Best Manic Street Preachers Podcasts (2025)

Owen Hatherley returns to discuss his New Left Review article on the Welsh guitar band, the Manic Street Preachers. We talked about the particular appeal the group seemed to hold for working class kids from non-metropolitan backgrounds in the 1990s, and about the forbearance and occasional embarrassment that is the lot of fans who've followed their…

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Favourite Worst Nightmare (Pt. 1) 1:26:39

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11h ago1:26:39

1:26:39

The Big Mates discuss Avril Lavigne, Stewie Griffin, Duran Duran, and Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's follow up to the hugely successful debut by talking about awards ceremonies, the mounting pressure they must have felt, and the attitude going into the creation of the record.…

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776 Massive Attack - Protection 31:57

4d ago31:57

31:57

776 Massive Attack - ProtectionBy Birch

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Fake work and Y2K w/ Leigh Claire La Berge 46:37

4d ago46:37

46:37

In 1998 Leigh Claire La Berge was hired by a major communications conglomerate, where she worked alongside employees of the soon to be disgraced Arther Anderson (the auditor of companies involved in high profile corporate fraud such as WorldCom and Enron). Leigh Clare and her colleagues were tasked with working on the problem of Y2K - also known as…

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775 Hole - Live Through This 35:56

7d ago35:56

35:56

775 Hole - Live Through ThisBy Birch

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Arctic Monkeys Live at Reading Festival 2006 Commentary 1:09:07

7d ago1:09:07

1:09:07

The Big Mates provide insightful and tangential audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys live Reading Festival 2006. Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the concert as broadcast on BBC television and radio, and then lovingly stitched together by YouTuber Alex Turner (not that one). They also discuss Reading Festival in general, the festival landscape at the …

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[UNLOCKED] Look back in anger w/ Jeremy Gilbert 1:13:27

9d ago1:13:27

1:13:27

Jeremy Gilbert on the Oasis reunion and the britpop phenomenon more generally. We talked about the music that britpop marginalised, why 90s nostalgia is so prevalent, and why it was that of the various guitar groups of the time it was Oasis who became so successful in the mid 1990s.By Politics Theory Other

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774 Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder - Talking Timbuktu 22:58

11d ago22:58

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774 Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder - Talking TimbuktuBy Birch

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Aftermath of the Israel-Iran war w/ Séamus Malekafzali 46:35

13d ago46:35

46:35

Journalist Séamus Malekafzali joins PTO to talk about the aftermath of the Israel-Iran war. We chatted about where the cessation of hostilities leaves the two states militarily, and whether Iran's strategy of reliance on ballistic missiles and a loose regional alliance was wholly misbegotten or just poorly implemented. And we talked about why the T…

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Sir Seretse Khama, first president of Botswana 27:43

14d ago27:43

27:43

Seretse Khama was born in 1921 in Bechuanaland when it was still a British Protectorate. In 1966 he became Botswana's first president. In between he married a white Londoner, Ruth Williamson, was exiled by the British, and made to renounce his interest in succeeding as head of the Bangwato. It's an extraordinary and notable life, and he's been nomi…

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773 G Love & Special Sauce - G Love & Special Sauce 22:28

14d ago22:28

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773 G Love & Special Sauce - G Love & Special SauceBy Birch

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Who the F*ck Are Arctic Monkeys? 1:33:17

14d ago1:33:17

1:33:17

The Big Mates discuss The 1975, My Chemical Romance, Klaxons, and Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep-dive into the career of Arctic Monkeys by exploring what happened in the immediate aftermath of their hugrly successful debut album. They discuss the EP Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?, ex…

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772 Blur - Parklife 29:27

18d ago29:27

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772 Blur - ParklifeBy Birch

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Excerpt - Richard Seymour on the US attack on Iran 2:35

21d ago2:35

2:35

If you'd like to hear the rest of this episode of PTO Extra! Please consider becoming a £5 supporter of the show on patreon at patreon.com/poltheoryotherBy Politics Theory Other

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Emily Williamson, co-founder of the RSPB 27:32

21d ago27:32

27:32

For over a hundred years no one thought too much about the origins of the RSPB, but among its founders was a woman in Didsbury opposed to the use of feathers in fashionable hats. Emily Williamson was outraged by the widespread slaughter of egrets and the crested grebe. She had tried to join the all-male British Ornithological Union, and when that f…

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771 Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime 33:57

21d ago33:57

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771 Drive Like Jehu - Yank CrimeBy Birch

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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Pt. 3) 1:24:22

21d ago1:24:22

1:24:22

The Big Mates discuss Shane Meadows, Stephen Graham, Paddy Considine, and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue and conclude their discussion of the band's debut album, providing analysis and opinion as they finish up their track-by-track exploration. They discuss the final tracks of the al…

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770 The Offspring - Smash 30:17

25d ago30:17

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770 The Offspring - SmashBy Birch

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Israel's war on Iranian society w/ Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi 42:07

25d ago42:07

42:07

Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi joins PTO to talk about his recent article in the New Left Review on Israel's unprovoked attack on Iran. Eskandar explained why he sees Israel's goals as not being confined to destroying Iran's nuclear programme, but also - and more importantly - the de-development of Iranian society and the balkanisation of the country.…

