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There's been loads of great ones over the years, but also a few shockers!
Mine would have to be Edinbugh Playhouse 86. Don't think any of the band actually wanted to be there, and their indifference to the edinburgh audience was plain to see. It didn't help matters with 7 of the ten songs played being new to the majority of the audience! Cracking recording though 
Friday 12th October 2001. The 3rd night at Brixton Academy.
I had done half the annual export of Colombia in Glasgow on the Sunday and Monday.
Missed my flight home on the Tuesday morning but was in no fit state to be going through check in and all that rubbish anyway so got the train home. About 8 hours going stir crazy 
Dragged myself along to Brixton on the Wednesday and Thursday but had to pretty much give away my spare tickets to mates cos nobody really wanted to go.
Friday I went on my own and a scumbag tout gave me about £10 for my spare.
I was fucked and the week had cost me a fortune.
And they played the same fuckin' set for the third night in a row. 
another vote for wembley. dishonourable mention for sheffield city hall and newcastle mayfair
Finsbury park 2002. A good day out spoiled by having to leave the pub and go stand in a muddy park to watch NO play in broad daylight. Manchester Appolo '05 was also decidedly average but that may have been cos I was knackered.
Despite being a guest of Pinnacle Records and drinking free Pernod all night, I would have to say Wembley Arena in 1987 was an absolute shocker!
Impossible to see anything (and not just because of the Pernod I may add!), and a horrible souless venue.
Dave Legge wrote: Friday 12th October 2001. The 3rd night at Brixton Academy.
Arf. This was one gig too far I think. My ex-wife was knackered and didn't fancy going that night after 6 gigs in the previous 8 days so she had her Mum round for tea whilst I went to the gig. Bless.
I walked out halfway through to phone her up and tell her how bored I was!
Mind, Baker did play EGG before New Order came on, and Hooky did give us Age of Consent (and maybe DNE? I forget).
Vancouver 2001 is the worst gig I shall ever attend by anyone. Ever. Pissed down with rain. No alcohol. And New Order came on at 4.30. We left the second the band finished. Probably should've gone earlier.
Yes. Unfortunately the only time I've had a chance to see New Order was the Vancouver '01 date. Waited my whole life to see them live. It was a rainy, miserable day and they played between The Roots and Outkast - so the vast majority of the young crowd in the field were there for hip-hop and out comes a middle-aged pasty English indie band. The older fans that were there to see New Order all seemed to be sitting down in the bleachers far away.
I remember BLT sounding particularly awful. And at one point Hooky called the crowd 'you Americans' which Canadians don't take lightly and some started booing him for that.
The actual gig wasnt that bad, it was just dissapointing as it is/was probably the only chance I had of seeing them live. Just wish it could have been better.
Hmmm... I'm gonna beg to differ. Wembley 1987 was one of my fave gigs; particularly memorable for a bloke virtually jumping over my head to run up the aisle on the intro of Blue Monday, and another one bursting into tears when LWTUA started. The whole place lighting up like a Queen video during 'Face Up' was hilarious too, as was the crowd lobbing a large quantity of warm plastic bottles of Hofmeister at Bobby Gillespie.
Low gigs are definitely third night at Brixton, 2001. The sound was just rubbish. For me also, I didnt think much of Hyde Park last year either; things were technically going wrong regularly (No EGG!) and Barney fucked up the vocal intro to BM again.
as i've only been to three and two were fantastic, that leaves the hammerstein ballroom gig in 2005. never have i seen such a comatose audience. i had a decent enough time though, so i wouldn't call it bad.
erm...well...I can't think of one that I walked away from saying it was shit....
Dallas in 1993 was ended abruptly by a curfew...
so we missed out on Blue Monday...
but that would make it a highlight for Digi...
AgentWood wrote: as i've only been to three and two were fantastic, that leaves the hammerstein ballroom gig in 2005. never have i seen such a comatose audience. i had a decent enough time though, so i wouldn't call it bad.
i'm beginning to wonder if i was at the same show in nyc. From what i experience, the crowd was anything but comatose. Perhaps, it was my peeps.
ghost rider wrote:
AgentWood wrote: as i've only been to three and two were fantastic, that leaves the hammerstein ballroom gig in 2005. never have i seen such a comatose audience. i had a decent enough time though, so i wouldn't call it bad.
i'm beginning to wonder if i was at the same show in nyc. From what i experience, the crowd was anything but comatose. Perhaps, it was my peeps.
Agent Wood is right, or perhaps you were near us!
Newcastle Mayfair in 86, they just rolled onto stage about 10 played as if they couldnt be bothered and rolled off the stage by about 11.
Burnsie wrote: Newcastle Mayfair in 86, they just rolled onto stage about 10 played as if they couldnt be bothered and rolled off the stage by about 11.
It was even worse the next night! Thankfully Glasgow and Dundee were belters though.
ghost rider wrote: i'm beginning to wonder if i was at the same show in nyc. From what i experience, the crowd was anything but comatose. Perhaps, it was my peeps.
