equipment evolution (live)

Just been flipping through 316 again tonight and couldn't help notice how much better real drums sound than the syndrum setup Steve plays in 1998. Not only do syndrums look a little silly (like a crash cymbal that doesn't move), but they just sound TOO electronic.

So I think New Order's move away from the older equipment (not to mention the loss of much of their repertiore in the process, TPK anyone?) has been a detriment to their overall sound. I've not listened to a lot of the older bootlegs (except for Joy Division ones), so I can't judge the differences in the evolution of the live sound.

Debate at your will.

(autocue jokes welcome here)

You mean before they bought a karaoke kit? Yes indeedly. There was a time I called before when playing live was what we saw......

Maybe I'm just biased because of the 316 footage, the choice of songs on the 1981 Taras set kicks the shit out of the 1998 reheated hits.

Touched by the Hand of God back in the late 80's kicked like a mule, and that was the four-on-the-floor trademark synthetic hammer. I'd stick my beak out and state that this song 'live', offered the pinnacle of the New Order synthetic bass drum (bass synth) sound in terms of raw power and the electric NO feeling.

However, from the same live outings, Age of Consent obliterated the entire drum machine off the stage, up into the sky and off into outer space. I kid you not Steve Morris's live drum kit during this song was capable of stopping your heart beat - in short, it thumped your arse to the ground. (this also applied to Ceremony etc.).