Your CV of New Order gig attendance

An addendum to my CV:

I realized with the announcement of the Cruel World lineup that I would finally get to see Stereo M.C.s. They were to be the opening act at the 1991 Electronic gig I had a ticket for in San Franicisco before that tour was cancelled. I had missed Revenge coming to the city the year before. Hadn't heard about that gig until a co-worker mentioned he had been. Oh well.

Monaco - 1997.8.11 San Francisco (The Fillmore) My girlfriend and I were at The Fillmore to see The Cardigans (surprisingly good live) a few months earlier, and when she nipped off to get a drink, she returned not only with the drink, but tickets for this Monaco gig that was advertised. Nice! Monoco were very good live. The band was tight, and the trade off of lead vocals between Hooky and Pottsy worked well. I had always misconstrued a comment made by Potts after "Billy Bones". To me, this was the most Joy Division-like track on their debut. So when he said "Sorry, Ian" at the gig, I thought it was him being reverential to Ian Curtis. Hooky and Leadfoot set me straight on Twitter by saying their sound man was also named Ian, and the comment was actually likely directed at him. I can't find this setlist online, but I remember the encore being Warsaw's "Failures".

In 2010, we had tickets to see Bad Lieutenant, once again in San Francisco. A volcano in Iceland disrupted those plans. We were also in town to see Delphic, who I'd seen a couple of times before. Both groups were playing S.F. as satellite gigs to Coachella appearances. But their flight was also cancelled, so we were doubly disappointed.

Peter Hook & The Light - 2014.11.21 San Francisco (Mezzanine) By this time, it was clear that there would be no reconciliation between the two warring factions, so I succumbed to the lure of a Peter Hook & The Light gig (I'd seen him DJ a few years earlier. Nevermind.). This was a tour with a Joy Division opening set, followed by Low-Life and Brotherhood sets. They also performed various singles and it was a fantastic show. I did think it was a missed opportunity that Pottsy only took lead vocals on one song ("Sooner than You Think"), but this was Hooky's group, after all. My girlfriend was less impressed and vowed never to go see him sing those songs again! SanFranciscoSetlist

Peter Hook & The Light - 2022.9.10 San Francisco (The Warfield) Eight years later, and that girlfriend is history. So why not go see Peter Hook & The Light performing primarily a Joy Division set this time (Unknown Pleasures and Closer). Another fantastic gig. His vocals certainly suit those songs better, and this would be a contrast to the New Order heavy setlist from my previous show. There were some New Order tracks, of course. But thankfully, Monaco's "What Do You Want From Me?" was also performed. I always hope for a tour performing those two Monaco albums, but suspect he thinks it wouldn't draw as many punters as the JD/NO gigs. SanFranciscoSetlist

So I guess that's it.

Oh wait, I forgot about that Cruel World show. And it looks like there's even more to come...

Andy wrote: ...continued.

12. 2016.3.19 Los Angeles (Shrine Auditorium) I was very excited for this gig as it was my first since the release of Music Complete (their only U.S.appearance in 2015 had been at the Day for Night Fest in Texas). I was hoping for a reenergized set with the inclusion of more new tracks. They indeed performed 6 tracks from their new (-ish by this point) album, which was generous. But I'd already seen them do "Singularity" and "Plastic" in 2014. "Academic" and "Restless" remain great tracks, and I was delighted to hear them live, but they are never going to be received as strongly live as some of the classics they supplanted. While I'm totally fine with that, I could see how people that hadn't been to previous gigs would be disappointed by them not playing tracks x, y or z. Also new for me were "Tutti Frutti" and "People on the High Line", the pleasure of seeing them play something new overshadowing my discomfort with so many prerecording vocals wafting out of the P.A. (the opinion on this has definitely shifted over the years). But alas, the structure of the set (a bit mix-n-match towords the early part with electro bangers always at the end of the main set and a JD encore) remained unchanged. But "Singularity" and "Temptation" were certainly bookends that are tough to beat. I remember it was very enjoyable at the time, but in retrospect, these static setlists make the gigs less memorable as there isn't enough variety to distinguish them from each other.

DJ Whitney Fierce and Run, Run, Run were the support but I believe I only saw a bit of the latter as longtime girlfriend Theresa and I were mingling in the enormous lobby area (The Shrine is where many of the Gala events in the U.S. are held such as the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, etc). I distinctly recall running into FAC51 (local Steve and his wife Kelly) and the venerable JG. Norbert was possibly also looming around. Theresa had been less enthusiastic about the 5 hour drive down to L.A. for the gig with a return trip the following day to accomodate our work schedules. I was up to meet with the Vikings after the gig, but she wasn't, and I opted instead to accompany my grumpy gal back to our hotel. We stayed together another 3+ years, but the drifting apart had already begun. Anyhoo!: LosAngelesSetlistLosAngelesSetlist

