17 December 2006 (gig)
20 December 2006
A good night, NMA played a mixture of new and older songs. Tracks like the Hunt, Lights Go Out, Ballad of Bodmin Pill, 125mph, all were gladly received by the audience, as well as newer tracks from Carnival, like Island, Water, BD3 and others.
The overall performance from the band was very good -powerful, passionate and expressive, fast and furious at times with the likes of Here Comes the War and Get Me Out.
Personally, I was slightly between 2 places.. between the urge to engage with the energetic melee, but also wanting to watch the whole scene from the outside too, watching arms being raised on cue, and interested in the whirling dervish going faster faster from a couple of fans spinning 'round. This attitude of observation has some parallel perhaps with the music performed by NMA. The social commentators that they are, they describe what they see and also express well what they feel.
The inner circles of fans are still there, 20 odd years later, which to be honest I find a bit disappointing, as they put out an attitude of "exclusive club" mentality, which I'm sure the band would have loved to shake off... It's what stopped me going to see them years ago, as what I heard in their songs is different to what I see from the not exactly united audience at the gigs.
Known as cloggies, I recently discovered that the clog is a symbol of anarchism, being where the word sabotage comes from. A sabot being a clog.
Overall, the gig was well enjoyed by myself and all who experienced the night. New Model Army played very well, all of the musicians, and the drummer really
excellent.
