And a star is born ( Stu Bennett )

He's The Manic Street Preachers' Biggest Fan

A devotee of the Britpop music scene from the mid-nineties since he was a teenager, Bennett has a particular soft spot for Welsh art punks and enfant terribles of the UK rock scene, the Manic Street Preachers. The band actually pre-dated Britpop by a few years, but Bennett found his way back through their discography to become properly hooked on their agitprop blend of intellectual, literate pop and snarling, revolutionary commando rock n roll. Youve probably seen the large tattoo on his upper right arm: a rose with scrollwork reading Culture, Alienation, Boredom & Despair. Thats a lyric from Little Baby Nothing, which I believe is Bennetts favourite Manics song, from their debut album Generation Terrorists. The song, about the exploitation of women, features co-lead vocals from notorious ex porn star Traci Lords - theyd originally wanted fresh-faced pop star Kylie Minogue, but she wasnt legally allowed to appear on the record. In interviews, Wade Barrett would enthusiastically lay out his shaky plans to get his favourite band to perform his WWE theme music, and in October 2012, singer James Dean Bradfield