side project songs live as New Order

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24 Jan 2015, 15:51

Hey guys, I'm wondering what you think of New Order performing side project songs. it's clear that they will and need to come up with a new setlist for live performances, but how about performing side project songs? For example they do a new mix of Tasty Fish with Gillian singing live on stage, and some Eletronic songs. I love those songs and think it would be an excellent opportunity for them to perform them. They already do Joy Division songs which aren't the same band, why not do Electronic and The Other Two? The main line up of songs are New Order songs, but the band technically isn't New Order anyway. So why not perform songs from side projects, even just a couple.

My question is would you guys approve of this? or should they stick to NO songs? The songs aren't that different from New Order, I think they could get away with it.

24 Jan 2015, 18:36

Oh, this is SO gonna happen... New Order's abilty to surprise at gigs: 1 out of ten. Fans' ability to surprise me at how many things they manage to dream up: Several million.

26 Jan 2015, 13:52

Sage_ wrote: it's clear that they will and need to come up with a new setlist for live performances.......

Based on, umm, the fact they've been playing more or less the same set list for over 10 years?!

26 Jan 2015, 15:52 · edited 26 Jan 2015, 15:55

In an ideal world it's an attractive idea to fans who love the side-projects but in reality I don't imagine it would be very workable or indeed ever happen. Once they have the new album completed the only new songs being added to the set will probably be er, new songs. Working for 2 years on new material but then touring solo tracks from 20 years ago wouldn't make much sense and they only have so much time to play a gig in. Plus as much as we love some of those side project tunes half the audience probably wouldn't know what they are when played.

While it's true the more hardcore fans tend to get bored of the repetitive sets (and I include myself in that) what we maybe need to remember is that not everyone who goes to a New Order gig is a "different set-list every night" type of fan. A lot of the audience are Joe Public who maybe owned Substance or Technique back in the day and just want to dance a bit of True Faith or Blue Monday which is completely fair enough. Imagine if they showed up and the band performed neither? Or performed a load of obscure b-sides? It's a balancing act.

I think if your more devoted New Order fan wants to hear the obscure stuff and lesser-played album tracks these days, Hooky and The Light seem to be enthusiastically filling that particular gap in the market just now. Some have been saying with the hits on one side and the album-by-album approach on the other "New Order fans have never had it so good" as far as live options go.

Certainly one way of looking at it...

26 Jan 2015, 19:50

Nope. It will never happen.

The only side project songs the band could concievably even try are "Avalanche" (as that's an O2 track), and something by Bad Lieutenant as Steve, Phil, and 'Twatto' play on it. But, they won't. Because BL sold around 2,000 copies. I do wish Bad Lieutenant had played more solo-songs ; like "Reality", "For You", "Make It Happen", This Time I'm Not Wrong", "Security", and so on... but hey! We got "Tighten Up", and a lovely medley of "Out Of Control/Temptation".