The story of Manic Street Preachers is unique in pop. Raging out of the stricken mining communities of south Wales in the late 80s, they were seemingly condemned to mere cult status by a cruel juncture of artistic triumph, commercial failure and personal despair. The story took a further agonising twist when the tragedy of Richey Edwards' 1995 disappearance was followed by a remarkable rebirth, built upon 'A Design For Life' - a hymn to the band's working-class roots - and then the award-winning, multi-million-selling album Everything Must Go, a majestic soundtrack to history and loss. Within five years, Manic Street Preachers were playing to 60,000 at the national stadium of Wales and had their second UK Number 1 single. Subsequent output has confirmed the band as both a wellspring of restless creativity and a barometer of the cultural conversation.