08/05/2025

New Model Army – Tuning Fork: May 7, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)

After 45 years of making politically-charged punk rock, New Model Army rolled into Auckland for the first time…or at least a couple of them did.

With only founding member Justin Sullivan and long-time guitarist Dean White fronting, this was more like a two man squad than an army.

“Two-fifths of us made it”, declared Sullivan, “thanks for coming out anyway”.

I was not impressed.

The full band just played 5 dates in Australia and Hong Kong, yet they couldn’t be arsed to stick around from their first gig in New Zealand.

Talking to fans before and during the show, most seemed resigned to the situation, trying to make the best of it, as did the two geezers on stage.

So, once I got over the disappointment of not having my ears pummeled by drums and bass, I did my best to enjoy the 90 minute set presented.

And to be honest, there was plenty to enjoy.

Sullivan’s song were made to be played loud, but the lyrics still rang true even when only supported by an acoustic and and electric guitar…with a touch of synth here and there.

Before I Get Old get things going…tentatively at first…but then building tension.

Sullivan is in good voice…he’s no Roy Orbison, but he sells the stories he sings.

And he still seems to have his finger on the pulse.

“It seems like everybody wants to be somewhere else, everybody wants to be someone else”, he observes during Where I Am, a relatively new tune, released In 2019 and sounding quite relevant these days.

And speaking of relevant, we were treated to 51^st State, originally released in 1986 and now sounding like it could be the new Canadian national anthem.

New Model Army songs cover the gauntlet from political to cultural to personal.

Their left-leaning views seep though everything they do while songs like La Push, Drummy B and Paekakariki Beach cover the other bases…Sullivan had been to NZ before and Paekakariki Beach was the result.

“Any surfers here?”

Two punters raise their hands…then a few more.

“Here’s a surf song”

And they play Wipeout, not the Surfaris hit, but their own, taken from 2000 album, Eight.

By the end of the night, Sullivan and White had the crowd singing along a couple of classics from 1989’s Thunder And Consolation, so there were smiles all around.

I was still bummed that there wasn’t a full band because I wanted to hear I Love The World.

But then Justin Sullivan warned us, halfway through the set, with 250 songs in the repertoire and only the chance to play about 20 tonight…

“You have a better chance of winning the NZ Lottery than hearing your favourite song”, noting they are notorious for , “never, ever giving the audience what they want”.

Oh well, I hope I don’t have to waiting another 45 years to have another shot at it.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Leonie Moreland: