Manic Street Preachers - Paris, November 1994
Tom says: “Richey Edwards is someone sadly missed by many people. This photograph was taken below the streets of Paris. The writer on the job, Price Cube [Quietus writer and Manics biographer, Simon Price] had been a student in the city and seemed to have a handle on where we were going. We were doing a feature for Melody Maker, while they were supporting Suede on tour across Europe. Once underground we walked quite a long way and the walls from ankle to hip height had bones stacked to form the wall, topped with earth on either side of us. There is just one section down there where the bones and skulls reach from floor to ceiling. It isn’t very wide down there, not large enough to do a group shot at least but big enough to do solo shots.

“After the session and soundcheck James [Dean Bradfield] came over and said that Richey asked if we'd like to go on the bus and listen to some tunes and have a beer. Although we were there to do something for the Maker, one always has to give the band some space, but we took up the offer. He, like the rest of the band, was as usual very welcoming. Beers were handed out. Rich started playing some Gram Parsons. I think he might have been trying to make me feel at home. He, like the rest of the band, knew what kind of tunes I liked... Gram, Neil, The Dead… all that old shit which I still love to this day. But we all need new tunes and artists as well. Anyway, the tunes went on, as did the playful digs at me for liking old people’s music. They played, what was for me, a great gig. I had left my jacket in the dressing room but when they came on stage James was wearing it. At which point I was heard to shout to an audience of French people, “The cunt has stolen my hinge!” They smashed the fuck out of the drum kit and a few guitars and Nick [Wire]’s bass took a pounding, if memory serves.

“That trip was the last time I saw Richey. When The Holy Bible came out he wasn't doing press. I wanted to shoot James and Nick with The Bible and a tin foil trough to hold lighter fuel. I wanted to set it alight and photograph them holding a flaming Bible… but no, they didn’t go for it.”