Manic Street Preachers reluctant sobriety

Manic Street Preachers' Nicky Wire thinks it's "really f***ing boring" not drinking.

The bassist with the '(It's Not War) Just the End of Love' rockers gave up drinking around six months ago, after experiencing gastro-intestinal problems and said he's not exactly enjoying his new sobriety.

Nicky, 41, told Q Magazine: "I miss my bottle of wine in front of the TV. It's just, really f***ing boring not drinking. Shopping. That's about all we've got left now."

Nicky - who was speaking shortly after a successful show - added his bandmate, singer and guitarist James Dean Bradfield, has been sober since 2004 when he found his voice couldn't cope with smoking and drinking alongside singing for two hours every night.

He added: "You could see James tonight with this massive sadness in his heart. You could see him thinking, 'I'd have been in absolute heaven if this had been 10 years ago. Drinking myself to oblivion! Everything was adding up to a cocktail of joy, and then - off to bed."

The Manic Street Preachers' latest album, 'Postcards From A Young Man', is out now.