The world's biggest indoor music event on Millennium Eve has taken place in Cardiff.

Two billion television viewers from around the globe saw in the year 2000 with the Manic Street Preachers.

However, some seats in the Millennium Stadium were left empty because of fears that the building would not cope with so many excited fans.

The empty seats were the result of fears that thousands of fans moving together could cause parts of the building to sway.

The concert was billed as the biggest-ever staged by a band from Wales.

The Manics launched their career in December 1990, with the single Motown Junk.

They have had a sequence of 14 top 40 singles and three acclaimed albums - Generation Terrorists, Gold Against The Soul and The Holy Bible.

On February 1st 1995, everything stopped for the Manic Street Preachers when guitarist, lyricist and - for many people - the group figurehead Richey James disappeared, on the eve of a promotional visit to the US.

Despite publicity and a careful police search, there has been no trace of Richey James since.

His disappearance remains unsolved.

James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire decided to continue the Manic Street Preachers as a three piece.

Their first act was to support the Stone Roses at Wembley Arena on 29th December 1995.

International event

After that they went to Normandy to record the 17 tracks that include the hit single A Design For Life and form the basis for the 1996 album Everything Must Go.

Their latest album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours included the No 1 hit If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next.

Also on the millennium bill were fellow Welsh bands Super Furry Animals, Shack and Feeder.

Manic Millennium was an international event featuring messages from the worlds of sport, drama and music, linked via the BBC to celebrations world wide and displayed on the stadium's video screens.

The entertainment goes on till 2am.