ShareNew Model Army performing at Rock City Nottingham on Friday 8th December 2023.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
With a huge back catalogue of songs, Friday night at Rock City saw a varied and extensive twenty nine song set list from New Model Army, that had a sold out crowd singing along from the off.
As the adored punk tinged rockers hit the stage, it was clear for those of The Family who had made it inside for the very early start of the first set, that Rock City is a venue that the band hold very dear. With a huge queue still outside waiting to get it, original front man and his latest line up, guitarist Justin Sullivan, Michael Dean on drums, Ceri Monger on bass and guitarist Marshall Gill started the evening with a Sullivan solo of Pull The Sun, showing straight away that their sound was as strong as ever.
Notice Me from their debut album, Vengeance was given an outing, as was a striking rendition of Bittersweet, their 1983 break through song, originally championed by John Peel, which thrilled with its upbeat melody. Other songs in the first set included Headlights, Stranger, Living In The Rose and the delightful Ballad Of Bodmin Pill.
With the venue completely filled, NMA were back on stage to deliver their second set list. Mixing their heavy guitar laden tracks with softer acoustic material made for an incredible mix, and showcasing forty three years of nostalgic indulgence they had the crowd bouncing with the likes of Between Dog And Wolf, their latest single the ear catching First Summer After, Inheritance and set closer, Wonderful Way To Go which was performed with a real intensity.
For the encore there was Guessing, Angry Planet and Green And Grey with its swelling keyboard and acoustic guitar. Never ones to conform to the mainstream music industry and whilst this show didn’t really speak to a new generation, what they did was preach to a converted sold out crowd who had hung on their every word.
