Tickets are now available to see New Model Army at Rock City!The Journey so far…
History
New Model Army played their first gig in Bradford on October 23rd 1980. Their music drew on a collection of influences fuelled by their passions for Punk Rock and Northern Soul. The band slowly built up a local following and created a unique style based on song-writing and lead-bass.
In 1982, the band reached London and were invited to perform at a couple of showcases. But in a scene hungry for “the next big thing” (the coming “New Romantics”), NMA’s fearsome music and northern style did not win over the Major Record Companies and they returned to Bradford empty-handed. Robert Heaton then joined the band, who was drum tech and drummer for the band ‘Hawkwind‘. NMA began to perform more around the country and frequently featured as opening act on a series of all-day concerts at the London Lyceum. They released “Bittersweet” in the summer of 1983, followed by “Great Expectations” on Abstract Records that autumn. Both played frequently on late night radio by John Peel which led to a cult following.
Early in 1984, the producer of “The Tube” had seen NMA in concert and invited them onto the ‘unknown’ slot on the programme. Having originally asked the band to perform “Vengeance”, the TV Company suddenly got cold feet about the song’s lyrics minutes before broadcast and asked them to change songs. Twenty to thirty followers had gotten into the TV studio and the crowd went wild. Suddenly NMA were underground news. Their first mini-album, “Vengeance” knocked “The Smiths” from the top of the Independent Charts and the major record companies, who had rejected them less than two years earlier, were now begging to sign the band.
Present Day
2015 saw touring, festival appearances and a new album. Entitled ‘Winter’, it was co-produced with Lee Smith and Jamie Lockhart then released in 2016. It was hard-hitting, bleak and kept with the prevailing atmosphere across the World. Echoing the band’s early work while still progressing. It received warm reviews and the band’s highest chart positions for 23 years.
In April 2018, the band came up with a new idea, New Model Army did a weekend of fans singing their music at Round Chapel in Hackney. These “Nights of a Thousand Voices” were community singing events for people who came from all over the world for love of the band. For those lucky enough to get tickets, it was a totally unique experience. For others it was captured for a double CD and DVD.
Now to 2019, which brought yet another new studio album. “From Here” was written in just two months and recorded in only nine days. Working again with Lee Smith and Jamie Lockhart, they recorded Ocean Sound Recordings on the tiny Norwegian island of Giske. The album has a feel that is different to their other albums, but still captures the bands essence.
For more events, check out our gig guide here.
