No Manifesto: A Film About Manic Street Preachers

A thoroughly entertaining, low-budget, doc on the Manics. Nice to see on clearer footage of archive interviews in the first act.

Interview with fans and some overly candid footage of the trio eating wimpy burgers and wiping off sweat backstage, was more of a curiosity than a revelation.

My main gripe was how Richey was mentioned almost in passing during the film; and any insight into how band dynamics had changed over time - from Richey's position of (essentially being) band leader from Generation Terrorists to post-Holy Bible transition - was skipped over. This issue of a possible communication break-down and creative fall out was only hinted at briefly by Sean and left unexplored by the filmmakers. At the request of the band, I suppose.

Hopefully Withdrawn Traces will give fans a better insight into Richey's departure; when it's released next year.