13. 2017.4.21 Berkeley (Greek Theatre) Thirty years on from my first New Order gig at this very same venue, and I was back. The atmosphere of the Greek was still fantastic. Two new song experiences for me were "Superheated" and a powerful version of "Decades" (Theresa even commented on the emotional impact of Joy Division track afterwards, not being as familiar with JD's work as NO). I say afterwards because I went down towards the front without her and found a spot next to Viking, Dr. NO (aka Rocky) and adjacent to Norbert. Rocky and I agreed that we shouldn't try to move further towards the middle as it would introduce the possibility of being behind the big man, which would be suboptimal. However, this was my first expericence being near the enthusiastic Doctor. When the songs started kicking in, his passion was infectious, but (and I hope he's not reading this because I've mentioned it to him several times) he's essentially a one man moshpit, where no neighboring people's toes are safe. While it's getting redundant to mention the setlist structure, on a positive note, 17-18 songs per set is much more than you'd get in the old days. And I hadn't felt like I wasn't getting my money's worth. BerkeleySetlist

14. 2017.9.18 Hollywood (Hollywood Bowl) A few months later in 2017 and 24 years after seeing the soul destroying nadir of New Order concerts here 1993, I was back in one of the most beautiful venues in California (either this or the Santa Barbara Bowl ranks tops for me). I traveled to this gig alone. Between the 5 hour drive, and the fact Theresa doesn't like Los Angeles (despite the size of the city, she's one of the few people I've met that have lived and was actually born there), I decided not to bother convincing her to go with me. Thankfully, the MIF gigs were still at this point having an influence on setlists. I was thrilled to hear "Disorder" early in the set, with "Ultraviolence" following it. I appreciated that they weren't just phoning it in with the hits for the L.A. crowd. Even a track from the usually ignored Technique appeared with the "Bizarre Love Triangle" segue into "Vanishing Point". Another vivid highlight was the enormous roar of the crowd once they recognized the intro to "Sub-Culture". It was epic. This was probably my favourite concert (so far?) of the current lineup and 19 tracks was quite generous. Also, Goldfrapp were the support. Great concert and experience all around. I still owe FAC51 a meal after being treated to tacos by him before the gig. HollywoodSetlist

15. 2018.9.29 Long Beach (Music Tastes Good Festival on the Marina Green) An interesting festival purporting to blend the best of music and food. And the Long Beach coastline is a lovely destination (the Queen Mary was just across the harbour). The decent lineup also featured another favourite group of mine, The Church, performing their 1988 album Starfish. Theresa was even up for it. It was, however, our last New Order gig together (we broke up in 2019 after over 20 years together). The group did not disappoint. They were on top form but unfortunately only had time to perform an 11 song set. Leave 'em wanting more, I guess. LongBeachSetlist

I believe they only came to the U.S. once the following year, for one gig on the east coast (Miami, Florida), discounting the Tibet House appearance. They also returned to Miami for a 4 gig residence in early 2020 that I was so very close to booking. I still regret not going considering the wait until the next opportunity.

tbc...

2016.3.19 Los Angeles (Shrine Auditorium): Temptation

2017.4.21 Berkeley (Greek Theatre): Berkeley1 Berkeley2

2017.9.18 Hollywood (Hollywood Bowl):

Andy wrote: ...continued

16. 2022.10.7 Hollywood (Hollywood Bowl) After about a year's delay, the much anticipated Unity Tour, co-headlining with Pet Shop Boys kicked off in Canada September of 2022. The tour itinerary ended up getting shuffled a bit with the post-pandemic rescheduling. I opted to go to all three of the dates in California, with the cherished venue of the Hollywood Bowl being the finale. The reshuffle instead put the two Hollywood dates before the San Francisco date. This was a little disappointing because in S.F. they were playing at a modern basketball arena that merely doubles as a concert venue. Not much ambience. But regardless of that detail, I was pumped to finally be seeing New Order for the first time in four years, at a venue I adore. As in 2017, I was again able to book a room at the nearby BLVD Hotel on Highland. Pro-tip for all of you attending gigs at the Bowl: It's within walking distance of the the venue (so no worries with traffic or parking fees). And if you walk in the opposite direction, you're equidistant from the glamour and grime of Hollywood and Sunset boulevards (and probably only about a 20 minute walk to Amoeba Music on Hollywood Blvd.). I believe I mentioned listening to the soundcheck in the Unity Tour thread, so won't bother repeating that aspect here.

As for the gig, Paul Oakenfold kicked off the festivities. His set was decent but it wasn't particularly adventurous. Pet Shop Boys were up next, and were fantastic. They had choreographed and engineered their set very well. So well, apparently, they didn't bother to deviate from it for the following gigs (even the between song banter). PSB are definitely a one and done tour proposition. Of course their approach is that of a show more than a gig. And it works very well for them. The sound quality was good but the volume of the gig seemed a little muted to me. But I'd not been to an amphitheatre gig in some time, so just accepted it. New Order were the headliner and threw a bit of a curveball with their intro: Instead of the standard "Das Rheingold: Vorspiel" Olympic diver footage, we were treated to the instrumental "Times Change" intro with footage of Hollywood and other Southern California locales. A nice touch. From there, "Regret", "Age of Consent", "Restless", etc. followed, pointing to business as usual, setwise. I hadn't had huge hopes, and they were limiting themselves to 14 tracks on account of the co-headling times, but they did seem energized and happy to be there. So the small victory of hearing something live for the first time (despite it being "Be a Rebel"), was enough to satisfy me. But after the still potent finale of "Temptation", the crowd and yours truly were indeed surprised by the band returning to encore with "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas the Papas. In retrospect even more surprising than playing "San Francisco" in San Fransisco in 2014, given the limited set time. They wrapped everything up with "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and everyone went home happy. This was a very successful partnership and I have distinct memories of the jubilant crowd lining up for more merch post-gig before filing out of the venue. HollywoodSetlist

