Music for people who don't belong
by Phantom Limb on 19/10/2025Edinburgh Corn Exchange - EdinburghRating: 5 out of 5I first saw New Model Army in 1984/5, on the No Rest tour. I've seen them them a few times since, over the years. They never disappoint. Every gig I've been to, the give everything they've got. I'm sure, sometimes, they must be tired, or feel jaded, but you'd never know. They come out and BANG! Ballads, punk, metal, folk - they straddle genres and nail every song. They're the tightest live act I've ever seen, bar Cardiacs. It's music for people who've always sought more from their lives. People who long for connection, or a new horizon, or who just don't quite fit. And then, at a New Model Army gig, you all come together and feel that sense of real community. You think, "These are my people"and you feel a little less lonely for a while. Justin's lyrics resonate with longing and when he does anger, it burns! "Christian Militia, a song they played last night from Vengeance, howled with righteous rage. They are a magnificent band, criminally underrated and I'll continue to go and see them whenever I get the chance.