I missed my annual New Model Army live fix last year as they only played a handful of dates and skipped an end of year gig in London for the first time in ages, playing just one show in Nottingham. Not that I was really complaining as the band had not been having the best of luck and this year with new album Between Dog And Wolf unleashed they are touring like absolute mad bastards the length and breadth of the land both here and abroad. In fact it made me feel a bit guilty only making the one date as I guarantee that others will have been going to the lot. New Model Army fans are hardcore and there was nothing that would stop one of their spiritual homes being descended upon by the masses and even the clusterfuck of no Northern line (cheers as ever TFL) was going to stop this being rammed.
First of course was the support band, never an easy thing when you have to impress an audience only really interested in the main band. There were various groups throughout the dates and I have to admit I was a rather gutted we had not drawn Bomb Whateva the remnants of the excellent Bomb Disneyland / Everything who I first saw supporting NMA at I believe this very venue. We had another band called Dinosaur Pile Up instead brought along as fellow Bradfordians for the show. Not that you would have honestly guessed their origins as being from Gods country as they had a sound straight out of Seattle to me. As they first blatted in I had to wonder if they were actually at the right gig as it sounded like the dreaded pop punk bastard offspring of Green Day. Thankfully the trio did not continue down this route as the Subpop grunge vibe started to come through. There was plenty of conviction about what they were doing and the sound was mighty, you can tell by those words that this was not really my thing and I was looking for good things to say. Noting melodies that sounded a like they could have escaped from a Pixies number and some angst ridden Nirvana croons and grooves they had the crowd politely nodding along but there was certainly nobody going to build up a sweat to emotive soft rockers like ‘Derail.’ Sorry this might go down a storm supporting the bland likes of The Foo Fighters but it really wasn’t for me.
Still that could all be forgotten as we waited for the main event. There were no restrictions on time or anything in the photo pit as is normally the case with this unpretentious band so I got my first glimpse at the set-list which I had been avoiding all spoilers on up to this point. Interesting, was my first thought as I noted the mix of new songs, some firm favourites and some unexpected numbers and then we were off for the next 90 minutes as New Model Army hit the stage. The wolf bit in with ‘I Need More Time’ a track that impressed as one of the more rigorous numbers from the new album. It was a damn fine choice as it powerfully built up atmospherically around the tribal drumming tattoo and then flattened us, exploding with huge gravity and literally taking my breath away. What an entrance! I couldn’t get a chance even from my vantage place to really see Michael Dean behind his kit but it was the first real chance to catch new bassist Ceri Monger in action after the surprise departure of long term bassist Nelson. Coming from a hardcore band from Stowmarket of all places he seemed to fit into the slot perfectly and impressed from the get go despite having such big shoes to fill.
Naturally the bard that is Justin Sullivan was central to things and unravelling stories as we went but the intensity of Today Is A Good Day was not slowing things down at all and the ever flamboyant Marshall Gill was given plenty of opportunity to spiral away and throw shapes as he got into things on guitar. Behind me the chorus echoed around the venue as everyone joined in. The new songs fitted in and although the album was not an instant winner for me I have grown to love it more and more on each listen and it has become family along with the others. We joined the ‘March In September’ even if it was not stomped out with the clogs of yesteryear and it certainly seemed as if everyone in the venue knew the words and had already picked up the album. Ceri was doubling up on the drums with his own little percussive kit at the side of the stage here too. As for the barnstormers there were several and ‘The Hunt’ had me losing my shit in the photo-pit which Marshall noticed and amusedly acknowledged but sorry the call behind this just could not be ignored. I guess London was the perfect place to play the next one especially as just down the road were the very ‘Archway Towers’ that inspired the number. This was a number I had not expected but it was certainly the one to encourage a bit of human pyramid building. Security at first looked a little out of sorts but obviously had some foreknowledge of this tradition and left the audience to it. The sound was staggering here with the guitar nuances jaggedly peaking and the mammoth intensity incredible. The cheese grater sliding guitar part at the end which led straight into the ground zero stomp of ‘Here Comes The War’ was absolutely masterful.
I was very glad when Justin told us a little about being in America and hearing about a very strange character as it meant that ‘Knievel’ with its soaring powerful chorus was going to literally hit the rafters which it did in style having people climbing on shoulders, neither falling or flying but paying tribute in their own way. We were at the heart of the new album now and the title track seems to have already proven a favourite and it was remarkable to see the way these numbers were being embraced. Dean White’s keyboard parts really came through on this one and the thick bass chugs from the speakers next to my head was solidly defined as it rumbled out. I realised that it had been a good decade since I had been upstairs at this venue and forgotten it grabbing a much needed beer on the way it seemed like a good vantage point for the rest of the set and there was plenty of room to move unlike in the crush down the front. The hefty chant of ‘No Rest’ sounded just as formidable up above and speaking of being ‘High’ this latter classic was fascinating to watch from above as the pyramids rose to its call. To blue spotlights it was like being taken on safari to other newbie ‘Seven Times.’ They changed the set list from how they had it on the stage after an evocative ‘Lust For Power’ and storming ‘Wonderful Way To Go’ and played it down a bit with a couple of slow burners. Justin had teased us earlier about not playing ‘Vengeance’ but they pulled it out and with ‘Get Me Out’ and ‘Green And Grey’ being the finishing songs made it so that everyone was going to leave pumped up and on a high to deal with a tedious journey home with great memories of seeing one of the best live bands in the world putting on another fine display. Here’s to the next one and hopefully many more to come.
Review and photos © Pete Woods
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