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The Worst Gig ?

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bradford st georges hall kicks up some bad memories for me..not for the set or venue as they both were pretty decent..but for my stupidity that night. during this heavy gigging period there were 3 or 4 of us who used to go everywhere together..for some reason about 4 other lads tagged along with us for this gig..( all n.o first timers from derby ). our normal procedure was to have a couple of beers then head down the front quite early and spend most of the gig there. on this occasion we decided to have a right session in the st georges hall bar which was at the basement of the venue. as time moved on and the bar emptied i kept reassuring my new order virgins that it was way too early to enter the "pit"..they wont be on till way after 10pm. i remember carrying a tray of lager from the bar when state of the nation kicked in about 9pm..we had to leg it up about 4 flights of stairs and spent about 9 songs trying to work our way to the front...i think they only played 1 more song and no encore. i wasnt forgiven for a very long time

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Originally posted by PAUL TROWELL bradford st georges hall kicks up some bad memories for me..not for the set or venue as they both were pretty decent..but for my stupidity that night.during this heavy gigging period there were 3 or 4 of us who used to go everywhere together..for some reason about 4 other lads tagged along with us for this gig..( all n.o first timers from derby ).our normal procedure was to have a couple of beers then head down the front quite early and spend most of the gig there.on this occasion we decided to have a right session in the st georges hall bar which was at the basement of the venue. as time moved on and the bar emptied i kept reassuring my new order virgins that it was way too early to enter the "pit"..they wont be on till way after 10pm.i remember carrying a tray of lager from the bar when state of the nation kicked in about 9pm..we had to leg it up about 4 flights of stairs and spent about 9 songs trying to work our way to the front...i think they only played 1 more song and no encore.i wasnt forgiven for a very long time

Did the same thing myself on more than one occasion. Got to a point where I would forego the trad.pints before gig in order to get straight to the front and reserve the spaces. On several occasions I canned up in the car on the way to the show (wasn't driving).

Managed to miss an entire Fall show though once, through drinking in the pub across the road from the venue !

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This is tricky, partly because it's a while ago now and partly because it was the first time I saw them and I had such high expectations, being a jd fan etc... So I'm not sure if this qualifies as a worst gig...

Auckland 23 May 1985, there was this storm and I came up to Auckland on a bus (4 hours). The weather was so bad I was worried that we weren't even going to get there. I guess I was expecting pcl and mment tracks, what I got was a big chunk of Low life, as it is when it was and that weird, never to be repeated encore of love juice.

Being fairly young and inexperienced vis-a-vis concerts and touring I was really dissapointed, not to mention totally bewildered by all these songs I'd never heard before, not being introduced by a band that didn't seem to want to be there (still young enough for... but they're only here because I bought a ticket... Ah! the folly of youth). Add to that Barney abusing the audience and it really wasn't that much fun.

They could have played really well and maybe they did the atmopshere just sucked. Actually my two biggest memories of this show are the keyboard line from denial hitting me in the chest and later at the start of the encore...

Peter Hook comes back onto stage by himself and says (I've lost the tape of this show so this is from memory) "...we weren't going to do an encore... they (the rest of the band) don't give a fuck about New Zealand, I do my mother was born here...

The rest of the band had come out by now any they did this stellar version of Age of consent then Love juice.

I dashed up to the stage at the end and got one of the roadies to give me a set list, which I still have. As I said above I just came away bewildered by the whole experience.

If any one has this show I've lost my copy - I'd be most grateful for a copy.

Saw them again in 87 and that show rocked - which made up for it a lot.

Still, a year later I saw the Jesus and Mary chain in Auckland and they didn't say one word from begining to 45 minute end so maybe I was getting off light!

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I recall the Warrington gig in 1986 and after they finished Blue Monday we thought there wouldn't be an encore and from what I remember the house lights came up. So we pissed off to the coach we came in. Imagine some months later when I came across a recording and found they did Shellshock ( the instrumental version ) as an encore. Totally gutted!!:cry:

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Originally posted by 586 I dashed up to the stage at the end and got one of the roadies to give me a set list, which I still have. As I said above I just came away bewildered by the whole experience.

