Bad Lieutenant

After Peter Hook announced that he and Bernard Sumner were no longer working together, New Order entered a disputed second split. Sumner began looking forward to a new project rather than trying to continue under the same circumstances.

Bad Lieutenant formed around Bernard Sumner, Phil Cunningham and Jake Evans. The project gave Sumner and Cunningham a new outlet after New Order, with Evans adding another guitar-and-vocal presence.

Material for the debut album was written and recorded over this period. The recordings featured Stephen Morris on drums, Tom Chapman on bass, and Alex James of Blur on bass on selected tracks.

Bad Lieutenant were publicly announced as Bernard Sumner's new band. Early coverage sometimes framed the group as a New Order/Blur supergroup, but the core was Sumner, Cunningham and Evans.

Sink or Swim was released as the first single. The song introduced Bad Lieutenant's sound: more guitar-driven and straightforward than late-period New Order, but still recognisably connected to Sumner's melodic style.

Never Cry Another Tear was released in the UK. It became Bad Lieutenant's only studio album and featured a mix of guitar pop, alternative rock and New Order-style melodic touches.

Bad Lieutenant toured in support of the album, with Stephen Morris and Tom Chapman part of the live line-up. The shows positioned the band as a functioning live act rather than just a studio side project.

Planned US dates were cancelled because of visa problems. The cancelled shows included dates in Chicago and New York, with some support slots for Pixies.

Bad Lieutenant supported Pet Shop Boys on UK arena dates during the Pandemonium tour, including shows in Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London.

Twist of Fate was released as the second single from Never Cry Another Tear, continuing to promote the album.

A rescheduled attempt to play the United States was disrupted by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud that grounded flights across Europe. The bad luck reinforced how short and difficult the band's live window ended up being.

Bad Lieutenant were still active enough to be billed for festival appearances, including Friends of Mine Festival at Capesthorne Hall.

New Order announced their return with Gillian Gilbert back in the line-up and Tom Chapman taking over bass duties. Bernard Sumner and Phil Cunningham's renewed focus on New Order effectively pushed Bad Lieutenant into the background.

Bad Lieutenant went on indefinite hiatus. The project remains a brief post-New Order chapter for Sumner and Cunningham, important mainly for introducing Tom Chapman into the wider New Order orbit.