[photo courtesy of Konstantin Sergeyev – more here]
If there was a ideal career trajectory for an “underground” or “cult” band, New Model Army would be the perfect example. In their nearly 30 years of existence, NMA have been noteworthy for their “artist control” approach to management, the adaptation and growth of their personnel, and the consistently excellent recorded output. Last night at Mercury Lounge, New Model Army performed a superb and energetic ninety-minute set to a rowdy and packed house. In what has quickly been described among fans as the show of the tour, NMA worked through a set which truly encapsulated their entire career, from their best known number “Vagabonds”, to selected tracks from their thirteen albums, to a half-dozen tracks from the excellent new release Today Is A Good Day. Justin Sullivan was engaging, focused and intense and the band was tight. We were particularly impressed with the guitar work of Marshall Gill, who shined bright in “Chosen” and “States Radio” and the three-song segue that closed the show.
We recorded this set with the four-microphone rig next to the soundboard. The recording has excellent depth and clarity but despite maximum lift of the mic pole, is unfortunately marred slightly by the chatter on our left. Enjoy!
Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)
Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].
New Model Army
2009-10-01
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA
Digital Audience Master Recording
Recorded from Soundboard Area
Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac
Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2009-10-02
Setlist:
[Total Time 1:33:14]
01 Here Comes The War
02 Stranger
03 Mambo Queen Of The Sandstone City
04 Peace Is Only
05 Today Is A Good Day
06 Disappeared
07 High
08 One Of The Chosen
09 La Push
10 States Radio
11 Autumn
12 White Coats
13 Vagabonds
14 Wired
15 Wonderful Way To Go
16 [encore break]
17 Purity
18 Green And Grey
19 225
If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT New Model Army, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the New Model Army Shop at their website [HERE].
NMA has long been one of my favorite bands, and never fail to put on an amazing live show. If this is your first listen, you have decades to catch up on. As I’ve said before… been around for 30 years, never put out a bad album, their latest is among their best. Who else besides Sonic Youth can say that?
Nice work, fellas! One piece of missing info: that was the last night of the first leg of the tour. The tour rolls on to the West Coast starting tonight at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, CA. Check http://www.newmodelarmy.org for details. Thanks!