Recent Posts

51

Everything Else / Re: The BOOKS thread... what you reading?

« Last post by Ghosttrain on September 04, 2025, 02:48:11 PM »

Have just finished The Plague by Albert Camus......superb...

52

Everything Else / Re: Non NMA gigs you just got home from or are going to

« Last post by lostockboy on September 01, 2025, 03:32:53 PM »

It's been a while since I've been on the NMA site and since then I've been to a few gigs in that time. I suppose one band of note that I've seen is Bob Vylan who I'd seen 3 times before the Glastonbury storm kicked off and are a band I really got into and who have became more popular after every time of seeing them. I've got  their last two album releases which I've played to death and although they are very political and are quite vocal in what they believe in when I've seen them live they came across as lovely blokes who were really pleasant to the audience. My daughter ended up on stage the first time we saw them and then had her picture taken with them the last time we saw them. I imagine people will point out that they play live to pretty much a backing track apart from drums and vocals, but even so I enjoyed seeing them live so much and do recommend seeing them live if you can.

53

Everything Else / Re: A thread about The Chameleons...

« Last post by lostockboy on September 01, 2025, 03:15:55 PM »

Well, we're all of a similar age and I think this is a band that many might appreciate or remember...

Flashback to the 2000's.  I'm seeing NMA at the London Astoria, there's a support band called Bird who many of the crowd seem to quite appreciate.  I subsequently find out the singer was Mark Burgess who was in a band called, yes, The Chameleons.

That was when I left it but flash forward to when I had access to Spotify and I remembered The Chameleons and subsequently  listened them relentlessly and just fell in love with them.  What a great band, SO many wonderful tunes!  Reading up on them I find they're somewhat forgotten in some quarters and regarded as 'The Lost Yet Great Manchester Band' by many... heck, Noel Gallagher, Smashing Pumpkins, The Verve, Editors, The Slow Readers Club, Flaming Lips and Interpol have directly quoted them as a big influence... 

Well, they're back and have a new album coming out in September, the first since 2001.  They've just put out a terrific new song called 'Saviors Are A Dangerous Thing' (which I'll post below) and they're touring in November, I must try and make it to one of those dates!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wpCUqoV0FY

So, any Chameleons fans out there?   

I've been a massive Chameleons fan for sooo many years and I just don't know where to start. Anyway, I got in to them in the later 80's not long after they split up in 1987 so missed seeing them live so of course I collected as much of their releases as was possible which included 3 excellent album releases, yes, all 3 were brilliant albums. Mark Burgess and John Lever started another band in 1988 called The Sun and the Moon who released a self titled album and a 12" single and who I got to see live about 4 times but that was short lived when they split up after maybe a couple of years. Thankfully The Chameleons reformed in 2000 releasing another excellent album and so I was able to see them live for the first time when they played Manchester Academy on June 3rd of that year and it also being my birthday made it even more memorable, what a great present. That gig was released as a live DVD so one not to ever forget and I also managed to see them a couple more times and then in 2002 they split again. After that I saw Mark supporting NMA in October 2005 when the then band was Mark Burgess and the sons of God and again I collected a fair amount of Mark Burgess's releases over the next few years.  Next up I saw John Lever's Second Skin live at Manchester Academy 3 in September 2009 which was basically drummer John Lever and band doing Chameleons songs where Mark guested on vocals which then went on to become Chameleons Vox who I saw live well into double figures and who released one EP called M+D=1( in 2013.  John Lever then left Chameleons Vox after a fall out so I heard and then Reg Smithies from the original line up came back on board and then for whatever reason they went back to being The Chameleons in 2021.  Since then I've managed to see them live 5 times including a two night stint in July this year in Nantwich (where I was  born) and the next night at The Devil's Arse in Castleton (a great venue name) and I will hopefully see them later this year when they will hopefully perform more songs from their up and coming new album release, so looking forward to that. I always tell people that the greatest band out of Manchester are The Chameleons so it was such a shame when I saw them in Nantwich as Oasis were playing Wembley that same night and I think to myself how the hell did that happen as they don't compare to The Chameleons. It's a shame that a lot of people like bands for their image rather than their music as is with Oasis, but of course we are entitled to our own opinions.

54

Everything Else / Re: What do you consider to be a 'great voice / singer'..?

« Last post by Guillaume on August 30, 2025, 08:54:02 PM »

Up!

For me, great vocals are about the stuff that comes from the heart, regardless of what your vocal chords can do, and how it resonates in the ears of the listener (if great lyrics are also forthcoming, so much the better...)

Here are some voices that I think are evocative, and/or intense and/or lovely and/or moving...for some of these artists I don't necessarily like 100% of everything they release but their voice provokes something in me, in any case!:

Justin Sullivan
Adrian Borland (The Sound)
Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy)
John Campbell
Tony Joe White
Mike Patton (Faith No More)
Ian Gillan (Deep Purple)
Kelly Holland (Cry of love)
...

Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde)
Meg Myers
Samantha Fish
Lisa Gerrard
Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering)
Florence Welch
Amy Macdonald
Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders)
Rebecca Lovell (Larkin Poe)
...

55

Everything Else / Re: The Sound/Adrian Borland

« Last post by Guillaume on August 29, 2025, 09:13:54 PM »

Sir, I might have taken a while to get around to it but I've finally been listening to The Sound...  and you're absolutely right.  What a terrific band. Only listened to From The Lions Mouth and All Fall Down so far (I actually like AFD better) but I'll be right onto the rest of their stuff asap.

