April 22, 2025

By Caleb J. Thompson

Before anyone calls me out for being a bad brother, I’ll admit—yeah, this was a pretty messed-up thing to do. I get it now, and I’d never encourage anyone to pull a stunt like this again. But that doesn’t mean I don’t look back on it with a strange sense of pride.

So, here’s the story: it was 1994, and I was 15 years old. My brother, who was three years older than me, was 18. We were both huge fans of the Manic Street Preachers—like, obsessive. We’d buy every album, read every interview, and clear our evenings just to catch their performances on Top of the Pops. These guys were everything to us, and I mean everything. We both dreamed of seeing them live, but tickets to their shows weren’t exactly easy to come by.

When I found out they were playing in town, I knew that if I didn’t get a ticket, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. My brother, on the other hand, had been dealt a rough hand—he was lactose intolerant, and it made him miserable every time he ate dairy. But for some reason, he’d just had to indulge in some cheesy pizza before the concert. Of course, I knew this would send him straight to the bathroom and ruin his chances of going. So, I did what any desperate, terrible little brother would do—I subtly encouraged him to eat it.

I didn’t think he’d take the bait, but he did. Before long, he was doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach, unable to even think about getting on the bus to the concert. I, however, was perfectly fine. I grabbed his ticket, told him I’d go in his place, and just like that, I was off to see the Manic Street Preachers live while he spent the night in agony.

Do I regret it? Honestly, no. At the time, it felt like the greatest victory in the world. He may have been miserable, but I got to live out a dream I’d been chasing for years. Even now, whenever I think back to that night, I still can’t help but laugh at my clever (albeit cruel) maneuver.

I’m not proud of what I did, and I’d never do anything like it again, but at the same time, I can’t help but think of that concert and the thrill of having that ticket in my hand. It’s one of those moments you just… remember.