The Return of the Manic Street Preachers- excerpts
NME last interviewed Richey Edwards in September 1994. He’d just been
released from the Priory Hospital in Roehampton, South London, which
specialises in ‘acute psychiatric conditions’. His particular problems
involved anorexia, alcohol abuse and self mutilation.
All of these aspects of his personality were documented in his lyrics
most unflinchingly on the ’94 album, ‘The Holy Bible’.
Richey’s practise of cutting his skin was already part of rock lore.
In May 15 ,1991, he decided to answer a sceptical journalist by slashing
‘4 real’ on his arm with a razor, requiring 17 stitches.
Nicky Wire (Manics bassist): "He (Richey) still wanted the rest of the
world to know that he was completely fucked up.I’m sure he felt that
‘people are gonna say I’m a fake if a don’t do something about it',"
Richey became intrigued by the life and death of Def Leppard guitarist,
Steve Clarke. He was a good player, but he’d become terribly fraught
before a show once even breaking his knuckles on a wash basin, so he
wouldn’t have to go on. In the same spirit, Richey used to dream about
chopping off his fingers. Then he went out and bought himself a butcher’s
cleaver.
The Manics played a terrible show in Amsterdam (in 1994) and everyone was
depressed, except Richey, who was oddly cheerful. Afterwards, Nicky pulled
up his friend’s shirt to discover he had a vertical slash down his chest.
'I feel alright now', said Richey.
On December 14, Nicky woke in Hamburg to find Richey outside the hotel,
banging his head against the wall. Blood was running down his cheeks.
The tour was over.
- Stuart Balie, excerpts from NME, May 11, 1996