17. 2022.10.8 Hollywood (Hollywood Bowl) Night two at the same venue. Aside from it being the Pet Shop Boys turn to headline, would things be different enough to give me value for money? Well, after Oakenfold's set (I swear he played a lot of the same tracks as the previous night. Seemed lazy for a D.J.), New Order was up. The "Das Rheingold: Vorspiel" intro showed that they were at least going to make an effort. In the end, three out of the fourteen tracks were swapped. Not only that, "Temptation" did not end the set on this night (highly unusual these days). Instead, they wrapped up the main set with "Decades". This was, of course, more surprising than the repeat encore of "California Dreamin'" and "LWTUA", but I was well and truly satisfied. Also of note, the sound quality was improved and much louded on this second night. Despite the Pet Shop Boys headlining with their repeated set, I would say this was the better of the two shows. HollywoodSetlist

18. 2022.10.12 San Francisco (Chase Center) With a few days inbetween my Unity Tour triple play, I did head home for a couple of days (I live in the Monterey Bay area between Los Angeles and San Francisco though much closer to the latter). The day started with another attempt to get a taste of the night's set by eavesdropping on the soundcheck near the rear doors of the venue. This wasn't as easy at Chase Center as it's an indoor arena, but I was happy to hear runthroughs of three tracks not played the previous night's gigs, so things were looking up. After returning to the venue for the gig, I did a quick recon to check out the night's vantage point from my seat, but otherwise ignored Oakenfold's set. Being a new venue, the seating was tight, with as many crammed into the space as possible. I would be sandwiched between some young Latinas on my right, and an elderly gentleman (complete with oxygen bottle!) on my left. So I opted to spend less time there and more walking around the venue checking out the enthusiastic crowd, many going all-in, fancy dresswise. There were even a couple of guys dressed as PSB circa 1993, Very bodysuits with the helmets to match. Impressive. I was also hoping to run into some friends, this being my third gig in a row attended solo. I was disappointed in myself for not making more of an effort to connect with others at the Hollywood gigs. I had run into some familiar faces before the gigs, but as there wasn't General Admission standing on offer, we couldn't hang out at the gig together. I later saw footage of them in the front row, Jeff (of New Order tribute band Substance) with Barney's mic thrust in his face, singing a portion of either "True Faith" or "Bizarre Love Triangle. Lucky bastards! In San Francisco, the only New Order diehard I recognized was Sam (TheHappyOne, for those well-versed in bootlegs), and it was nice to catch up with him. Despite the headline spot set to alternate each night, New Order were on next. The rescheduling of the tour had shuffled the dates, but the headliners remained as originally advertised for reasons unbeknownst to me. Setlist.com doesn't list the intro music, but my recollection is that it was once again "Das Rheingold: Vorspiel". As the previous two gigs, "Regret" kicked things off, with thirteen more tracks to follow. But fortunately, another 3 differing tracks were in the set that I'd not heard at either of the previous two gigs. So despite the shorter sets, I was treated to 20 different songs in all. On this occasion, these were a strong "Transmission" a shambolic "Superheated" and the lovely "Vanishing Point" segued from "Bizarre Love Triangle" ("BLT" having only been performed on its own at the other gigs I attended). As covered in the Unity Tour thread, they actually played 25 different songs throughout the tour. As far as the real Pet Shop Boys, somehow I think the indoor setting suited them better. The set was identical but I believe their stage setup and lighting were more impressive in the more defined space of the arena as opposed to the open air of the Bowl. SanFranciscoSetlist

tbc...

2022.10.7 Hollywood (Hollywood Bowl)

2022.10.8 Hollywood (Hollywood Bowl)

2022.10.12 San Francisco (Chase Center) Pet Shop Boys headlined

Andy wrote: ...continued

19. 2023.3.18 New Orleans (Orpheum Theater) The previous year's Unity Tour of the U.S. was not kind to the south and southwest. To make amends (and the most of their stateside visit for the SXSW Festival appearance), a short, satellite tour of cities in Texas (plus New Orleans in Louisiana) were scheduled. Unusually, no cities on the coasts were booked. Fun fact: The tour didn't really have a name. So I started calling it TexNOLA*23 on Setlist.fm and it stuck. If I wanted to see them this time around, I would actually have to travel out of California and see them on "foreign soil" in another state for the first time. I had already been through Texas a couple of times. And the political climate has made that state less appealing (If you believe the media, many Texans would be happy to split from the U.S., with the liberal views like those of Californians being a major reason). Although Austin differs from that mindset, and is a city I'd like to visit, I wasn't really up for seeing the group at a festival that didn't feature much else that appealed to me. I did fancy New Orleans. Despite living in South Carolina for a year, I'd never made it down there so the NOLA gig was the focus. I tried to work out the logistics of also seeing them in Houston, Texas a couple of nights before it, but it was not to be. Yes, these places are in the same country, but being over 2,000 miles and a couple of time zones away from home meant travel time would be a factor. I opted to spend more time in New Orleans instead. My local airport in Monterey didn't have any direct flights, so a layover in San Francisco would be slowing things down. Upon arriving in New Orleans the first night, I was greeted with total chaos at the airport. Unbeknownst to me, this week was also their Spring Break in the region. There were legions of college kids, all vying for taxis and ride shares. I eventually got a ride nearly two hours later. Having left home Thursday morning, it was the early hours of Friday before I'd made it to where I would be staying.

