Why did'nt New Order take over the world??

We all know the story of Pink Floyd, we all know the story of U2, we all know the story of New Order. All three enjoyed moderate success from their first three albums but by the time the fourth and fifth came along world domination beckoned. In the case of our heroes those albums were Brotherhood and Substance, the albums that broke America. The world was at their feet!! Suddenly New Order were playing arenas and stadiums. Why the funk did'nt it happen? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Was it laziness? Was it bad management? Or was there something more sinister at work?

Discuss!! Civilly, no biting, no scratching, no pulling hair!! Night night cyber friends, duty calls, she's called The Minx!!

I think Tony Wilson bears the brunt of the balme for an oppertunity missed, but then again, as Barney says in Mojo, he and Gretton kept them hungry for so long that they really appreciated it when they did hit it big in the US. It's true that PF and the Dublinners broke out with their fourth or fifth album (I believe you're refering to Dark Side and Joshua Tree respectively), but they were more suited to big arenas given their grandiose concepts. New Order have never done a concept album (Dark Side, The Wall) or a concept tour per se (Zoo TV) so they haven't gorged themselves on the sweet nectar of success. Like I said, sometimes it's better if you have to look out of the way for a particular artist

Well, Muff, I'm personally glad NO didn't take the U2 route. They have somewhat restricted their fame by refusing to play the "promotiional media whore" game much beloved of arena bands. I know it sounds selfish, but I get secretly relieved when NO don't become 'huge' after each album release, as it makes the music all the more special and personal to me. If there was NO on the radio every time I turned it on, it would reduce the appeal of the ritual of sitting down and listening to a NO album deliberately. Just an opinion, mind... CTD

One word springs to mind pomposity New Order lack it, the bands who have achieved it seem to have it in droves and thats probably why i don't like acts such as U2,Oasis Guns'n'Roses, not sure Pink Floyd have ever been in that category I know Dark Side... sold millions but wheren't they all to students, hippies and my fellow scousers in the Eighties.

Drug use can impair your judgement, like that time I thought it'd be cool to pull out my front teeth after a hit of ecstasy. Bad Idea...

The New Order Story video (the long version, Canadian or UK, not the US version) touches on this topic. I think it was something like: they saw what was happening to U2, and perhaps got a little scared at what was happening to Bono and the boys. They decided at some point that perhaps they did not want to follow down that same road of superstardom. As Barney says, they never set out to be pop stars. They just wanted to make music that got them off, and if it paid the bills and allowed them not to have to get day jobs, so much the better. New Order never were into grandiose ideas of mega success.

I think around the time of Technique, they were poised on the brink of potential mega-stardom, but didn't take off down that road due to a combination of things: they didn't want mega stardom, so they did not push with the intense promo work and touring (barney in those days would barely interact with the audience). Besides, taking all those 9 years off after Republic helps a lot to... ;)

they would have been huge & got away with it, if it wsan't for those pesky intefering kids.

And that pesky dog......I was kidding about the teeth-pulling, Seb (though I do seem to have a vicious overbite recently. Hmm......)

Glad to hear it was a joke.

Actually, it's not. I try to make light of it, but it's a horrific situation. I can't function in normal society I tells ya!

(okay, I totally am fooling with you now....)

That's ok. We're just glad you're back.

I think myself that they simply could'nt be bothered putting in the effort and did'nt fancy the life changing consequences of becoming THAT big. Personally i'm glad they took the path they did because I still get great pleasure introducing people to their music and putting them wise to the two greatest bands of this generation. Maybe they don't sell millions of records, maybe they don't have millions of fans but then nobody can move you like New Order on top form. I'll never forget hearing New Dawn Fades for the first time and running down to Woolworths the next day and paying £2.50 or thereabouts for the greatest LP of the last thirty years. They've been making me feel that way ever since, although I still cant decide about Rotten Shag!!

They didn't take over the world because they've only got four tanks, and they're all WW2 relics.

Not true! Stephen has some very up-to-date hardwear in his garage. I believe their paln of attack doesn't call for a complete capitulation, just random territory sacked and pillaged for sport

I agree, Muffy.

P.S., does anybody ever tease you about your name? As in: does your muffy get more fluffy after a shower? ;)

Eegads!

i have just realized that muffy is a man!

Not the most masculine of names there, M.

Its to do with a skill and a tattoo I have pertaining to a competition I won a few years ago, in certain circles I am now known as a 'muff master'.I'd post it on my profile but dear Seb would probably boot me out the club!

"Muff Master" - I like that. Sounds much more manly than "Muffy" ;)

Muff Master is better but believe me, the chicks prefer Muffy, they find Muff Master too presumptious but once they've experienced it they understand. Seb, permission to post the tattoo, its not too rude honest!

OK, It still doesn't add up: New Order had tanks (and other hardware according to T#7) and U2 only had Trabants. Yet those fuckwits won!

Yeah, but our heroes LET them win FDISK. I'm pretty sure though that NO would kick seven shades of shit out of U2 had it ever come to a handbags at dawn type scenario!!