New Model Army Cologne Tickets, Palladium, 19 Dec 2026

On sale for 7 months

Event is in 5 months

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Venue

Palladium

Schanzenstraße 40, 51063, Cologne, Germany

www.palladium-koeln.de/

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Doors open: 19:00

Price: €62.15 – €63.65

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New Model Army biography

Post-Punk/ Alternative Rock band, New Model Army from Bradford, England, is no stranger to the music world, having been around since 1980.

New Model Army was first formed in 1980 by its lead singer Justin Sullivan, bassist Stuart Morrow and drummer Phil Tompkins. However, a few months laters Tompkins left the band and was replaced by Robert Charles Heaton. The band released their first album entitled “Vengeance” in 1984, and it went to number 1 on the UK Indie Chart. During the mid 80s the band ran into some trouble with visas to tour the United States, however once everything was cleared up, the band successfully played their shows in the United States.

They released their second album, “No Rest For The Wicked” in 1985 followed by constant touring. Between 1986 and 1998 they continued to put out five more albums. Additionally, some members came and went, and went off to play with other bands, such as Stuart Morrow playing with the band Loud, as well as sometimes touring as 'Justin Sullivan and Friends', which had a more acoustic set without some players. After a short tour at the end of 2004, the group returned to the studio to record their ninth studio album, “Carnival” which was subsequently released the following year. Additionally, their label, EMI, has released four remastered earlier albums. In 2014 they released “Between Wine and Blood” which features as both a studio album doubled with a live album.

The Selecter biography

2 Tone Ska band, The Selecter, formed in Coventry, England in 1979, made big waves in the UK’s ska revival of the late 70s/80s, noted for their impressive vocals courtesy of Pauline Black.

The beginnings of The Selecter arose in 1977, when Neol Davies, John Bradbury and Barry Jones recorded what would become “Kingston Affair” whilst in session. They then decided to form a band, becoming “The Selecter,” with this first track being featured on the b-side to the Specials’ single “Gangsters.” Neol Davies (guitar) then recruited Desmond Brown (hammond organ), Charley Anderson (bass), Compton Amanor (guitar), Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson (vocals), Charley ‘H’ Bembridge (drums) and finally vocalist Pauline Black, completing the lineup in 1979.

The band went straight into the studio, recording and releasing a string of singles, “On My Radio,” “Three Minute Hero” and “Missing Words’ before the end of the year. Their debut album, “Too Much Pressure” was released in February 1980, by 2 Tone Records and Chrysalis Records. The album was a success, peaking at number five in the UK charts. Their second release, “Celebrate the Bullet,” came out a year later. However it did not achieve the same success and the band crumbled apart.

The band split in 1982, with Black pursuing a career in theatre, TV and film as well as music. However, this was not to be the end of The Selector, as Davies and Black reunited in 1991, continuing to tour and perform live, supporting No Doubt on their North American tour in 1997. Throughout the 90s and 2000s, varying lineups under the guise of The Selecter released albums intermittently, led by front woman Pauline Black. In 2010, Black and Hendrickson again played under the name of The Selecter, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album. In celebration, they performed the whole album in its entirety. In 2014, The Selecter was again mobilized for a show at the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Subsequently, they embarked on an extensive tour of the UK, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.

Live reviews

I don’t think there is anything I can say that will do New Model Army the kind justice they deserve but here goes. The post-punk/alternative band formed way back in 1980 by Justin Sullivan the singer and composer as well as bassist Stuart Morrow and drummer Phil Tompkins. Interestingly New Model Army derive their name from Oliver Cromwell’s English Revolutionary Army.

The wonderful charisma of Justin on stage and the warm and comforting northern accent he uses, he seems to build a rapport and a trust with the audience immediately, like we’re all in on something big, like on the verge of revolution. And his lyrics and views are as socially conscious as any, the band was refused entry in to the U.S. for apparently having no artistic merit, however their anti-U.S. imperialist views might have had something to do with it. But they sure stand up for what they believe, and songs like 51st State, which had everyone singing at the top of their lungs around has given the band a kind of cult status.

I could not wait to hear the song Vagabonds, yes it’s their most well known and arguably most popular but there’s a reason for that, it’s because its so unbelievably amazing, the violin makes me tingle every time in places I didn't know existed. I’d have loved to see them in their heyday but seeing them recently was still a awfully good decision.

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nicky-preston

Birmingham was always known during the 80s for having an influx of ska and reggae artists including UB40, The Specials and Madness all breaking out from the scene. A little further north in the city of Coventry, The Selecter were crafting their own brand of two-tone ska which included a huge amount of instrumentalists and musicians.

Headed up by Pauline Black, the band has gone through a number of lineups and session musicians and even a couple of hiatuses yet fortunately for the fans everything seems relatively calm at the moment. Much to their delight, everybody onstage is solely focused on the great music and recreate it to a brilliant standard. You imagine you could record one of these performances and release it straight on vinyl and very few people would notice it had not been mixed and mastered. The good vibes continue as the group runs through 80s favourites including 'The Whisper' and 'On the Radio' before a crescendo in the form of 'Too Much Pressure' ends the night perfectly.

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