After a full Friday of dining and sightseeing (I'd gotten tips from a friend who'd once lived there), I can heartily recommend New Orleans as a destination. And though it's not really my scene, the nighttime trip down Bourbon Street lived up to its reputation: Excessive street drinking, nudity, a dominatrix whipping college kids...fun for the whole family. Once Saturday arrived, there were some whispers on social media of who would be in town. But despite my efforts this time, I wasn't able to find or organize a pre-gig meetup with anyone. The Orpheum being such a small venue (fewer than 2,000 capacity!) meant I knew to arrive early to get in line, and fortunately had the opportunity to meet some other great fans. I also was able meet a few people I'd only spoke to online previously (hello NüOrdrMan and Sandroid77). Once in the venue, the first priority was to snap up a couple of the black on black Substance New Orleans shirts that were exclusive to this gig (limited to 500). I didn't mean to be greedy but I wanted an extra so I wouldn't be reluctant to it occasionally. Mission accomplished, I headed towards the stage and was able to secure a spot near the center quite close to, but not quite on the barrier with a couple of friends. The support was from ZAS and Bernard joined Zachery onstage to sing "No Texting on the Dancefloor". While New Order's setlist offered few surprises, I'd not heard "The Perfect Kiss" for a while and it sounded magnificent. Overall, the expense and everything I went through on my travels were worth it to see the band up close in such an intimate venue. And after the gig, Viking Colin kindly gave me a badge for my efforts, despite my never actually travelling abroad for a gig. Fortunately, I was able to repay him with one of my Substance shirts, as he'd missed out before the gig. NewOrleansSetlist

After the gig, I said goodbye to some of my friends, and headed to an unofficial afterparty across town. One of the people I had met in the line (DJ Rice Cube) had booked a bar and was DJing. Fortunately, another one of the New Order fans I'd met was a local who knew the ins and outs of the area. He not only was aware of the bits to avoid, he showed the way to a late night market that served up the most amazing Muffalettta sandwich that I will ever eat. I mentioned that I said goodbye to some of my friends at the gig. Several of them had invites to the official afterparty in the exclusive club under the venue. No fake Vikings allowed. In the words of Stephen Morris "I'm not a bitter man". On the bright side, despite Sandroid77 heading north to Canada as I was heading west to go back home, we both had the same flight to a layover in Texas (unexpected Rom-Com situation alert). It was fantastic to see her again, and she told me about the afterparty and her discussions with Gillian, etc. Even though I wasn't at the official shindig, I was able to say hello to Tom Chapman in the New Orleans airport. We were both waiting in an enormous zig-zagging line, and as it circled around and I was nearby, I called out to him and held up my phone to show him its screen background image of the tour poster. He replied with a weary thumbs up. I opted not to trouble him further.

tbc...

2023.3.18 New Orleans (Orpheum Theater) I believe I mispoke about this shirt in the original post. Limited to 200 not 500 Bonus shot by Warren Jackson. Spotted myself enjoying the gig.

Andy wrote: ...continued

20. 2023.11.15 Inglewood, California (YouTube Theater) Cast your mind back to 2023, when the news of the Darker Waves festival broke. Certainly there have been many great festivals over the decades. But the announced lineup focused on just these genres seemed dubious to many: New Order, Tears for Fears, The B-52s, Echo & the Bunnymen, DEVO, Soft Cell, The Psychedelic Furs, The Human League, Orchestral Manouvres in the Dark, Violent Femmes, X, Clan of Xymox, The Chameleons (and, as they say, many more) at the same one day festival raised some eyebrows. The seemingly amateurish gig poster didn't help assuage doubt. But once the bands themselves made their announcements, it became all too real. The speculation began: Would New Order schedule a tour to make the most of their visit (the West Coast, North America, South America?), or would it be a one-off like Texas 2015? It turns out it was neither. They merely scheduled one additional gig: In Inglewood, which is about 40 miles from the beach that would host the Darker Waves fest. Annoyingly, that satellite gig would occur three days before the festival, which is a 5+ hour drive from Monterey Bay. I wasn't going to drive there and back twice (and flights seemed like overkill), so it meant a Wednesday to Sunday trip was the plan. I had been chatting a bit with the lovely Canadian Viking, Sandroid77. But as the festival drew nearer, she had too many other things going on and opted out of attending. I took consolation with the thought that a long distance relationship (yes, I was getting way ahead of myself) was probably more than I could take on anyway. On the bright side, in anticipation of seeing her (and the possibility of attending an all day gig on the beach with sweltering heat), I put myself on a fitness regimen in case going topless was a consideration. Yes, I am vain.

