Nicky Wire

In November 2007, he was recruited as Chair of the Advisory Board for the new commercial Xfm South Wales Radio Station.

Wire played an intimate solo gig at the Hay Festival on 5 June 2006. The set list consisted of material from his forthcoming album. Also included was a short acoustic rendition of "Condemned to Rock 'N' Roll" from the Manic Street Preachers' début album Generation Terrorists. Speaking to NME.COM before the gig, Wire confirmed that he was currently working on a solo album and he'd already written 25 songs. On the following day, Wire released the free track "Daydreamer Eyes" on his new website. He released the single "The Shining Path" as an exclusive iTunes only download on 17 July. His solo album, entitled I Killed the Zeitgeist was released on 25 September; with the single "Break My Heart Slowly" released on 18 September.

On Christmas Day 2005, the Manics posted a solo track by Wire called "I Killed the Zeitgeist", available to download free for one day. In early May, the rumoured first single entitled Break My Heart Slowly from his début solo album premièred on 6music with Phill Jupitus.

Wire married his childhood sweetheart, Rachel, on 25 September 1993. He missed the band's appearance on Top of the Pops to promote "Roses in the Hospital" because of the honeymoon and was replaced on the day by a Manics roadie wearing a Minnie Mouse mask. The couple live in the Newport suburb of Allt-yr-yn with daughter Clara Enola (born 2002) and son Stanley McCarthey (2007).

Wire is notorious for his outspoken attitude and has been known to cause controversy in the press. He once stated during a 1992 gig, "In this season of goodwill, let’s pray that Michael Stipe goes the same way as Freddie Mercury pretty soon." However, he has since expressed regret for the remark; stating that it was misinterpreted and "didn't come out the way [he] wanted it to." Wire has noted that his band has taken "inspiration from Queen," Mercury's band, as well as being noted fans of R.E.M.'s earlier albums.

Previous to the band, Wire studied politics at university; this would later influence his lyrical work. He was co-writer of the band's lyrics (alongside Richey James Edwards) from 1989 to 1995, and has been the band's primary lyricist from 1995 to the present. In addition to his work with the Manic Street Preachers, Wire released a solo album, I Killed the Zeitgeist, in 2006.

Wire is a founding member of the Manic Street Preachers and was originally rhythm guitarist, but changed to playing bass guitar after original bassist Flicker left the band. He co-wrote the band's lyrics with Richey Edwards between 1989 and 1995, taking over sole responsibility following Edwards' disappearance. Some of Edwards' lyrics were used on 1996's Everything Must Go album, making 1998's This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours the first album with lyrics by Wire alone. Wire usually plays Gibson Thunderbird, Rickenbacker, Fender Jazz and most recently Italia Maranello basses, one of which is a custom acoustic model made by request for the band's 2007 acoustic sessions.

Nicholas Allen Jones (born 20 January 1969), known as Nicky Wire, is the Welsh lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers.