Right as rainy

It’s done. Another live album by New Model Army, who have been my favourite music group for a long time. Another entry in the impressive discography of the band, spanning ten studio albums and a number of live documents, among others. Their songs and lyrics have accompanied me for years and some of them are inseparably connected to phases and stages of my life. Reason enough for me to constantly keep track of their work, and when I saw that this live album, entitled “Fuck Texas, Sing For Us” was available online (through 7Digital, a very recommendable online store), I wasted little time buying and downloading it. And already the first song indicates that, even after 27 years of band history, New Model Army are far from finished.

My own history with the band doesn’t go that far back. It was roundabout 1995, I was 16 years old and working on a construction site during summer break to earn money for my driver’s license, when a coworker introduced me to the band. Actually it was more of an accident – he gave me a ride somewhere and a tape was playing in his car – “Thunder and Consolation”. Needless to say the tape didn’t stay there, it remained in my possession for the next week or two. Songs like “Green and Grey”,  “Ballad of Bodmin Pill”, “225″ or “Vagabonds” bore a fascination that gripped me and didn’t let me go. Ironically, before I managed to get enough money together to start buying their studio albums, I got hold of their first live release “Raw Melody Men”, and at the same time, the compilation “History”. Enough material to keep me going for years.

I only ever managed to attend two of their concerts, both of them during the “Eight” tours. Both concerts remained terrific memories, which are only enhanced by the numerous live documents the band has released over the years. There was ‘… & Nobody Else”, a brilliantly captured tour during which the band played two sets, an acoustic one and then the ‘normal’ concert. It contained brilliant interpretations of songs such as “Eleven Years”, “Queen of My Heart”, “Here Comes The War”, “Whitelight” or “51st State”, as well as the song that would later give me my permanent online nickname. To this day I regret missing that tour. Then I got hold of “All Of This”, a collection of rare live recordings including classics like “A Liberal Education”, “No Rest” and “The Hunt”. Over and above these, I remember scouring for unofficial live recordings, the highlights being two TV broadcasts of NMA’s festival performances. There was, among many others, a cut of “Bad Old World”, the very song that later became some kind of guiding light before and during my emigration from Europe, and another recording of “You Weren’t There”, about half a year before the release of “Eight”.

Comparing all these documents, one realizes quickly that when it comes to concerts, New Model Army can draw from a nearly limitless back catalogue of songs that are all equally suited to be played live. And in fact there are no set classics, no compulsory pieces the band *has* to play during a live performance. Instead, they can afford to change their sets around on any tour and pull surprises from their hats as they please. That became very apparent with the release of the “161203″ live DVD, which featured loved-and-lost classics such as ‘The Charge”, “Courage”, “Drag it Down” and “Green and Grey”, as well as an interlude with a song from Justins solo album “Navigating By The Stars”. A well-made and fascinating live document that should be part of any self-respecting rock collection.

“Fuck Texas, Sing For Us”, named so after the chants of the audience at a concert in New Orleans, continues the tradition of NMA live releases with clear, authentic sound and a well-selected tracklist. The band concentrates on material from their latest studio album “High”, and with that one being very guitar-driven and straighforward, it makes for a very energetic and intense live performance. Almost the whole album is present on this recording, with only three songs missing. Surprisingly though, the set opens with “225″, a song rarely played live but probably one of the best openers the band could choose. Mixed in with these are powerful versions of “Family”, “Vagabonds” (with a great contribution by new guitarist Marshall Gill) and “Lust For Power”, showing that these songs have lost nothing of their class. But the best is yet to come. After a gripping speech by Justin Sullivan, the band hammers out a smashing version of “Bad Old World”, immediately followed by “Master Race”, before “Poison Street” ends a set that is noticeably raw, energetic and full of passion.

After the cancellation of the first “High” US tour in 2007 due to visa issues and the subsequent disappointment of many fans on the other side of the Atlantic, it made sense to record this album on the 2008 tour through the States. The album sounds authentic, with the club atmosphere almost tangible, the sound is well-mixed but clearly ‘live’. And there is not a shred of doubt about the passion and sincerity of the band, who has now been around for 27 years and will hopefully still be around for a long time. And while we’re at it – Justin, it would be nice to see you guys in South Africa again