all over the walls and wardrobe. The first time she had entered his bedroom he came in rubbing hand cream into his hands. "Astra, my mam's actually" he says."I hate rough hands".
Nick then asks Jenny to sing along to a Strawberry Switchblades record and he says he is happy with it but recomends James and Seans comments.
Jenny auditions with them in his living room, they go through several songs and James joins on the chorus of some of them and Jenny comments him having a brilliant voice. But she is unable to get one of their faster punk numbers and after going to the Toilet as she returns Nick tells her that she is in the band.