First NMA Experience

[nn359]

OK, mine was a friend at school, who played me RMM. I listened, thought, heard Vagabonds, and never looked back.
Was just after T&C...(Im not an elderly fan) !!!!!!!!
Then i went through the previous albums and,after that, never missed a release date by more than a couple of weeks.
I played the  drums for a few years, and in those years, i grew to PROPERLY enjoy NMA. I believe, listening, as a playing musician can add to the enjoyment.

Looking back, i now cant see my life without NMA, too deep?? I think the music and lyrics have shaped, along with many others, the person ive become.

Dont know if the  whole "First NMA thing" has been done already. Sorry if it has, but now you know my story!

N

[rubberlegs]

1980. my mate Rob Wadddington, who was in loads of Keighley Bands and i used to go to his gigs because of his brilliant drumming. He was even in a band with my Brother. Then he said i have joined a band called New Model Army, and said they were a cut above. So me and another of his Workmates began going to the Pub gigs in Keighley Bingley Bradford and Leeds. I knew they were  better than the rest of the local Scene, but  guess you just do not believe a band you follow will make it.But...............

Rob left just around the time they got the firsr record (Bittersweet) made. He was a good few years older and was married with i suppose different loyalties.  Memories, wow it really is 30 years ago.

[JohnH]

November 82, Bradford Uni. I was on the uni sound crew if I remember correctly, but soon switched to 'stage' crew.

I thought they were good then...

[Marloes]

I got a tape from a penpal and there were 3 NMA-songs on it - not sure which 3 but NO REST was on it for sure.
A few months later I went to a Dutch festival called 'Waterpop' where NMA was performing so I was pretty curious.
And .. well, do I need to say more? I think it was 1988 but I am not sure.
It was the 1st time I saw Die Toten Hosen as well, never heard of the band but their gig "kicked ass" so afterwards
I started buying records of them and of course NMA. I have send an email to the organisation of the festival and
asked for the specific year but never got a reply.
Anyway, it's around 21 years ago and till today .. NMA is my favorite band ever. One thing I hate about dying is to
never be able to hear their songs again. (and I am serious!)

[Brian-DC]

It had to be sometime in 1989.  I was in College and was only listening to metal at the time.  In College, everyone has different tastes so we'd take turns playing the music.  Thunder & Consolation was one of the favorites of another guy on the floor and slowly it began to catch my ear the more he played it.  For me it was a revelation.  A completely new style of music was opening up in front of me.  A few months later, T&C was on non-stop rotation.  Pretty soon after that I began digging into the back catalog.

This ties into the first experience too...... I clearly remember the day I bought Impurity.  I was completely broke at the time, selling off chunks of my record collection to buy beer and nonsense like that.  I barely had enough to get by.  I told the record store to order it for me not even realizing it would be an import.  I was shocked when he rang it up about a month after I ordered it and it came to over $30!  That's expensive by todays standards but being a starving College kid, that was insane.  I hesitated nervously for a few seconds as I looked back and forth between the price on the register and the CD but I just had to get it.  And to this day, it's till one of those purchases that I couldn't afford but don't regret it at all.

[lostockboy]

I first heard of NMA in 1984 after my elder brother borrowed the Vengeance LP of a mate of ours and was very impressed with it.  I then saw them for the first time in 1987 in Manchester on the Poison Street tour and have seen them pretty much every time they have played locally.  I've collected everything they've released and have quite an extensive live collection spanning their career. 

[Spudthemariner]

I was kind of aware of them as I'd heard the odd track at my local alternative night. Also my little sister was a fan. However, it wasn't untill I heard 'Purity' that I was intreaged enough to go out and buy anything. I'd gone to buy the CD single but then noticed that the Album was on a promotional discount as it had just been released, so I chanced my arm......

The following weekend I went straight out and bought T & C and The Ghost Of Cain!

Impurity is still one of my fav NMA albums!

Live, it was some time before I had a opportunity to see them. In fact the first time was JS and DB at the Phoenix Festival in 1995. A set which left me utterly speachless (particularly as it was the first time I'd heard 'No Pain'). First full band was the 3'rd Battle Of Newbury gig at the Shepards Bush Empire, which is still up in my favourite top five gigs. Awsome night!   

[cloggdanser]

First time I heard NMA was in 1984 at a club in Bradford called Time n Place, the songs were Vengeance and Christian Militia been hooked ever since...

[mbass]

Went to Brockwell Park in 1984, remember seeing the Damned but not NMA, the curse of drink eh? My first "proper gig was Dec 1984 at Electric Ballroom, not looked back since

[CathyL]

1st nma gig was leicester de montford, about 1987? with dave (RIP).
Justin said 'if you want something really badly, you'll get it really badly' as introduction to a song (which I forget now, it was a long time ago and I'm now old and brie-headed) and that stuck with him for years. It became one of his favourite sayings, and was quoted at his funeral earlier this year.

[drunken_uncle]

I suppose it was late '82 or early '83, all the bands I'd been following at the time seemed to be splitting up (particularly the Jam and SLF, but the Clash had gone a little odd as well (took me a long time to get the hang of Sandanista!) and I kept hearing whispers about a band from Bradford who seemed to be around Wolverhampton occasionally (a rare thing in those days, live music from outside the West Midlands...) and were dubbed by Sounds as the "new Clash" so when Bittersweet came out, and they played Wolves Poly, it was the natural place to be. Had the odd rest, but never looked back really. The perfect band for that time of my life...

Cheers Rick

[kpmop]

First experience was Green & Grey when it was in the charts (1989 i guess, seems like forever ago) - liked it from the first. Got T&C soon after and really liked that too which was kinda odd 'cos like Brian-DC i was a bit of a metalhead back then, but it just really clicked with me.

[Red]

A mate of mine played me Ghost of Cain and as NMA were playing at Rock City a couple of weeks later(Feb '87) we went .

Totally hooked immediately.

Best NMA gigs are a choice of these,always enjoyed any at Town and Country Club,my hometown gigs at Scunthorpe Baths(now partly demolished hopefully rebuilt by 2011),Windsor Baths Bradford,any Rock City especially Xmas shows and Shepherds Bush 3rd Battle of Newbury.

Been to that many can't pick just one.

[Viv Savage]

We here at the board HQ rather like the idea of this thread. We realise that this topic has been done before and many of you have contributed previously, but many of those great stories have been lost in the ether of the net. We would be delighted if you could take the time to contribute to this thread as we would like to create a permanent archive for these wonderful stories.

[Ragamuffin]

back in 1988/89 i used to work for a shop fitting company in sheffield on the shop floor making cabinates, bars etc. there was a radio in the corner permanently tuned (unfortunately) to radio 1. the daytime dj, an orange perma-taned bloke by the name of gary davis, took it upon himself to play stupid questions in amongst all the usual banality. i was a bit of a metalhead back then, big on metallica (who had still to record the dreadful 'black' album), iron maiden, marillion etc. so was much more atune to guitary stuff. anyway, davis played SQ a few times over a couple of weeks and i was hooked. went out a bought T & C and i had found my new favourite band. a position in my affections NMA have held ever since.

the best thing about not being there from the start like some of the other poster (although i wish i had been if only for the memores) is that i didn't have to wait months/years for new releases, i just popped down to hmv/virgin and bought all the back catalogue, hehe, plenty to go at! i also trawled the saturday morning record fairs in sheffield and over a year or two had amassed an almost complete collection of singles.

my first gig was in leeds on the impurity tour, a magical experience.

well thats my story and may i just add a big thanks to justin, the various other members of the band, the occassional musicians and all those who have put time and effort into keeping the band working and recording. ta.