Richey Edwards, Thirty Years On

On Febraury 1 1995, Manic Street Preachers guitarist/lyricist/mouthpiece Richey Edwards checked out of a Bayswater hotel and was never seen again. While his disappearance (and lack of answers surround his fate) is nothing short of tragic, this final action on his part helped solidify his legacy as one of the figureheads for alternative music both in the UK and globally. The impact of his words can still be felt in music today, with his band being name-dropped by the likes of Chicago legends Fall Out Boy. Edwards continues to find his way onto the shelves and into the conscience of misfits everywhere— it almost makes you wish he was still here to see it.

It would be unfair to not start off with the impact that The Holy Bible, the third and final Manics album released with Richey still in the fold, when discussing his impact on the world. A flurry of anger, despair, and ultimately painting a picture of someone being pushed to the edge of what humans are able to comprehend, The Holy Bible would go on to become one of the most influential alternative rock albums of all time. And not just musically, but lyrically too: perhaps moreso lyrically. While Nirvana’s Nevermind had a wider reach and a larger impact on mainstream music for the foreseeable future, there are still plenty of bits where the Manics influence can be seen clear as day. Richey’s ability to touch on taboo topics such as mental health, prostitution and genocide in his lyrics set the stage for the following decade’s big trend— emo. While the Manics guitarist was writing his lyrics in the early-mid 1990s, they wouldn’t have been too out of place in 2005, about a decade later, when there was a whole crop of bands writing about similar themes. Fall Out Boy bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz didn’t exactly hide his admiration of the band, adding a not-so-subtle reference to them in Folie à Deux’s 20 Dollar Nose Bleed (“Have you ever wanted to disappear?/And join a monastery, go out and preach on Manic Street?”). However, as is typically the way, none of them quite did it the way that Richey did. But then again, none of them were soft-spoken and well-educated Welsh Valley boys in bands despite not really being able to play the guitar, were they? But the impact of Edwards’ words were there, and could be easily traced. And it’s these far-reaching influences that continue to lead outcasts and angsty teenagers back to Richey all these years on. His work is always finding its way to the next generation’s ears, still as fresh as it was thirty-or-so years ago, and still resonating just as much as back then.

Alongside bassist Nicky Wire, Richey would also have an impact aesthetically on the music industry. One of the first more prominent bands to be seen wearing eyeliner like raccoons, tight jeans and teased dyed-black hair, neither of them would’ve looked overly out-of-place amongst the angsty emo rabble of the early 00s. Turning out makeup looks that would look eerily familiar to those of the likes of Gerard Way, to say they were ahead of their time wouldn’t be far from the truth. To see the aesthetic impact outside of the music industry itself, one only need to look as far as the band’s fanbase. To this day, flashes of leopard print can still be seen worn by Manics fans. Just about everyone that discovers the band in their teenage years tries to emulate the glammed-up looks of Edwards and Wire at one point or another. Most of them don’t quite have the bollocks of Wire, though, and any time someone dressed like that who isn’t six-foot tall it always comes off as trying to copy Richey, even if just a little bit.

It’s easy to see why people continue to latch onto Richey Edwards, even after all these years. People tend to be attracted to mystery, and there’s plenty of that with his disappearance. The fact that no one has actually been able to figure out what has happened to him (and no official sightings either— the police never verified claims that he was seen in the Goa region of India, for example). And, obviously, the element of tragedy cannot be overlooked. As someone who very publicly had mental health issues, people going through similar things can find a sense of familiarity in Richey, one that doesn’t hide the ugly side of things. He admitted to self-harm and never hid his scars. Countless photoshoots bare the marks of cutting and burning, intentionally or not bringing this issue to the attention of the wider music press with no shame or embarrassment. And sometimes just seeing someone like that can make you feel less alone. Especially in an era where mental health was not as talked about as it is now, the openness of Richey in admitting to his struggles was a landmark moment.

So, while Richey is not here to see this for himself, his work with the Manics has had far-reaching impacts that can still be felt to this day. Video footage, photos, and his own written words have continued to find their way in front of new people, inspiring people who weren’t even born when he disappeared all those years ago.