ward loves them

Mike Ward reviews Channel Four's 'Our Manics In Havana' documentary in, erm, the Daily Star:

WHO'D have thought it, eh? Cuban leader Fidel Castro is a Manic Street Preachers fan. From the look of the old geezer, I had him down as more of a ZZ Top man. Just goes to show.
In fact, Castro simply went to a show which this Welsh trio performed in his native country, as detailed on Channel 4's documentary Our Manics In Havana (great title, by the way).
The band's visit, which took place last month, was a shameless publicity stunt/important cultural exchange (depending on how cyncial you’re feeling) to highlight the release of their new album. Know Your Enemy.
Castro popped along to meet them before they went on stage at Havana's Karl Marx, a gesture which band member Nicky Wire sounded especially chuffed about.
"Noel Gallagher goes to meet Tonv fucking Blair and we meet Fidel Castro" he boasted in his finest Welsh lilt - a rare example of a statement which can simultaneously piss off the Labour
Party, Oasis and the presenter of The Weakest Link.
The Cuban fans sounded hugely excited that the Manics had chosen to visit their humble land. They didn't actually seem to know who the bleeding hell they were. but this hardly mattered.
It's obviously a pretty open-minded place as far as music is concerned, as we saw beforehand when punters in the street were asked about their own favourite bands. "U2", announced one. 'Bob Marley" declared another. "Hear'Say" said a third, although admittedly I just made that bit up.
One local actually said (and this bit is genuine, I promise) that the Manics' visit was "probably the greatest thing that has happened here in the last 10. 20, 30 years". Kind of flattering and depressing, rolled into one.
And although I'm a fan of the band, I can't help thinking that these were the sort of music-starved types who'd have given an equallv enthusiastic response if they'd heard that Bob the Builder was topping the bill.
Never mind. They seermed to enjoy the gig dancing in the aisles; waving flags, the works.
And, living under a communist regime. what did they make of the band's powerful left-wing sentiments, expressed in almost every sonng? At a guess, I'd say they didn't understand a flaming word.
Still, thcy're not the only ones.