That's interesting, did the setlist actually list the encores?

And, if it did, was Love Juice actually listed as 'Love Juice' or perhaps something else?

However, I'm guessing the encores weren't even listed, but you never know!!

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No it didn't list the encores. So I guess they were still making them up on the night back then.

It was written on a piece of paper towel tissue - that hard wearing stuff you dry your hands with.

I've just gone and found it, so the whole tracklist as it's written is:

Love vigilantes Blue monday Temptation Sub-culture Elegia K.W.1. (Your silent face) New one (As it is when it was) Little dead (Denial) confusion perfect kiss sunrise

The bits in brackets are me

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Originally posted by 586 This is tricky, partly because it's a while ago now and partly because it was the first time I saw them and I had such high expectations, being a jd fan etc... So I'm not sure if this qualifies as a worst gig... Auckland 23 May 1985, there was this storm and I came up to Auckland on a bus (4 hours). The weather was so bad I was worried that we weren't even going to get there. I guess I was expecting pcl and mment tracks, what I got was a big chunk of Low life, as it is when it was and that weird, never to be repeated encore of love juice.Being fairly young and inexperienced vis-a-vis concerts and touring I was really dissapointed, not to mention totally bewildered by all these songs I'd never heard before, not being introduced by a band that didn't seem to want to be there (still young enough for... but they're only here because I bought a ticket... Ah! the folly of youth). Add to that Barney abusing the audience and it really wasn't that much fun.They could have played really well and maybe they did the atmopshere just sucked. Actually my two biggest memories of this show are the keyboard line from denial hitting me in the chest and later at the start of the encore...Peter Hook comes back onto stage by himself and says (I've lost the tape of this show so this is from memory) "...we weren't going to do an encore... they (the rest of the band) don't give a fuck about New Zealand, I do my mother was born here...The rest of the band had come out by now any they did this stellar version of Age of consent then Love juice.I dashed up to the stage at the end and got one of the roadies to give me a set list, which I still have. As I said above I just came away bewildered by the whole experience. If any one has this show I've lost my copy - I'd be most grateful for a copy.Saw them again in 87 and that show rocked - which made up for it a lot. Still, a year later I saw the Jesus and Mary chain in Auckland and they didn't say one word from begining to 45 minute end so maybe I was getting off light!

Matt, mail me a postal address and I'll do you a copy, or can put it up on my server for you to download. Up to you !

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Originally posted by 586 If any one has this show I've lost my copy - I'd be most grateful for a copy.

I have a copy that's marked 4th generation, (though it sounds better than that, oddly enough) 586, email me with your address and I'll send it out.

--Sam

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Originally posted by PAUL TROWELL > Originally posted by KnownPleasures I'm tempted to say that any gig opening with Touched was a bad 'un, in retrospect!

finsbury park super tent..i am sure that opened with touched. and this was a peach of a gig

Only just clocked this. Like Tim, I'd agree, there was something not right with the set - imagine how people would've react if Ceremony, Perfect Kiss and Temptation had also appeared. Widespread disorder on an unprecedented scale as it already was! Fabulous.

Actually, you can also add Brixton 87 and G-Mex 88 to the Touched Openers.. again, both absolutely mental gigs.

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yes looking back you both are right ...but what they played was not that important at the time..it was trying to stay alive in the crush.

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Originally posted by PAUL TROWELL yes looking back you both are right ...but what they played was not that important at the time..it was trying to stay alive in the crush.

Getting crushed has never made a gig "good" for me !

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Originally posted by KnownPleasures > Originally posted by PAUL TROWELL> yes looking back you both are right ...but what they played was not that important at the time..it was trying to stay alive in the crush.

Getting crushed has never made a gig "good" for me !

I think it's the latent homo-eroticism of lads like me and Paul coming to the fore - getting a kick out of being crushed in with all those half-naked sweaty bodies.

At least, that's probably how a psychiatrist would put it!

Now, where's 5-8-6, I need some Hi-NRG! :evil4:

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Too bad for me, I have never had the chance to catch a New Order live show anywhere....

:(

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