ALL FALL DOWN is more eclectic, varied in its sounds than FROM THE LION'S MOUTH, that's why you prefer it I suppose?

The Sound's "purist" fans seem to mostly remember the first two albums (JEOPARDY and FROM THE LION'S MOUTH) plus the SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT EP and the 1985 live versions of IN THE HOTHOUSE.

I only found the band very recently, in 2020/2021 during the lockdowns and in a short time Adrian Borland has really become one of my favorite singers and songwriters, not far from Justin. The first song I liked from The Sound was "Where the love is" on ALL FALL DOWN but the real emotional shock for me was the version of "Winning" on the live IN THE HOTHOUSE, this version moved me a lot like the versions on this live of "Silent air" and "Total recall", among others ... I did not expect so much intensity and emotions in these live versions, the studio versions are already very good but we feel much less rage and despair, so if you like The Sound absolutely listen to IN THE HOTHOUSE Master Ray!

After a few years of listening I would say that my favorite albums of the band are still IN THE HOTHOUSE, FROM THE LION'S MOUTH and the superb  SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT (EP). But even the more uneven albums like THUNDER UP deserve to be listened to and listened to again.

I don't know if you still buy CDs, but the Deluxe 2CD editions of SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT, IN THE HOTHOUSE and HEADS AND HEARTS are available from today in your record stores! 

56

Everything Else / Re: A thread about The Chameleons...

« Last post by Guillaume on August 29, 2025, 09:03:28 PM »

Great news Master Ray! I'm glad to read another NMA fan who likes the songwriting of the late Adrian Borland, and I'm taking this opportunity to bring up and update the thread dedicated to this band. 

57

Everything Else / Re: A thread about The Chameleons...

« Last post by Master Ray on August 29, 2025, 08:02:19 PM »

The Sound, well, never heard of them but I'll be sure to check them out.

Adrian Borland, the much missed and brilliant singer and guitar player of The Sound, was a friend of Mark Burgess and Burgess even wrote a lovely song about his friend Adrian:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEVpSaL4hhA&list=RDxEVpSaL4hhA&start_radio=1&ab_channel=REPTILEHOUSE

Master Ray, At least listen to The Sound's masterpiece FROM THE LION'S MOUTH (with unforgettable songs like "Winning", "Silent air" and "New dark age"):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoSZTNr48gg&list=PLMxy067kbpQiGUg7nXLOa29Fw9oR6ckU4&ab_channel=TheSound-Topic

 and their incredible 1985 Marquee live album IN THE HOTHOUSE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpzCAT4Vhnk&list=PLI6kLIhBBwmTJmxvgcdH-_8K1I7xcCJ2h&index=1&ab_channel=TheSound-Topic

The official thread about The Sound/Adrian Borland:

https://board.newmodelarmy.org/index.php?topic=10095.0

Sir, I might have taken a while to get around to it but I've finally been listening to The Sound...  and you're absolutely right.  What a terrific band. Only listened to From The Lions Mouth and All Fall Down so far (I actually like AFD better) but I'll be right onto the rest of their stuff asap.

 

58

New Model Army / Re: My Lyrics To The "Caslen" Instrumental

« Last post by Master Ray on August 29, 2025, 07:56:14 PM »

Does anyone else remember this one 

I do.  That point where I was somewhat trying to keep the peace.  I think that was before I was getting those vile PM's from him?  Maybe not. Dunno, it was a decade ago.  God knows, things got subsequently nasty.  Spacewind somehow managed to get permanently banned... twice!   

Looking back I can't believe we were all indulging him at his worst moments.  But you know what?  I'd quite welcome the fella back.  Maybe, in the years since, he might admit to being a great big troll.  Or possibly start insulting us again.  Who knows?  Could be fun either way.   

59

New Model Army / Re: Favourite NMA song for JS lyrics ?

« Last post by Master Ray on August 29, 2025, 07:39:55 PM »

Really enjoyed this topic/thread. Just read through it again. Back in the day and all that,,

I'm also often reading old threads.  Great times... yes, even reading from those posts from 'a certain someone'... 

I did notice how I got some responses in that thread I made about the possibility of an NMA book from some old faces... perhaps if we start a few more of these things we might get some more life back around these parts?   

60

Everything Else / Re: what songs are you listening to RIGHT NOW

« Last post by Guillaume on August 29, 2025, 07:38:22 PM »

Up the Beach - Jane's Addiction. An unusual piece, still a favourite after many a year

I also love the haunting "Summertime rolls", "Ocean size" and all the tracks from this excellent album. But my favourite JA songs are the incredible, wonderful "Then she did" and "Three days". Also "I would for you" on the first/live album. Dave Navarro is great in this band and the rythm section from Stephan Perkins and Eric Avery is too often underrated.

Rainy Night, you know who. It's a bit of an unsung treasure.

yes very haunting song if you're talking about "Rainy night 65", i especially love the last instrumental part of the song when the music seems to "float", it's incredible...if i remember well Michael Dean chose this track for the "Anthology" cd compilation.

If you're talking about this "Rainy night", it's also a great song from a late, great artist!:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=het5D9KVkXM&list=RDhet5D9KVkXM&start_radio=1&ab_channel=TonyJoeWhite-Topic