The Bowery Presents

The Mercury Lounge upcoming shows

New Model Army
10:00

EDP
9:00
Livan
8:00

Venue:
The Mercury Lounge
Date:
Thu 10/01
Notes:
21+
Doors: 7:30 PM / Show: 7:30 PM
$15 adv / $17 dos
Tickets
New Model Army
official website
myspace
New Model Army are the legendary global underground cult band. Formed by Justin Sullivan in Bradford in 1980, their beginnings were inspired by Punk Rock, Northern Soul and the incendiary atmosphere of the times. Since then, they have had a long, creative and eventful journey. They have been massively influential in 'post-punk', 'folk-rock', 'politico-rock', 'goth', 'metal' and all kinds of musical sub-cultures but have successfully resisted truly belonging to any of these categories or genres. After more than twenty-six years, they have never lost the ability to change, to thrill or to challenge and they remain central to the lives of thousands of fans from all walks of life spread across the world.

A breakthrough appearance on live music TV show 'The Tube' was followed by a #1 independent album, 2 major record deals, top 40 singles, a controversial live performance on Top Of The Pops, countless festival appearances and thousands of enthralling live performances. Never afraid to experiment and never concerned by the fripperies of modern media New Model Army have carved a successful curve around the music industry norm. Having grasped early on that the Internet was about to revolutionise music, they were eager to set out on a wholly independent path from the mid 1990s. Now fans can keep in touch and up to date wherever they are, and it has been this one to one communication that has caused New Model Army's international audience to increase, rather than decrease, in recent years.

In August 2007 the band released their 10th studio album, 'HIGH' - again on their own label and distributed through a hand picked selection of like-minded independent companies across the world. Produced by long time friend Chris Kimsey (notable for his work with the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Cliff, Killing Joke and countless others), it is their most melodic and guitar-driven work for sometime. The first three months of the 'High' tour took in sixteen countries on four different continents and will continue on into 2008 with rescheduled US dates following an enforced postponement caused by visa refusal.

Originally formed as a three piece, the current five piece line up features, along side Sullivan on vocals & guitar, Michael Dean on drums, Nelson on bass, Dean White on keyboards and the newest recruit, blues guitarist Marshall Gill on lead guitar. This continual evolution of the line up keeps the band's music and attitude hungry and focussed and partly explains how the band's audience continually regenerates.

New Model Army are a band still as totally driven by creative ambitions as they have ever been.
EDP
official website
myspace
EDP is a driving, raw rock-punk-garage-mod outfit hailing from New York City. In this climate of superficial, overhyped music from the Big Apple, EDP stands as an authentic burst of rock 'n roll energy that takes the best influences from the last four decades and combines them with a 21st-century vitality: the catchy pop sensibilities and songwriting of the British Invasion, the volatility, wit, and DIY ethos of 1970's punk, the frenetic and tireless rhythmic punch of both 60's psych and 80's post-punk, and a soulful, tongue-in-cheek lyrical bend inspired by living real lives in the reality of a New York City lacking the pampered lifestyle of the average indie-rock hipster. One can glimpse these influences through volatile covers of the Rezillos, the Ruts, the Young Canadians, and the Jam, to name but a few, that frequently surface at EDP gigs. The band is poised to convert the punters to its punchy brand of rock 'n roll with the new CD entitled NEXT STOP: BLEAKER STREET, replete with the hook-laden wordplay and power so rare in contemporary rock music.
Livan
official website
myspace
WHEN creating music is a matter of survival, then the product is nothing less than awe inspiring. As the phoenix who rises from the ashes to live once more, LIVAN’s eclectic music is the epiphany, which has allowed him to soar.
London based singer/songwriter LIVAN’s (pronounced Lie’van) story may sound almost clichéd, but if it was not for the hardships, then this master lyricist and musical inventor would not be able to draw on his struggles and be inspired to create his unique punk-pop sound.
LIVAN’s early family life – the tale of dramatic novels - led to his self-induced descent into drugs and decadence and finally, redemption. A moment that still impacts daily on LIVAN and his music.
Born in Greece, the son and grandson of prominent politicians who were exiled from their homeland during a period of great national turmoil, Livan’s story has given him the material to the soundtrack of his life. His father’s fate was more tragic than exile alone, having suffered physically at the hands of the dictators while under arrest. After relocating to England, LIVAN struggled under the perceived “burden” of living with a hero, which he now freely admits. In his youth, he chose to run from the challenge rather than embrace it.
“When you grow up with those people in your house, you wonder how the hell you’re going to top that. I was crap at everything, so I thought that if I couldn’t be good at being good, I would try being good at being bad.”
His descent into drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other undesirable activities brought LIVAN face to face with his own mortality. He found himself in prison and later, addicted to heroin, dying slowly in the ghettos of Athens and London. LIVAN’s turnaround came one rain soaked, drug-addled, Good Friday, when he simply looked upward from the park bench and said to himself, “This can’t be the end…life has to be better than this.” And, from that moment was the beginning of a journey, filled with heartache and hard work, but now LIVAN is living his dream of creating music. LIVAN changed a life of self-destruction to a life of self-production, writing and singing with a feverish desire to evolve.
As the first decade of the 21st century comes to a close, LIVAN finds his inspiration to create has evolved as well; from a drive for his own physical survival to thoughts beyond himself. “Immortality in a way; I want to leave something behind. There is a lot of talk and some things you can’t discuss, due to the social norms or political correctness, but you can express what you feel through the podium of music”.
Over the last few years LIVAN has immersed himself in his music, a style with influences ranging from the beloved Lord Byron to The Sisters of Mercy, and from David Bowie and The Clash to Placebo and Nine Inch Nails.
Like everything in LIVAN’s life, his passion for music can be felt in every note and lyric. “As an artist, exposing yourself up on stage, you need to have a loose screw. With all the critics, hassles, and jaded fans, you need to find something deeper.” Happy Returns, his most recent collection, is self-produced and due for digital release through Pumpkin Music on September 15, 2009. It’s simple and to the point. It is a collection of songs of the life he has lived, without the glitz and the glam. LIVAN’s music and lyrics don’t seek to passively entertain the listener, but to engage them. The title track, “Happy Returns”, LIVAN says, represents him in many ways. “It is a simple song really, one chord only, but the energy of the bass-line drives the lyrics forward. It’s about losing it, just losing control.”
Reaching into his own darkened memories LIVAN revealed he often feels he is ready to “lose it”. “Like most of us I’m sure, waiting for a moment to just lose control, but we don’t of course. You learn to pick up and move on.”
On his previous records, Livan has worked with some of the UK’s elite Producers such as Bacon and Quarmby (Bowie, Marley, John Meyer, The Pretenders, Kate Walsh) and David Creffied, an industry veteran who not only brought Embrace into the public domain (X6 Platinum) but also The Kaiser Chiefs.
Now LIVAN is producing on his own but still has a gift for collaboration; working with fellow UK based producer and writer John Robertson (Sky, Morcheba, Shined O’Connor, Grace Jones) on some of the arrangements for Happy Returns, and up and coming engineer/mixer, Nat Chan (Paul McCartney, Aimee Mann, Granddaddy, Bob Dylan) who was responsible for mixing the album’s eleven tracks.
Livan has now ganged up with Will Crewdson (Lead Guitar) & Robin Guy (Drums) from the well respected and groundbreaking UK outfit “ Rachel Stamp”. “Rachel Stamp” have earned a reputation for being one of the most decadent, brilliantly off-kilter Rock n’ Roll bands to ever come out of the UK, and have inadvertently paved the way for hundreds of eye-liner smudged, heart-on-your-sleeve bands that currently fill stadiums and magazines the world over.In the past few years Will has also played and written with the likes of (Johnette Napolitano, the former singer with LA legends Concrete Blonde,Malcolm McLaren, Tom Jones, Adam Ant) and Robin with (Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden,Faith No More,Joss Stone,Bay City Rollers,Dee Snider (Twisted Sister). This musical jigsaw completes itself with Nat Chan on (rhythm guitar), James Bailes (bass) and Livan’s (electronic-a & keys) induced performance
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