Editing Nicky Wire (section)

==Biography==
===Early life===
Born Nicholas Allen Jones in [[Llanbadoc]], [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/aug/04/popandrock2 |title=Nicky Wire: Interview in the Guardian, Saturday 4 August 2007 |work=The Guardian  |date= 4 August 2007|access-date=13 September 2011 |location=London}}</ref> Wales, Wire is the younger brother of poet and author [[Patrick Jones (poet)|Pat Jones]].<ref name="BBC1" /> He attended [[Oakdale Comprehensive School]] with [[James Dean Bradfield]], [[Sean Moore (musician)|Sean Moore]] and [[Richey Edwards]]. Wire played competitive schools [[association football|football]] and, aged 14, was captain of the Welsh national schoolboys' team. Although he was offered a trial at both [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] and [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] football clubs, back and knee problems brought his football career to an end. Wire took [[Advanced Level (UK)|A-levels]] in politics and law. He later attended [[University of Portsmouth|Portsmouth Polytechnic]], but after several months transferred to the [[Swansea University|University of Wales Swansea]], starting his course a year after Edwards. He graduated with a [[British undergraduate degree classification|Lower Second-Class]] [[Honours degree]] in politics, which has led him to comment that he may have pursued a career in the diplomatic service or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

===Career===
Wire is a founding member of Manic Street Preachers and was originally rhythm guitarist but changed to playing the bass guitar after original bassist Flicker left the band.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisisyesterday.com/ints/milesarticle.html|title=Miles Woodward: the man who could've been Richey | publisher=thisisyesterday.com |date=17 June 2005 |access-date=1 January 2012}}</ref> He co-wrote the band's lyrics with [[Richey Edwards]] between 1989 and 1995, taking over sole responsibility following Edwards's disappearance.<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/3514147/Richey-Edwards.html |title=Richey Edwards |publisher=[[Telegraph.co.uk]] |access-date=22 June 2009 |date=23 March 2009 }}</ref> Some of Edwards' lyrics were used on 1996's ''[[Everything Must Go (Manic Street Preachers album)|Everything Must Go]]'' album, making 1998's ''[[This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours]]'' the first album with lyrics by Wire alone. Wire remains the primary lyricist for Manic Street Preachers, though lead singer James Dean Bradfield has written a handful of songs, and the 2009 album ''[[Journal for Plague Lovers]]'' contains lyrics by Edwards posthumously used by the rest of the band. Wire usually plays [[Gibson Thunderbird]], [[Rickenbacker]], [[Fender Jazz Bass|Fender Jazz]] and most recently [[ESP Italia|Italia Maranello]] basses, one of which is a custom acoustic model made by request for the band's 2007 acoustic sessions.
[[File:Manic Street Preachers in London2005-7.jpg|thumb|Wire with Manics frontman, James Dean Bradfield in 2005]]
Nicky chose the pseudonym Wire because of his lanky, "wiry" frame (he is 6'3" or 191 cm). He often dons a dress or a skirt for his group's gigs<ref name="BBCR">{{cite news |title=Wire's Six Nations appeal |publisher=BBC |date=1 February 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7221292.stm |access-date=17 February 2008 }}</ref> but has curtailed his flamboyance in recent years. Wire's cross-dressing dates back to his teens, when he would go to local pubs in [[Blackwood, Wales|Blackwood]] wearing a dress; he has, however, been keen to emphasise that he is not transgender. He partly attributes his attraction to glam and women's clothes to his very close relationship with his mother.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

Wire is notorious for his outspoken attitude and has been known to cause controversy in the press. He once stated during a 1992 gig, "In this season of goodwill, let’s pray that [[Michael Stipe]] goes the same way as [[Freddie Mercury]] pretty soon".<ref name="BBC2">{{cite web |title=Nicky Wire Interview |publisher=BBC |year=2007 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/manicstreetpreachers/pages/interview_070402_b.shtml |access-date=17 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713035421/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/manicstreetpreachers/pages/interview_070402_b.shtml |archive-date=13 July 2007}}</ref> However, he has since expressed regret for the remark; stating that it was misinterpreted and "didn't come out the way [he] wanted it to."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/rem-royal-albert-hall-london-802484.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/rem-royal-albert-hall-london-802484.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Independent  | location=London | title=R.E.M. Royal Albert Hall, London | first=Simon | last=Price | date=30 March 2008 | access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref> Wire has noted that his band has taken "inspiration from [[Queen (band)|Queen]],"<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/manicstreetpreachers/pages/interview_2005.shtml | title=Interview with Nicky Wire | publisher=[[BBC]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821212504/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/manicstreetpreachers/pages/interview_2005.shtml | archive-date=21 August 2006}}</ref> Mercury's band, as well as being noted fans of [[R.E.M.]]'s earlier albums.

In November 2007, he was recruited as chair of the advisory board for the new commercial [[Xfm South Wales]] Radio Station.<ref>{{cite web|title=XFM South Wales License Application|work=OFCOM UK Regulator|url=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/car/ifmapps/southwales/xfm.pdf|access-date=1 December 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080627132548/http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/car/ifmapps/southwales/xfm.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 27 June 2008}}</ref>[[Image: Manic Street Preachers in London2005-6-crop.jpg|thumb|left|Nicky Wire on the Manics' "Past, Present and Future" tour]]

===Solo career===
On Christmas Day 2005, the Manics posted a solo track by Wire called "[[I Killed the Zeitgeist]]", available to download free for one day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/nicky-wire|title=Nicky Wire |publisher=guardian.co.uk |date=5 October 2011 |access-date=1 January 2012}}</ref> In early May, the rumoured first single entitled "[[Break My Heart Slowly]]" from his début solo album premièred on [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] with [[Phill Jupitus]].

Wire played an intimate solo gig at the [[Hay Festival]] on 5 June 2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manics star makes solo debut |work=NME |date=6 June 2006 |url=http://www.nme.com/news/manic-street-preachers/23251 |access-date=17 February 2008}}</ref> The setlist consisted of material from his forthcoming album. Also included was a short acoustic rendition of "Condemned to Rock 'N' Roll" from Manic Street Preachers' début album ''[[Generation Terrorists]]''. Speaking to NME.COM before the gig, Wire confirmed that he was currently working on a solo album and he'd already written 25 songs.
On the following day, Wire released the free track "Daydreamer Eyes" on his new website. He released the single "The Shining Path" as an exclusive [[iTunes]] only download on 17 July. His solo album, titled ''[[I Killed the Zeitgeist]]'' was released on 25 September, with the single "Break My Heart Slowly" released on 18 September.

In an interview with ''[[NME]]'' in March 2020, that also confirmed work on a 2021 Manic Street Preachers album and a solo album by bandmate James Dean Bradfield, Wire announced that he was working on more solo content, joking that he would not have to put in much work to meet fan demand.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Trendell |first1=Andrew |title=Manic Street Preachers on their "expansive" new album and James Dean Bradfield's "electric" new solo record |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/manic-street-preachers-on-their-expansive-new-album-and-james-dean-bradfields-electric-new-solo-record-2624306 |website=NME |access-date=7 July 2020 |date=12 March 2020}}</ref> Bradfield later reconfirmed this, likening their simultaneous solo work to when they did the same in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Trendell |first1=Andrew |title=James Dean Bradfield on his new solo album, "Tory Vandals" and the Manics' next move |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/james-dean-bradfield-on-his-new-solo-album-even-in-exile-labour-politics-manic-street-preachers-new-album-2700260 |website=NME |access-date=7 July 2020 |date=2 July 2020}}</ref>