First NMA Experience

[claireinblack]

Tomorrow night !!!!!!

I have never seen the band, but have a good friend who had got me listening to some stuff.
Going to the Canterbury gig tomorrow, and Pole in August and London in December.
So i have it all to come

 

[jc]

You're going to have such a great time and I'm jealous that you've got it all still to come. Make yourself known, as it's much more than just seeing a band.

Cheers

jc

[Strangler]

First time I ever heard them was hearing 'Great Expectations' and was grabbed by not only Justins voice but by the growling bass sound! Having been a Stranglers fan for a few years prior to this, hearing a bass player that could not only give a certain JJ Burnel a good run for his money but equal him in so many was, was an instant hit with me. First visual experience was the Tube and after that had to catch them live for real, in the flesh so to speak, in London that year.

Have followed them ever since although I am rather lacking in the gig count as my first love has always been The Stranglers, but I have to admit that as a song writer and lyricist, in my opinion Justin has very few equals if any.

I also take full responsibility for introducing Miss Claireinblack to the band and whilst tomorrow night in Canterbury will be an interesting experience for her (and for me as never seen Justin and Dean together before), can't wait to see her reaction in Poole at her first full on gig!!! She has been warned about the mosh!!!!!

[BlackCountryMaggiD]

She has been warned about the mosh!!!!!

Yeah she must be careful of the glare from all of the smiling teeth!

[claireinblack]

Yeah she must be careful of the glare from all of the smiling teeth!


Well i am used to Stranglers fans, and they don't have teeth.......
 

Seriously, the Canterbury gig was great, i really enjoyed it, and looking forward to hearing a full band set even more now.

[vagabondblue]

hi friends, ok,my 1st nma experiance was a cold cold tuesday night,the 6th november 1984... i was living,if you can call it that, in a squat sharing all the usual misery and heartache that was THATCHERS britain at the time,between 1980 and 1984,Amebix,subhumans,Crass and killing joke gigs were my favourite nights out,,nights IN were spent creating new and interesting friendships with Many punks,goths and crustys who passed through our Open unhinged door,, i remember the weeks b4 the 1st NMA gig,we spent time getting stoned listening2Coctaue twins,,killing joke etc etc,, Two men came2our squat 1 night,they needed shelter and we let them stay even tho we knew that 1 of these guys was a bad BAD man;;the Other guy i got on very well with,he came from Bristol and it was Him who had an album under his arm,,Vengance by New Model Army,he gave me the album as a thank u 4letting him stay,,he left4Swindon2start a job after spending a couple of weeks with us stoned and sadly NEVER saw him again,,strangely we didnt actually play the album while He stayed with us,, it was October 1984 when i got round2playing the Album with my soulmate buddie Olly,,

[vagabondblue]

i remember looking at my mate,and my mate Beaming back at me as we both heard4THE 1ST TIME the twanging Bass of Vengance,,AWSUM,,we knew instantly that we were hearing something that would HONESTLY change our Pathway through LIFE,,, that album at that time Changed Everything,,4 the BETTER,, i cant remember playing any other album SO MUCH and experiancing the hair on my neck Tingling EVERY TIME i played it,,,,that STILL happens Now,, the gig came a few weeks later and must admit i remember Moaning about the OVER price bristol bierkeller were asking2see this New Model Army band,,, TWO POUND FIFTY hahaha,,, YES, TWO POUND FIFTY,,, that gig was,life changing, fantastic, bloody Scarey2,, ,,thank you phil who gave me VENGANCE the album,, thank you NEWMODELARMY 4 playing Bristol bierkeller on the 6th nov 1984,,im at more NMA gigs now than Ever and hand on heart loving it MORE now than ever2,,, justin sullivan IS RIGHT,,the older you get,,,the BETTER IT GETS,,,,,  See you all again somewhere soon eh,,love and Peace,,BLUE.......

[rick a.]

I first saw them when the "ghost of cain" came out back in '86(I think). "The hunt" was getting a bit of radio play here in Boston. They show was great, and I remember being a little dissappointed they didn't do "the hunt". I got over it and managed to see them almost every time they've come to Boston. I especially enjoyed the tour when Justin's wife Joolz read her poetry. She was a great warm up act!