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Tina Turner 27:43

28d ago27:43

27:43

Rock Icon Tina Turner proposed by the actress and author Rebecca Humphries. Tina Turner began life as Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, joining Ike Turner's band in St Louis at the age of 17. Her presence, her performances and her voice captivated audiences, but this is really a story of triumph over abuse. After she left Ike Turner with noth…

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769 Soundgarden - Superunknown 29:27

28d ago29:27

29:27

769 Soundgarden - SuperunknownBy Birch

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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Pt. 2) 1:42:39

28d ago1:42:39

1:42:39

The Big Mates discuss Peter Buck, train love, traditional policemen, and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their discussion of the band's debut album, going track-by-track to provide analysis and opinion. They also find time to talk about the origins of the post-punk revival scene, the …

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768 Oasis - Definitely Maybe 45:25

1M ago45:25

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768 Oasis - Definitely MaybeBy Birch

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Excerpt - Owen Hatherley on the Manic Street Preachers 3:41

1M ago3:41

3:41

If you'd like to hear the rest of this episode please consider becoming a £5 p/m PTO supporter at patreon.com/poltheoryotherBy Politics Theory Other

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Raymond Blanc on Professor Nicholas Kurti 27:39

1M ago27:39

27:39

The chef Raymond Blanc nominates his mentor and friend, the physicist Professor Nicholas Kurti.Kurti was born in Hungary but fled to Oxford when Hitler came to power. Pushing the frontiers of low-temperature physics during his career, he went on to create‘molecular gastronomy’ in retirement. Raymond Blanc approached Kurti after a lecture the profes…

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767 TLC - CrazySexyCool 44:16

1M ago44:16

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767 TLC - CrazySexyCoolBy Birch

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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Pt. 1) 1:43:08

1M ago1:43:08

1:43:08

The Big Mates discuss concept albums, Chris Tarrant, the alt. rock pipeline, and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's debut album by looking at the writing and recording process, the people who helped them make it, and the musical landscape at the time. They als…

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766 Morrissey - Vauxhall and I 31:57

1M ago31:57

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766 Morrissey - Vauxhall and IBy Birch

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Dervla Murphy, author of the classic Full Tilt 27:38

1M ago27:38

27:38

At the age of 10 Dervla Murphy was given an atlas and a bicycle, and so began an adventurous life. Her account of a journey to India became a classic called Full Tilt but she also went to Cuba, Ethiopia and the Andes where our guest first met her in a doss house. Hilary Bradt is the founder of the Bradt Travel Guides and is picking Dervla Murphy as…

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765 Elvis Costello - Brutal Youth 24:57

1M ago24:57

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765 Elvis Costello - Brutal YouthBy Birch

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Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys 1:36:45

1M ago1:36:45

1:36:45

The Big Mates discuss bouncers, poets, rappers, and Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas properly begin their deep-dive exploration of Arctic Monkeys by talking about the people that make up the band, the various musical influences they brought with them, the city they grew up in, and the formation of the band itself. They discu…

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764 Beastie Boys - Ill Communication 36:56

2M ago36:56

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764 Beastie Boys - Ill CommunicationBy Birch

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Ned Ludd mythical leader of the Luddites 27:43

2M ago27:43

27:43

We don't even know if Ned Ludd was real, but perhaps that was the point. "You could say he was everyone and no one - and that's what made him so terrifying for the authorities." Leader of the Luddites, who often signed letters and proclamations Ned Ludd, he is shown in one engraving wearing mismatched shoes and a blue polka dot dress, suggesting a …

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763 Nas - Illmatic 38:26

2M ago38:26

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763 Nas - IllmaticBy Birch

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Season 7 Introduction: Do U Wanna Know? 1:39:08

2M ago1:39:08

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Introducing Season 7 of the What Is Music? podcast, which is called "Do U Wanna Know?: A Critical Analysis of the History, Cultural Impact, and Music of Arctic Monkeys". Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their deep-dive exploration of Arctic Monkeys by talking about their experiences with the band's music, their journeys with them over time, and what th…

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762 Sabres of Paradise - Haunted Dancehall 24:27

2M ago24:27

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762 Sabres of Paradise - Haunted DancehallBy Birch

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Excerpt - Richard Seymour on the logic of the Gaza genocide 1:17

2M ago1:17

1:17

Richard Seymour discusses the abrupt increase in Western criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, China's energy transition, and how to understand the Trump administration.If you'd like to hear this episode in full please consider becoming a £5/pm PTO supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother…

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The India-Pakistan conflict w/ Radhika Desai 33:47

2M ago33:47

33:47

Radhika Desai returns to PTO to talk about the latest round of violence between India and Pakistan, following the terrorist attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian administered Kashmir on April 22nd. We discussed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, when the Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi revoked the territory's special st…

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Richey Edwards of The Manic Street Preachers 27:40

2M ago27:40

27:40

Richey was, beautiful says Cummins, a natural icon and a gift to photograph. He also believes his writing has been overshadowed by the fact of his disappearance in 1995. "I think nobody has looked beyond that for quite a long time.” Manic Street Preachers biographer, Simon Price, also knew Richey Edwards and says he was "the most intelligent rock s…

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761 Portishead - Dummy 40:56

2M ago40:56

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761 Portishead - DummyBy Birch