I hit the road Wednesday and surveyed the area in Inglewood between the venue and motel once I'd arrived. Inglewood had a bit of a rough reputation back when I'd seen The Cure at the Forum in 1987 and Depeche Mode there a few years later. It looks alright these days, but I opted for a ride share instead of walking. Unfortunately, the driver seemed confused about where to drop me off at the massive entertainment complex, which also includes SoFi Stadium. So I ended up having to walk about 15-20 minutes before I found the entrance of the theatre. Despite my months long assumption of typical Southern California weather, Manchester was in the house. It began to rain on my walk. And it continued to sprinkle down as we waited for the staff to belatedly open the gates and let us in to the venue. Sadly, the merch on offer was not as enticing as the special Substance T from New Orleans. I had sort of been hoping for something unique. Perhaps featuring the orange Republic floatie that had been on the tour poster, but it was not to be. From there it was off to check out my vantage point and meet up with Screwball, a SoCal-based Viking. He offered up a pog (like a Poker Chip, with a design to commemorate the gig). This seems to be the North American equivalent of the Viking badges, NüOrderMan had given me one in New Orleans.

But then it was time for support act Blossoms. I actually really like their take on pop music, which doesn't necessarily follow pop trends. Though I wasn't expecting them to be stellar live, I was happy to finally get the chance after backing out of attending a 2019 gig with my Ex (we had bought the tickets before the breakup). Unfortunely, the sound mix was appalling. The bass was super boomy which was worrying. This was quite a new venue, and I'd have thought acoustics would have been a focus in the design. My recollection is that the sound didn't really improve during their set, which although strong, didn't include my favourite song of theirs (gem "How Long Will This Last"). Fortunately, by the the time the Wagner/"Touched by the Hand of God" intro began to ring out, the sound was sorted. But with "Crystal", "Regret", "Age of Consent", "Ceremony" and "Restless" following, it was clear the band wasn't reimagining the setlist. The return of a slightly reworked (as compared to the 2011 version) of "Isolation" being the only track that was somewhat surprising. I was happy to hear the "Bizarre Love Triangle"/"Vanishing Point" medley though. It had been absent from the New Orleans set. Strangely, a photo of a physical setlist that was posted listed the encore as "Decades/Atmosphere, Transmission, LWTUA". I wouldn't think they were considering a medley of the first two, more likely deciding to make a decision between them in the moment. But we will never know, a time curfew meant they only ended up encoring with "Atmosphere" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart". All in all, it was still a great show. Despite the setlist quibbles, I'm always delighted that they are still performing well. Not only for my enjoyment, but for the multitudes of people that are invariably seeing them for the first time. Emboldened by the sounds still pounding in my head, I opted to not wait a ridiculously long time for a ride share and walked back to the Motel. Perhaps I was a bit disappointed that Inglewood had been cleaned up, and wanted to tempt fate. Regardless, the walk was uneventful, I was already thinking about heading out of there in the morning. InglewoodSetlist

I now had Thursday and Friday to kill before heading to Huntington Beach for Darker Waves. I'd decided to spend those days based in Hollywood. A massive amount of dining options and proximity to Amoeba Music were paramount. I also spent some time hiking around Griffith Observatory, which is a great experience. Early Saturday, I checked out in Hollywood and hit the road for the beach. Well, Huntington Beach. I again left my car at the motel and used ride sharing to avoid parking fees and other potential issues. While the weather was slightly better, amazingly there was still the threat of rain. Certainly that translated to hope for the multitudes of Goths that were descending into this uncharted territory of surf and sand. I saw very few people in short pants (like those I'd packed, but not worn), but many in full Gothic regalia. It wasn't quite Cruel World, being tempered with more postpunk, synth pop and, frankly, more normal looking fans, but people watching was definitely top of the scale. I won't go into the other acts as there were far too many, but I must say that it's very disappointing that this festival doesn't seem to be returning.

21. 2023.11.18 Huntington Beach, California (Darker Waves) As expected, New Order's Darker Waves set was merely an edited version of YouTube Theater's. One improvement that did stand out was their slotting in "Be a Rebel" after "Your Silent Face". I understand they want to feature their "newest" song, but using it to up the tempo after "KW1" was a much better place for it than being sandwiched between beloved bangers "The Perfect Kiss" and "Substance". I hate to say it, but these shorter festival sets really seem to suit the band. As with the Music Tastes Good festival in 2018, they really knocked it out of the park. The promoters wisely offset the stagetimes of New Order and other headliner Tears for Fears, which meant there was a massive crowd on hand. And it gave me a chance to catch most of the TfF set afterwards. Upon leaving the festival, there was again a massive demand for ride shares. I instead set off on foot, the music and memories swimming in my head. DarkerWavesSetlist

I wouldn't want a short festival set to be my swansong of New Order gigs. But only time will tell...

