Nicky Wire after the Manics had won the Best Live Act award.

-Where are you from and what are you doing?
Im from Wales and Im on Ribena

-Why?
When you make a record like Know Your Enemy with a lot of serious lyrical statements and you open yourself to attack, then it gets kind of draining. The lyrics are just not understandable to ost people, I guess. You realise the limits of being in a group. Youve got to subvert from within. Ive got to be cleverer more deft, more subtle about things. You think to yourself; Do you want to a million people who dont understand, or 300 000 who do understand? Its a very tricky balancing act.

-What was the last thing you won?
A Brit award or a Brat award or a Q award, I guess. We won a lot in 1998, so one of those.

-Who would you have chosen as the best live act?
I think thats justified, because over the last 10 years we have been effortlessly one of the great wxciting live acts. Considering theres only three of us. James should win it on his own, really, for singing two parts and playing three guitar parts at once. And theres not much else around, except Kylie. Her show is by far the best out there. But of course U2 deserved it. (Sarcastically) Like they said in their speech, they should have got all five, shouldn't they?

-Whats the best record youve heard this year?
Ill be very obvious and say the The Strokes, cos if I was a young kid theyd be the band that I was into. Its not the greatest record on earth, but theres some sensitivity and femininity, so it gets my vote.

-Are Radiohead the best act in the world today?
I cant pretend that Im the biggest fan of all their records all the time but theres something about them which you know is right. And thats really important because it means in 10 years time you can listen to them and pick up things you didnt before. Good luck to them.

-You were conspicuously silent after 11. September. Were you temted to make any public comment on the terrorist attack?
No. I think after the whole Cuba thing you realise youre just not taken seriously if youre in a Rock n Roll band and say anything. After 12 years, finally the voice seems to have disappeared altogether. It frustrates me because I have a degree in politics and most people who judge us probably have no idea of politics whatsoever, but they feel able to say we shouldnt have a voice. I just feel a bit beaten down. It doesnt seem worth it. It would have been really easy to make a sesationalist statement, in our case it would have been extremely left-wing or extremely right-wing weve had occasions of both in our history but it just didnt feel right.

-Would you have said something if it had happened, say, 7 years ago?
I dont know. If wed been at our strongest and mentally most vibrant Im sure Richey would have said something.

-Whats next?
Nothing. (Grins) No, were just getting the Greatest Hits together. The package has just got to be special. Two of my favourite Greatest Hits albums are Erasure and Steps. Both had 20 great songs on, so I think thats the limit. You go below that, you piss the fans off, go above it, you bore them. Maybe one new song. Ive just given James a pile of lyrics and hes getting stuck in.