Out of the myriad of bands that I’ve followed, New Order are probably my favourite. It’s been a love affair with them since 1983, when I first heard “Confusion” on the Top 40 rundown. I thought it sounded
a bit like Freeze’s “IOU” (not surprising as they were both produced by Arthur Baker), but it sounded great. I didn’t really know then that New Order were formed from the ashes of Joy Division, though I had heard “Love Will Tear Us Apart” previously and knew that Tony Wilson bloke off Granada’s “What’s On” had something to do with them and it. When “Blue Monday” went back into the charts for the second time that year, I was knocked out. This was a weird and wonderful record.
Our paths crossed for
the next three years, as I caught the odd single release here and there on evening Radio 1, read about them in Smash Hits and saw their appalling TOTP performances, but like many, it wasn’t until “Substance” and the seminal “True Faith” that you could say I became a fan. After that I became more and more obsessed about the band, and as I started work and came into money around the “Technique” era so was able to snap up their releases ASAP as opposed to playing catch up around second hand shops. I loved the fact that each release seemed like something to cherish, lovingly packaged in a sleeve with the superb design work of Peter Saville.
Of course, as with most bands, the releases started coming out less frequently, and frustratingly only 1990’s “World In Motion” England song would fill the gap for the next three years. There were spin off projects to buy (Sumner & ex-Smith Johnny Marr’s excellent Electronic, Steve & Gillian’s so-so Other Two and Hooky’s downright piss-poor Revenge) as each member wanted to do their own thing. But the burning question was: would the four of them ever make a record again as New Order? Would I ever get to see them live? And would things be the same since Factory had gone kaput?
No need to worry. 1993 saw the release of their first single on major label London Records, th
e classic single “Regret” and the accompanying album “Republic”, a much more commercial product than anything that had ever gone before, but it was still recognizably New Order. What was even better, there would be a chance of seeing them live at last, albeit at a festival. So it was on August Bank Holiday I made the trek down south to Reading to see their only UK live appearance that year, and wasn’t disappointed, with a superb set of classics, current faves and shit dancing from Mr Sumner. Some said that they were always awful live, but if this had been the case previously, it was no longer true – on that August Sunday night, they were blinding.
I wasn’t to know then it would be five long years before our paths crossed again. Increasingly fractious relationships during the long US leg of the tour and the fall out from the Factory Records debacle had taken their toll, and although they hadn’t officially split, it became apparent that there would be no further New Order releases for the foreseeable future.
So at least I’d seen their last ever gig. I still bought the offshoot bands’ releases, but like methadone to a heroin addict, it’s n
ot the same. I saw Peter Hook’s band Monaco a few times, which was probably the nearest thing I was going to get to New Order. Good, but it’s not the real thing (although their gig at Manchester University in 1997 when Tim Burgess of The Charlatans got on stage to sing NO’s “Lonesome Tonight” is a moment to cherish). Of course there were loads of New Order re-releases and remixes as the record label were determined to cash in on the band whilst they could (“Blue Monday 1995” anybody?), but it didn’t make up for the band not being around.
Surprisingly in 1998, out of the blue the Manchester Evening News announced there was going to be a gig at the Manchester Apollo, as a warm up to an appearance at the Reading festival. The band? New Order. There was no way I was going to miss this. Seemingly the band had decided that there was no good reason not to get back together, and would give a reunion a try. And the gig was a classic, with the band seemingly revitalised, Hooky & Barney getting on, and a few Joy Division classics thrown in. They were back. It wasn’t a one off, as I saw them again at Xmas, with a promise of more to come.
Spin on to 2001
and the first new album in 8 years, “Get Ready” which was a move away from the polished pop dance stuff they’d been increasingly known for since “Technique”, and to a more raw guitar based sound, heard to best effect on the opening single “Crystal”. And as 21 years had passed since Ian Curtis’s demise, they’d become more comfortable with Joy Division’s legacy. So increasingly JD songs littered their sets, to the point where many a fan has been known to complain that they were doing too many JD songs. Fair comment. On the three occasions I’ve seen them since 2001 only about 3/4 of the set is NO material. But look at it from their point of view: they’d written the bleedin’ songs, why couldn’t they play them again? (Even if they do murder “Love Will Tear Us Apart” every time).
They’ve recently started to receive more and more “lifetime achievement” awards. It’s always a worry when this starts to happen, as it seems that the hunger seems to go, especially when the ”establishment” accepts you. The band I fell in love with were always the outsiders, doi
ng things their way. But, I suppose not playing the game doesn’t feed the kids, and it’s probably time they got their due credit from the industry, as well as getting paid at last. After twenty odd years, letting “Blue Monday” be used in adverts for Mars bars is fair enough especially bearing in mind they never made any money on that record in the first place, due to Factory’s shady business practice.
Maybe their most recent output isn’t as good as the old stuff. Maybe the gigs aren’t as special as they once were. Maybe Gillian’s absence is a bad thing, and it’s become a bit Dad-rock. Maybe they’re getting old and fat. All I know is that it’s great to have New Order still around, and having once thought I’d lost them for good, I’m going to make sure that every time there’s a tour I’m going to be there.