2023.11.15 Inglewood, California (YouTube Theater)

2023.11.18 Huntington Beach, California (Darker Waves)

Great to read all these stories and amazing memories. Sadly I've never seen the classic line up live, though I did get a wave from Gillian watching from the wings at the Adelaide Big Day Out ;)

2002 Sydney BDO 2002 Adelaide BDO 2012 Toronto - Sony Centre 2016 Sydney Opera House (w Orchestra) 2016 Sydney Opera House (band) 2020 Melbourne - Sidney Myer Music Bowl Tickets for 2025 Sydney - Opera House Forecourt

Hooky: 2010 Adelaide - Her Majesty's Theatre 2015 Adelaide - The Gov 2017 Adelaide - The Gov 2019 Melbourne (JD Orchestrated) - Plenary Hall 2022 Adelaide - The Gov 2024 Adelaide - Hindley St Music Hall

Thanks M1.

Let me repeat once again, there is no deadline for the CV submission, folks! It’s never too late to post your gig list, anecdote etc.

Now that my New Order gig attendance has hit 20, I post an updated list.

New Order

1. 1985-05-04 Osaka (Koseinenkin Kaikan [Welfare Pension Hall] )
2. 1987-01-27 Tokyo (Nakano Sun Plaza)
3. 1987-01-28 Tokyo (Nakano Sun Plaza)
4. 1987-01-29 Osaka (Koseinenkin Kaikan [Welfare Pension Hall] )
5. 1987-01-30 Nagoya (Kokaido [Civic Assembly Hall])
6. 1998-12-29 Manchester (Manchester Evening News Arena)
7. 2005-07-31 Naeba (Fuji Rock Festival)
8. 2012-04-26 Manchester (Apollo)
9. 2012-04-27 Manchester (Apollo)
10. 2012-08-18 Osaka (Summer Sonic Festival)
11. 2012-09-16 Portmeirion (Festival No. 6)
12. 2013-07-07 Jodrell Bank (Observatory site)
13. 2015-12-06 Manchester (Warehouse Project)
14. 2016-07-09 Manchester (Castlefield Bowl)
15. 2017-07-13 Manchester (Old Granada Studios)
16. 2019-07-21 Jodrell Bank (Bluedot Festival)
17. 2021-09-08 Halifax (Piece Hall)
18. 2021-09-10 Manchester (Heaton Park)
19. 2023-10-05 Glasgow (OVO Hydro)
20. 2025-02-25 Osaka (Zepp Namba)

Revenge

1. 1991-01-30 Osaka (IMP Hall)

Peter Hook & The Light

1. 2012-05-18 Manchester (FAC251 - The Factory)
2. 2013-01-18 Manchester (Manchester Cathedral)

This thread has hit 20,000 views. Hurray!

This is a ‘never ending’ thread. Is anybody there to add a gig list or an anecdote? It doesn’t matter whether you have seen 1 or 51 shows. Your contribution will be much appreciated.

New Order 1989 Irvine Meadows 1993 Hollywood Bowl 2001 Area:One Festival (Blockbuster Pavilion in San Bernardino) 2017 Hollywood Bowl 2022 Hollywood Bowl

Electronic 1990 Dodger Stadium (their very 1st first concert)

Monaco 1997 El Rey Theater (Los Angeles)

I've been a New Order fan since day 1 (eagerly waiting for John Peel to play their debut single), but to my shame I've only ever seen them in concert once:

1984-08-19

Sunday 19th August 1984 - Gloucester Leisure Centre

I did tune in for the Rock Around the Clock performance the following Saturday 25th August too, and taped it off the radio! 😎

Subvulture wrote: New Order 1989 Irvine Meadows 1993 Hollywood Bowl 2001 Area:One Festival (Blockbuster Pavilion in San Bernardino) 2017 Hollywood Bowl 2022 Hollywood Bowl

Electronic 1990 Dodger Stadium (their very 1st first concert)

Monaco 1997 El Rey Theater (Los Angeles)

I was at Irvine Meadows and all of those Hollywood Bowl gigs (both of the Unity Tour ones in 2022). I went to the Area: One Festival but up at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. Unfortunely, the 1990 Depeched Mode gig I went to was also at Shoreline. I didn't know at the time of purchase that Electronic would be support in L.A. I also saw Monaco on the 1997 tour, but in San Francisco.

It's a small world (of New Order related gigs in California).

Hi all, especially to those who haven’t posted your CV.

As I’m sure you all know, New Order Online will close down at the end of 2025 — i.e. in about three weeks and a few days.

For these last days of our beloved website, how about sharing your gig list with other forum members, telling us, “I was there”, before this place is passing into history?

All the best, The Japanese One

P.S. Saw Section 25 live for the first time, the Voodoo Room, Edinburgh, 7 September. Now a duo of Vin Cassidy and Steve Stringer, they are still going strong.

The Japanese One wrote: Hi all, especially to those who haven’t posted your CV.

As I’m sure you all know, New Order Online will close down at the end of 2025 — i.e. in about three weeks and a few days.

For these last days of our beloved website, how about sharing your gig list with other forum members, telling us, “I was there”, before this place is passing into history?

