New Model Army
With their roots embedded in the punk era, New Model Army were formed in Bradford, Yorkshire, in 1980, and immediately outlined their manifesto by naming themselves after the Sir Thomas Fairfax/Oliver Cromwell revolutionary army. The group was and is led by Justin Slade The Leveller Sullivan (b. 1956, Buckinghamshire, England; guitar/vocals), a former platform sweeper and Mars Bar production line worker, with the help of Jason Moose Harris (b. 1968; bass/guitar) and Robb Heaton (b. Cheshire, England, 1962; drums/guitar). Their brand of punk folk/rock attracted a loyal cult following, much of whom shared the band's grievances towards the Tory government policies of the '80s. The groups championing of traditional working class ethics saw an unexpected boost for a dying art and trade; that of the clog. New Model Army made their first public appearance at Scamps Disco in Bradford in October 1980. After releasing singles on Abstract, scoring a number 2 UK independent chart hit with The Price (1984), they formed an unlikely alliance with the major company EMI, which saw the band acquire a higher profile and a significantly increased recording budget. They eventually broke through to a wider audience with No Rest which peaked at number 28 on the UK Top 75 singles chart in 1985—a position they were never to beat in an impressive run of 12 UK chart singles between 1985 and 1991. With often inflammatory lyrics, the band have never compromised their beliefs for commercial gain. They ran into trouble with the BBC TOP OF THE POPSchart show for donning T-shirts with the (albeit laudable) slogan, Only Stupid Bastards Use Heroin. They continue to release quality albums, with considerable crossover potential, yet maintain credibility with their original fan-base. In December 1991 the group left EMI, eventually finding a new home on Epic. Their first single for the label revealed few concessions to the mainstream: Here Comes The War featured a picture of a charred body, and a pull-out psoter instructing the user in how to prepare a nuclear bomb.