Which brings me to tonight… New Order @ Blackpool Empress Ballroom.
a bit like Freeze’s “IOU” (not surprising as they were both produced by Arthur Baker), but it sounded great. I didn’t really know then that New Order were formed from the ashes of Joy Division, though I had heard “Love Will Tear Us Apart” previously and knew that Tony Wilson bloke off Granada’s “What’s On” had something to do with them and it. When “Blue Monday” went back into the charts for the second time that year, I was knocked out. This was a weird and wonderful record.Our paths crossed for
the next three years, as I caught the odd single release here and there on evening Radio 1, read about them in Smash Hits and saw their appalling TOTP performances, but like many, it wasn’t until “Substance” and the seminal “True Faith” that you could say I became a fan. After that I became more and more obsessed about the band, and as I started work and came into money around the “Technique” era so was able to snap up their releases ASAP as opposed to playing catch up around second hand shops. I loved the fact that each release seemed like something to cherish, lovingly packaged in a sleeve with the superb design work of Peter Saville.Of course, as with most bands, the releases started coming out less frequently, and frustratingly only 1990’s “World In Motion” England song would fill the gap for the next three years. There were spin off projects to buy (Sumner & ex-Smith Johnny Marr’s excellent Electronic, Steve & Gillian’s so-so Other Two and Hooky’s downright piss-poor Revenge) as each member wanted to do their own thing. But the burning question was: would the four of them ever make a record again as New Order? Would I ever get to see them live? And would things be the same since Factory had gone kaput?
No need to worry. 1993 saw the release of their first single on major label London Records, th
e classic single “Regret” and the accompanying album “Republic”, a much more commercial product than anything that had ever gone before, but it was still recognizably New Order. What was even better, there would be a chance of seeing them live at last, albeit at a festival. So it was on August Bank Holiday I made the trek down south to Reading to see their only UK live appearance that year, and wasn’t disappointed, with a superb set of classics, current faves and shit dancing from Mr Sumner. Some said that they were always awful live, but if this had been the case previously, it was no longer true – on that August Sunday night, they were blinding.I wasn’t to know then it would be five long years before our paths crossed again. Increasingly fractious relationships during the long US leg of the tour and the fall out from the Factory Records debacle had taken their toll, and although they hadn’t officially split, it became apparent that there would be no further New Order releases for the foreseeable future.
So at least I’d seen their last ever gig. I still bought the offshoot bands’ releases, but like methadone to a heroin addict, it’s n
ot the same. I saw Peter Hook’s band Monaco a few times, which was probably the nearest thing I was going to get to New Order. Good, but it’s not the real thing (although their gig at Manchester University in 1997 when Tim Burgess of The Charlatans got on stage to sing NO’s “Lonesome Tonight” is a moment to cherish). Of course there were loads of New Order re-releases and remixes as the record label were determined to cash in on the band whilst they could (“Blue Monday 1995” anybody?), but it didn’t make up for the band not being around.Surprisingly in 1998, out of the blue the Manchester Evening News announced there was going to be a gig at the Manchester Apollo, as a warm up to an appearance at the Reading festival. The band? New Order. There was no way I was going to miss this. Seemingly the band had decided that there was no good reason not to get back together, and would give a reunion a try. And the gig was a classic, with the band seemingly revitalised, Hooky & Barney getting on, and a few Joy Division classics thrown in. They were back. It wasn’t a one off, as I saw them again at Xmas, with a promise of more to come.
Spin on to 2001
and the first new album in 8 years, “Get Ready” which was a move away from the polished pop dance stuff they’d been increasingly known for since “Technique”, and to a more raw guitar based sound, heard to best effect on the opening single “Crystal”. And as 21 years had passed since Ian Curtis’s demise, they’d become more comfortable with Joy Division’s legacy. So increasingly JD songs littered their sets, to the point where many a fan has been known to complain that they were doing too many JD songs. Fair comment. On the three occasions I’ve seen them since 2001 only about 3/4 of the set is NO material. But look at it from their point of view: they’d written the bleedin’ songs, why couldn’t they play them again? (Even if they do murder “Love Will Tear Us Apart” every time).They’ve recently started to receive more and more “lifetime achievement” awards. It’s always a worry when this starts to happen, as it seems that the hunger seems to go, especially when the ”establishment” accepts you. The band I fell in love with were always the outsiders, doi
ng things their way. But, I suppose not playing the game doesn’t feed the kids, and it’s probably time they got their due credit from the industry, as well as getting paid at last. After twenty odd years, letting “Blue Monday” be used in adverts for Mars bars is fair enough especially bearing in mind they never made any money on that record in the first place, due to Factory’s shady business practice.Maybe their most recent output isn’t as good as the old stuff. Maybe the gigs aren’t as special as they once were. Maybe Gillian’s absence is a bad thing, and it’s become a bit Dad-rock. Maybe they’re getting old and fat. All I know is that it’s great to have New Order still around, and having once thought I’d lost them for good, I’m going to make sure that every time there’s a tour I’m going to be there.
Which brings me to tonight… New Order @ Blackpool Empress Ballroom.
Review to follow.
Essential purchases: “Singles” (2005) / “Brotherhood” (1986) / “Technique” (1989) / “Get Ready” (2001)
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