James Dean Bradfield -This is Yesterday

[@mattapacca]

Performance wise, this guy is one of the most hardest working people in Rock. Mr Reliable. TV appearances, radio appearances, record store appearances, guest appearances on other artist music, charity appearances. You name it, he has performed on it (other planets excepted). That's before we get to doing radio/TV interviews, magazine interviews, presenting radio programmes etc. On top of that, he has a really distinctive and powerful voice and is one of the worlds most underrated guitarists!. Plus he's got family life, too. His performances are never done half heartedly. Diva's take note, this is a proper performance...

[@stevelogan1699]

A beautiful statement of so much that is good about JDB. I would add that he’s a true rocker, totally without rock n roll affectations. He’s articulate and polite in interviews and treats both interview and audience with respect. If he wasn’t Welsh he wouldn’t be himself, but he’d be better known.

[@hyllaf]

*update* - he learnt paino properly on lockdown - and this formed the root for their new #1 Uk Album!

[@popstarpaul]

I always felt for James, pushed into the singer role, worked hard on his voice, a decent guitarist that’s really over achieved, it’s a compliment. I love the guy

[@manorbier]

One of the best acoustic performances i've heard. His voice is incomparable.

[@adriandobbyn874]

Allen Toussaint's face when he does the little flourish on the guitar at the end is lovely. RIP.

[@merseybeast76]

If I had the money, I'd pay James to come and play once a week in my living room, probably jam with him on a couple of songs . . . how much better could life get than that?

[@justMe-rd4sw]

that would be fuxxin brrrrrilliant !!!!!!

[@paulirimia4488]

The ignorance is strong here.

[@hyllaf]

Small desk performance!

[@legacyofpop]

Just watch the guy sitting at the piano... He's feeling every note...and shaking his head at the end. Church.

[@SammyMakepeace]

That's John Grant

[@kombatklish8970]

For you Mau..this is the last song we listened to before you fell asleep forever. All I can do right now is close my eyes and wish it was yesterday.. RIP xx

[@danielthompson4463]

Sorry for your loss

[@Dressagevids]

No one person should be allowed that amount of talent!

[@anapimentel6124]

1:26 Allen Toussaint's reaction represents me, listening to any Manics/JDB songs ❤

[@XoXo475]

How amazing is his guitar playing too. Genius

[@Mysterywhiteboy78]

Such a beautiful song, must be hard for him to play this without thinking of Richey.

[@trnled]

Nicky wrote This is Yesterday

[@rackopablos]

@@trnled I've been wrong all these years then. Definitely sounded like a Richey lyric to me

[@HUTCHIRL]

@@trnled Genuinely never would've guessed that. Pure Richie vibe off it.

[@issyjas3309]

@@HUTCHIRLabsolutely , sounds like his lyrics put to paper. Him and Nicky like twins, similar thought processes then you have this boy who could put a tune to anything.

[@scootaymildo1070]

​@@rackopablos it's not by Richie but it is about him. It's literally about Nicky watching his best friend die in front of him, not being able to do anything about it and dreaming about the happier days gone by. So incredibly sad.

[@spongehead72]

Amazing lyrics and JDB is simply perfect... I love this man! He has so much soul and when he sings it feels like it comes straight from the heart...

[@Mysterywhiteboy78]

Nicky Wire wrote this lyrics i think.....this album ( Holy Bible) is a classic.

[@peterroberts542]

one of the most beautiful songs ever.

[@cymnet]

Wish I could click twice on the thumbs up symbol!

[@mrdybs]

stunning performance by JDB.

[@IanDeQuadros]

One of my favourite episodes of songwriters circle. Well worth checking out Allen Tousaint and John Grant's performances as well. That flourish at the end of this video was just showing off though :)

[@cazb877]

Just a beautiful song, makes me glad to be alive!

[@GwynHowell]

one of my favourite songs ever. great version

[@marcpledger]

The songwriting and musicianship are superb but the lyrics are from another planet. I'm pretty certain JDB is happy being JDB, why compare the man to anyone else? There wouldn't be a MSP if there wasn't a man we call JDB! This to me is the most simple lyric that Richey wrote and its the closest he came to actual poetry. That JDB transcends existence when he plays on this video is not only truly beautiful but it proves my point.

[@love_endures9995]

Nicky Wire wrote this incredible song. He actually admits to writing about 30% of THB. But I agree fully with your sentiments.

[@GwynHowell]

+Marc Pledger richey didn't write the lyrics for this song, nicky did

[@marcpledger]

+Marc Pledger Haha ten minutes after I wrote this post I found the bit on the internet that says Nicky wrote it. Oops. Didn't know that. Replace Richey in my initial post with Nicky. Fixed. Still a beautiful song and still a sublime performance. I'd love to know the exact division of labour for the lyrics on THB, I think I can guess most of it but there are some amazing lines in there. My fav from this song is "Why do anything when you can forget everything?"

[@GwynHowell]

+Marc Pledger so many amazing lyrics on this album. probably my most listened to album ever, and i listen to a lot of music. never gets old. timeless classic. flawless. love this band!

[@Mysterywhiteboy78]

Nicky Wire wrote the lyrics.

[@mojopin70]

SUch a beautiful song on the darkest of albums. Bye Richey.

[@MattJames1958]

Such a beautiful song and such a wonderful performance

[@justMe-rd4sw]

beautiful song on many levels

[@phgkeets12]

Where ever you are I hope you at peace Richey

[@jakeplatt7367]

Just perfect

[@this_is_ally]

My favourite on THB 🖤

[@idlt4]

Both of those pianists are shaking their heads in utter disbelief. Amazing. He's wasting the time in the manics, this guy could have given Clapton a run for his money when he was in his 'Layla' prime.

[@OkSharkey]

+Robert Peach He's way better than Clapton, and not a bigot either!

[@OkSharkey]

***** Eric Clapton is a notorious bigot who has voiced his support for Enoch "rivers of blood" Powell multiple times in the past.

[@OkSharkey]

***** 1976, 2004, and 2007

[@OkSharkey]

***** Check his wikipedia page if you don't believe me.

[@OkSharkey]

***** lol, you could get a job rearranging Wembley Stadium

[@issyjas3309]

My favourite slow manics song, just beautiful

[@katymalkin7307]

WOW just found this for the first time

[@jamesdavies5266]

Tousaint shakes his head at end aw amazing. The saint

[@debmeehan6879]

I just love this version so much !! Want it in my car

[@benjpope6949]

Great playing and singing!

[@JDBGUITAR85]

this is beautiful

[@Jas.Jasper]

It’s the ‘richness’ (the only word I can find) of the guitar playing coupled with THAT voice

[@cuddlygoblin]

This is so stunning.

[@rossb2006]

Another tune! :-)

[@sparhawk1975]

I love listening to live acoustic music. You really feel the emotion and soul of not only the music but the artist themselves. Neil Finn did a songwriter's Circle, as did Justin Currie....absolutely phenomenal all of them. This song is one of my all time favourites though.

[@RajHK8]

2:13-2:20 they are both staring at him in incredible awe

[@braddersthemod]

I had no idea ths programme was on last friday. I was flicking the channels just before I went to bed and stumbled accross it just as this song started!! What a great suprise!!

[@highwireman2012]

Absolutely fucking unreal.

[@ondaluca7232]

Simply wow JD🖤

[@alexjames4064]

Given what was happening in the band at the time Nicky wrote the words to this song, the line “I’m sorry everything is falling apart” has to be one of the most heartbreaking lines in rock music.

[@markhamilton249]

Love this song

[@vinceball5799]

genius

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

3:13 spanish guitar? he's looking on from behind him... what the hell!? what a guitarist.

[@12rt34yy5]

Superb.

[@waitingforthewinter]

Lovely

[@williamss1686]

Perfect

[@staybeautiful5602]

perfect

[@Jakeschoonz]

@braddersthemod Intrestingly, the same thing happened to my older brother. He showed it me on BBC iplayer. I Keep bumping into him on the internet though...

[@jennamallow355]

so beautiful song with so sexy man,so amazing!!! i love James and his voice!!!

[@aden1874]

Its tuned in G , its actually not that hard to play. Same tuning as Small Black Flowers. There are decent tabs on Ultimat Guitar.

[@krischarlton7637]

small black flowers, amazing song. have you seen the live version, just Bradfield and a harp player?

[@declanmcdonnell6965]

What about the Spanish guitar flurry he throws in at the end? It's incredible.

[@aden1874]

@@declanmcdonnell6965 it's JDB, he's some player!...

[@fnlvnlol24]

Subconsciously, Ghosts by The Jam, but that's why I love it more.

[@TECHNOIR]

Shoulda been the third single from The Holy Bible - subverted expectations and just a better song, Ah well que sera sera in the summer wind. I love you Rich

[@djstevo02]

Can anyone tabs this???

[@craigyfear]

Amazing performance...can you please upload John Grant's performances too? Thanks

[@richardmintrim410]

I've totally forgotten the name of the guy playing piano on this show anyone know.

[@LouisMinett]

#djstevo02 Learn it by ear, it's more rewarding in the long run.

[@paulp4452]

How does he get the tremelo effect on the last strum of the intro ? Is it a pedal?

[@badtotheappendixx]

bends the neck slightly

[@caraticus12]

Okay, is it just me, or does James screw up at the beginning when he strums, forgetting that the capo's on? Because the next time he does it, it's not atonal.

[@caraticus12]

Sorry, I meant that perhaps he forgot the capo's not on.

[@krischarlton7637]

just sounded like a glitch in the recording to me.

[@scribblerecords7959]

Its a glitch in the recording. If you watch his position of the fretboard it dosent change and I haven't ever seen a chord bend like that, especially not at first position.

[@declanmcdonnell6965]

+Alex Komnenos It's quite clearly a glitch in the tape/recording. The entire chord goes up a semi-tone as a result, not just the one note in the chord.

[@krischarlton7637]

+Alex Komnenos he tunes his guitar to a G chord for this song

[@PomBare]

0:20 sounds like a mistake, but what a beautiful mistake!

[@kevinkibble8342]

Sounds like a problem with the audio, he's playing the same chord.

[@arnamthedarkthoughts7224]

He's simply played the wrong chord and ridden it well. I love how commited he is.

[@RajHK8]

No if you listen to the whole concert it doesn’t sound like that

[@RockPhonic]

Why do they keep cutting to the guy on the piano? He's just sitting there doing nothing.

[@doylustheboy]

apart from the wrong notes on the intro :0)