There is documented video evidence to suggest the contrary. 
I thought about that when I was buying the tickets funnily enough...! I've seen a few bands play there and I've come away disappointed every time.
I've always enjoyed a night out at Brixton, shame they couldn't play there again.
Dublin '93.
Even though it was great to have them back, you almost wished they hadn't bothered.
I'd say Hollywood Bowl - 93
The sound seemed very off. I remember everyone around chanting "louder...Louder"
Will
will henry wrote: I'd say Hollywood Bowl - 93
The sound seemed very off. I remember everyone around chanting "louder...Louder"
Will
I agree, I was there for that one too. Even worse than that though was San Francisco '93, a concert that lasted a whole 30 mins. I thought I was at a Morrisey gig. 
They actually played for a longer time at the Area One festival in Mountain View in 2001...a gig I'll always remember as the time that halfway through, Barney appeared to point to me in the audience and said something to the effect of "We have so much in our career to thank that man for." At which point I realized I was sitting two seats away from Arthur Baker. 
Rasputin wrote:
will henry wrote: I'd say Hollywood Bowl - 93
The sound seemed very off. I remember everyone around chanting "louder...Louder"
Will
I agree, I was there for that one too. Even worse than that though was San Francisco '93, a concert that lasted a whole 30 mins.
The recording proves otherwise! It's over an hour long. Maybe you forgot the time?
No Tim, you have the recording from Mountain View...
the poster before you was speaking of a secret gig...one that didn't get recorded...
the worst one was Brixton Academy 83, improbably incompetant, bored and pissed in no particular order - and that was Bernard not me.
I remember leaving after the Wembley 87 gig thinking that their gigs would never be quite the same again, and they never were. Looking back now, and listening to the recording there is nothing particually wrong with the gig, or the set list, It was just at the time I believe most of us felt they didn't want to see their band in a huge aircraft hanger normally associated with megastars! Now we are just glad to see them play anywhere! roll on Wembley 2006!
DC wrote: Finsbury Park 2002 was pretty dismal. That's probably the one I enjoyed the least.
I concur - it wasnae shite, but I've been at better
Though it was a fucking great weekend - thanks to Johnny Giles reserving a pub for us and Rocket Mick coming out to play for the first time, Muffy bringing me a signed Celtic top, Mick giving me some rare singles and us getting Jeff The Chef so pissed on the Saturday that he fell down the stairs at the Chandos as well as loosing his rucksack and passport 
The Sunday was great an all there were fooking loads of us in the Worlds End, which I think Jarvo nominated! Plenty of the London, Manc, Scouse, Scottish, Dutch, Mackem, Pompey, Brazilian and American Orders....as well as many others who I have forgot. Well, we were very, very drunk all weekend :D
Warrington '86
not New Orders fault though.
cheap fuckin Vodka.
Spent the whole gig in a friggin hedge.
Haven't see 'em play a good gig since 1987 - including GMex, NEC, three Readings, three Brixton, a Finsbury and a Hyde Park - especially the last two... that's why I'm not bothering to go to any on the next tour... though if they'd played Porto Alegre...
Prior to 87, the Sobell Sports Centre in 85 wasn't so good...
For me,Manchester Apollo Oct 2001 1st night,for the reason that someone has already said,'the magic had gone'.Just felt that everything that had made them unique had gone over the course of an hour & half.The edge,the unpredictability,they were just like a cabaret act.I left feeling that I did'nt want to see them like that anymore,I wanted them to split before they became 60yr old parodies like the Rolling Bones....Jesus,what a thought! Happily though,they redeemed themselves,the Move Festival at Old Trafford 8 months later was marvellous,so was Nov '05 at the Apollo & 'Joy Division' at M.E.N.....love lies deep you see......'oh you know what I mean...yes you do!'
Some Lame Arcade Park in Connecticut, USA, 1989? (Technique Tour)
My fellow New Order Fanatic friend and I had seen them the prior night at Greatwoods in Massachusetts, and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. We were both floored after that show, it was just total New Order Brilliance....
So we tell all our friends back in our hometown, you GOTTA go see them the next night, it is INCREDIBLE....
After PIL and Sugarcubes, New Order take the stage. Total shambles. Bernard is sitting down between songs in front of the kick drum. The PA is f'd up. Hooky is banging on things cause he is frustrated. The crowd could care less they are on the stage. Total meltdown disaster.
(we realized later on that it was probably due to them running out of certain medicines that were more available the prior evening.....)
The only saving grace was that earlier, I swear to GOD, Hooky was paddling some paddleboat in the fake lake next to Bjork, and ALL HE IS WEARING IS FUR VIKING STYLE SWIMMING TRUNKS!
SHoreline Amptheatre 1993, in Mountain View. Sound quality was so bad that The The left the stage after a few songs.
Another vote for Wembley here - 3/4 of the way back in seats and the venue had apalling acoustics. Got given 20 Marly Lights beforehand mind by the promotions girls.