[alisonmyth]

I must have been only about 15.  No please don't remind me how many years ago that would be now....Sitting one evening listening to the radio and on came Vengence.  I was already getting into alternative bands, I just didn't seem to  conform and it blew me away.  Someone said to me recently how they are a "realist" rather than an optimist or a pessimist.  I realised thats what I am as well and it's why I love NMAs songs so much.   They face reality, warts and all.   

[slagrabbit]

Catching a ten second glimse of Stupid Questions on the 'Breakers' section of Top of the Pops. Ten seconds was enough to get me.

[Mini-Joel]

My first show was holmfirth on thursday, my god it was amazing. I'm still fairly new to a lot of their songs, but thank god i knew at least half their set. They played  'what a wonderful way to go' and 'today is a good day' so i was REALLY happy bunny.

[Matty]

My first NMA experience ... must of been when i was about 14 or so back in 1986 ... my cousin came back from bristol uni in the summer with some great music ... remember playin runequest (like D&D) to the 'No Rest' Album on tape in the background ... was hooked from then on ... first gig was May friday 13th (88 or 89) at liverpool university (alien heat supperted) which was a life changing experience .... the rest as they say is history


matty

[mb-hannover]

The first thing I remember was in 1984 when a friend played some NMA songs. First I didn't listened because I was concentrated on some stupid homework from school. But then, I felt like beeing hit by a stroke. "Great Expectations". I asked him which band that is. From that point NMA is an important part of my life. There were so many situations in my life where I only found support by listenings to that one special band. There are so many lyrics that say what I feel... Recent example "High". This is exactly the way I'm feeling all my life without beeing able to find the right words. "High on the high hill" - far away from all the unimportant things most of us are taking so serious.
Thanks for your lyrics, your music, your concerts! Get going for the next 30 years. We need you.

[Guillaume]

There were so many situations in my life where I only found support by listenings to that one special band. There are so many lyrics that say what I feel... Recent example "High". This is exactly the way I'm feeling all my life without beeing able to find the right words. "High on the high hill" - far away from all the unimportant things most of us are taking so serious.

i agree...i thought about the lyrics of this song these last months,when i had some difficult times...the lyrics,chorus of this song is very true,very important...beautiful...."From high on the high hills it all looks like nothing"...think about it when everyone of us has difficult times in his life!

[Stoney]

My first experience of 'em was in '86, Rob and Justin and I think Brett walking into my old bands practice room to see what the hell we were doing! A rather noisy version of D.R.I. it was (VERY FAST, VERY LOUD with no real drums and a lad knocking the stuffing out of Addiss buckets, plastic oil drums and a fire extinguisher! -cymbal!)......... the look a bewilderment was funny I admit..... I'd heard of them, being a Bradford native, (lucky me!), but only heard bits of things, and I was Mr hardcore punk rock, and thought they were a bit GOTH fer my tastes! WRONG.... I got to know Rob a couple of years later, after I'd woke up and started goin' to NMA gigs, we sat in the Westleigh and it dawned on him it was me with the cheap flying V in the grotty room. He laughed his back off! 
First one of many gigs was White Coats Tour at St Georges Hall with Ricky on guitar! Still a brilliant gig memory! Following just seemed to happen somehow......
It was talking to Justin on the Impurity tour in, I think Town n Coutry Club, that I realised that "real" people could be in a band with that much power and song writing skill. Previously, I'd known loads of punk bands and met some big metal bands, but there was always a divide between the smaller bands doing pubs and the HALLS type bands. Even Metallica in 86 had something "otherworldly " about them. But Justin and Rob especially have a huge talent, earnestness and humility that somehow got me to pull my finger out and do it myself and mean it. Weird when I know alot of bands, but I know it was the talk with Justin that set me off properly, coz I'd not really pursued being in a band much after '87.... But that changed after '91! Thanx Justin you were right I did need to "JUST DO IT!", I'm still playin' in pubs mostly, but I love it just the same!