Tim Burgess pressed playThe story
With their roots embedded in the early punk era, New Model Army were formed in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, in 1980, and immediately outlined their manifesto by naming themselves after the Sir Thomas Fairfax/Oliver Cromwell revolutionary army. The group was led by Justin "Slade The Leveller" Sullivan (b. 1956, Buckinghamshire, England; guitar, vocals), a former platform sweeper and Mars bar production-line worker, with the help of Stuart Morrow (b. 1966, Bradford, England) on bass guitar and Phil Tomkins on drums. Within a few months, Tompkins had been replaced on drums by Rob Waddington, and this line-up remained unchanged until the summer of 1982, when Waddington left the band and was replaced by Robert "Robb" Heaton (b. 1962, Cheshire, England d. Nov. 4th, 2004), a former drum technician and occasional drummer for the band Hawkwind. This line-up remained together until Morrow left the band for personal reasons, during the band's "No Rest" tour, the day after a concert in their home town of Bradford. Which was coincidentally the day of the Bradford disaster, May 11th, 1985 He was replaced on bass in the summer by Jason "Moose" Harris (b. 1968).
Their brand of punk folk/rock attracted a loyal cult following, much of which shared the band's grievances towards the Tory government policies of the 80s. This was best executed on their debut album, which combined militant themes such as "Spirit Of The Falklands" and "Vengeance" (a vitriolic anthem about getting even with one's trespassers) with the haunting lament for childhood, "A Liberal Education". The group's championing of traditional working-class ethics saw an unexpected boost for a dying art and trade - that of the clog.
New Model Army made their first public appearance at Scamps Disco in Bradford in October 1980. After releasing singles on Abstract Records, enjoying a number 2 UK independent chart hit with "The Price" in 1984, they formed an unlikely alliance with the multinational EMI Records, which saw the band acquire a higher profile and a significantly increased recording budget.
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