All the best, The Japanese One

P.S. Saw Section 25 live for the first time, the Voodoo Room, Edinburgh, 7 September. Now a duo of Vin Cassidy and Steve Stringer, they are still going strong.

About 30 concerts.Probably pissed out my head in all of them. Thrown out of Liverpool Pops 06 for Aggressive Dancing..wtf Late 80s when Happy Mondays played and i lost my shoe in the mosh pit at the Gmex..Fine time..wow. Know all the Vikings and shout out to Muffy Johnny 2 Sheds Hibster Mark Rutter Don..King Al Jarvis...Shug John Sludden and Lorraine Norbert..Alex Stasko..Diggy Mike..Colin Torr..Missy Jem..Liv..Don ..Jason and Ren. Mad Darren..Dave and Sandra..the Milkies..Dave Tandy..Ron...Maya..Dave Hibell..Steve Smith..Banshee..Huntsman..Monty..Gary Mac and OurKid. Plus the numerous stars like Colin Torr aka BiginOil Alistair..Burt Reynolds and probably about 100 others i pissed off.. Several times in the Big Smoke Manchester Blackpool Wolves and so many others that i would rather forget Freebase at 251..is it?

Bad Lieutenant with Phil at Preston..Ritz and around. Met Hooky and Gillians sister and Steve...who said.. So youre Rocket Mick? Plus Sandra and Dave..jetsetters...again The Leeds fan Jim and his lovely wife

Gazman...all the American lads...plus more i owe beers too. I was around b4 Joy Division got famous and was at Preston when Blackburn Youth kicked off in 85..i think.

Great times and dont forget Gary Crawford and Major Taratino Jeff who sadly died and loads who said Hello but ran..

Plus Neil .Leeds fan and major NUTTER Ricardo Julio and the South American gang German Order

Nick King That mad Sunderland dude and K Stand TiM JAUNCEY

Finally…thank you so much!

Where are all these people now?

For my first ever New Order gig I took a four-day return trip from Zagreb to Turin of some 1,500 kilometers which cost my life savings at the time. I had been a fan for almost 20 years by then but they never played close. The gig was a part of the Traffic festival linking Turin with Manchester ahead of Turin winter Olympics, it was a free open air affair at a city park holding close to 10,000 people I think. As it was a last-minute decision, I travelled with no idea where I will spend the night or how will I find the concert, my internet access was limited at the time and I had no credit card. Nevertheless I was lucky in finding a nice hotel on the evening of the 14-hour journey, and next afternoon I simply followed someone in a Joy Division shirt to a tram. At the festivals site, I made friends with a group of Italians who travelled from Milan, and we shared drinks throughout the afternoon, since I arrived early because I had had a dream days earlier that I missed the concert and ended up at a mariachi performance. Not joking. Twilight landed, and the concert started. As it was a Manchester-themed festival. 808 State opened for New Order, although I spent most of their set queuing for the bathroom (a single ladies bathroom, honestly), but the sound was good an I heard most of the set, and I was in time for the climax, which was followed shortly by the great Tony Wilson announcing New Order. That was my one and only chance to see him in flesh, as he passed away two years later. New Order opened the set with Crystal, as they did at the time, and although it is not among my favorite songs it was enough to build the excitement. I managed to push myself to the second row and they followed with Regret, Ceremony and Love Vigilantes, that was more like it. That was the time they played Everything's Gone Green after eons, which was my highlight of the concert. I also loved both WFTSC and Krafty, although the album is poorly rated among fans, but WFTSC especially was glorious to watch under starlit sky. Joy Division songs worked well, especially the LWTUA singalong. I do recall Barney's whooping but did not mind, also Hooky's stance although he was at the opposite side of the stage alongside the Vikings. Blue Monday wrapped the concert up, setlist can be found here (it does not mention ceremony, although I's reasonably sure it was played). The people from Milan drove me back to the hotel, and next morning I started the return trip which extended to two days after I missed one of the trains in Venice. However, as I walked around Venice the next morning, I came across a t-shirt store which of all things had a Joy Division Here are the Young Men shirt in the window, so I bought it, considering it a sign.

My second and last NO gig so far took place at InMusic festival in Zagreb in 2012, it was far less interesting and not as good, but I will still write a report tomorrow if anyone's interested-

Hi Jul,

Sorry I haven’t visited here for a few days. You know, I almost gave up, had little hope someone would post a CV or recollection. Many thanks for your post. I enjoyed reading your memoir. To catch New Order live, your passion to travel a long way across the border to make it happen is so touching. I appreciate that.

Of course, I’d love to read your other New Order experience.

They are shit live now. Dont kid yourself

ROCKET MICK wrote: They are shit live now. Dont kid yourself

They were shit live then and they are shit live now for that matter. In different contexts.

I enjoyed them live then and I enjoy them live now. In different contexts.

My first post on NOOL (#14 from the top). Posted the day after the gig (2015-12-06) — almost exactly ten years ago.

And the gig was shit.

WHP: http://forums.neworderonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=3220#post21834

Three days to go. The views of this thread have just hit 50,000! Hooray! A little achievement in the last days of NOOL. Thank you, everybody.

And You still have a chance to submit your CV, to give testify of your attendances, to tell folks here your New Order anecdotes, or simply, you were there.

C’mon.

The Japanese One wrote: My first post on NOOL (#14 from the top). Posted the day after the gig (2015-12-06) — almost exactly ten years ago.

And the gig was shit.

WHP: http://forums.neworderonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=3220#post21834

Shit New Order gigs happen, even when the venue isn't to blame. I'm afraid I didn't submit a write-up of the last gig I attended (Cruel World Fesitival this past May). It was thoroughly mediocre, and I didn't want to end on a sour note. If this site somehow gets a new lease on life, I'll reconsider sharing my thoughts.

I should have put, “I loved them live then and I love them live now.”

New Order live in the 20th Century, the 1980s in particular, was shit for the lack of professionalism, but at the same time that was their undeniable charm, even strength. New Order live in the 21st Century is shit for its slickness and predictability, but you can’t deny they are more professional and there is a certain merit in it.

Both are good in their own respective ways.

One day to go and I may still post something, but for now, farewell everybody. Especially Andy, ROCKET MICK and Jul for constant thanks you all three gave to my posts.

Jul, I have visited Zagreb in April 2014, during my transit to Dubrovnik. I flew in from Osaka and strolled city centre in the daytime for a few hours. Nice place.

The Japanese One wrote: One day to go and I may still post something, but for now, farewell everybody. Especially Andy, ROCKET MICK and Jul for constant thanks you all three gave to my posts.

Jul, I have visited Zagreb in April 2014, during my transit to Dubrovnik. I flew in from Osaka and strolled city centre in the daytime for a few hours. Nice place.

Thank you.

And your posts were always welcome.

C'est la vie.

This thread has now hit 51,000 views despite NOOL is not supposed to exist any more. Afterlife.

And now, this thread has hit 51,300 views — 51,310 views to be exact as I am visiting here, beating the Uk 2023 tour thread’s 51,304 views and coming out on top on page 1 of the Topics of the Ceremony forum. Fantastic.

Does anybody feel like posting another CV?

I was "much too young" to see them perform during their Factory era (and I was born in the wrong country). So my first experience was in 2001. Yes, the Billy Corgan era. Well, you can call it what you want... I'd like to share a few of my memories from that time. So, Google, please help me out.

2001: A Naeba Odyssey...

It was mid-summer (now it's winter), at a ski resort in the mountains. They were headlining the second-biggest stage. The biggest stage was Neil Young (who's that? haha). I was able to secure a spot in front of Hooky while protecting myself from Alec Empire's bloody sonic attack. Then, when the time was right, I put a piece of magic mushroom in my mouth (om nom nom). Get ready.

The first song was Atmosphere. Even though it was a slow song, the tremendous pressure from behind caused my newly bought glasses to come off. Miraculously, I caught it near my knee and escaped the worst, but from then on I had to keep my hands firmly on the frames of my glasses. Back then, Joy Division's songs didn't sound as cheap as they do now. There were no giant pictures of Ian or profane slogans like "Forever Joy Division". Nowadays, it looks like a souvenir from a tourist spot.

At that point, only Crystal had been released just before, Get Ready had not been released yet. There was no online leak like there was with Waiting For The Sirens' Call. I remember being honestly disappointed when I heard Crystal (as well as Brutal). But this song had enough power when played live. When I heard it live, I even thought that this might be a modern version of Temptation. It had such destructive power.

When I heard the intro to Love Vigilantes, I was so happy that I joined the young stranger next to me and said, "Wow! They're going to play a song like this!" and shared my joy with them. Of course, be careful with your glasses! To be honest, I thought Isolation's completely outdated Drum & Bass-style arrangement was a little weird, but the beautiful melodies of Your Silent Face that follow made it no longer a matter of concern.

The next two songs were from Get Ready, which I had never heard before. One of my dreams was to hear New Order's new songs live before they were released, so one of my dreams has come true.

After the obligatory BLT, next was Close Range. This really shocked me. This is the kind of song I was looking for! The hooky bass solo at the climax blew my mind. That's why Close Range is still one of my favorite. I was happy to learn from an interview at the time that it was a favorite song for the members as well. I don't usually hear heavy sub-bass from New Order records. But at their live performance, I could really feel the deep bass that reverberated in my stomach. That was also a new experience. I think it's so different when it's live.

Temptation was also one of the highlights of the night. Later, this song was aired on a pro-shot video (along with 60MAH and Blue Monday). Although the video is low quality, I still enjoy watching it from time to time. They probably have all the songs recorded. I hope they release it all someday without messing with it (Get Ready Definiteve Box?). At least "Close Range" please!

When the last song, Blue Monday, ended, I just sat there and couldn't move for a while. I was completely absent-minded. Well, the mushrooms probably had an effect as well. I'd like to think that I managed to catch the last train in time. Because four years later, when they came back to the same place (this time it was the biggest stage), it was so horrible (well, everyone has their own way of looking at it). I also wanted to write about that tragic memories of that time, but I can't seem to get the hang of it.

P.S. Thank you Google.