New Order Live: Video Screens?

I caught Massive Attack live in Perth a couple of weeks back and was quite impressed by their stage, video imagery and light show. Despite the video screens most often being used to ram home the band's political and social causes, they were artfully designed and really added dimensions to their set.

My New Order poser being -- why have they never really complemented their live shows with video imagery? Or have they? Surely with the masterhand of Saville and given the technological and layered basis for their sound, possibilities would be exciting. The likes of Underworld, Depeche Mode and the Chemicals make good use of it. Is it simply a belief that they're extraneous or a distraction from the music, is it a laziness issue, a financial issue or what?

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Is the world ready for Barney dancing in technicolour close-up?

I used to think video screens at gigs were a bit naff, why pay for a ticket just to watch it on a big TV. However, as you point out dC, people are being a bit clever with it now. Doves did it particularly well last time, really loved the Wigan Casino footage that went with "Here It Comes". Also refreshing to know that Barney isn't the only one that needs prompting with his lyrics...as a "piano-cam" close-up of Coldplay's Guy Berryman showed, he had them written on his hand!

Thanks for your support on that one, Old Blue. It was getting lonely down here.

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The only gig where I thought that a video backdrop added to the experience was the Flaming Lips (Glasto' 2000).

Most others are just 'pretty squiggles' rubbish.

Oh, U2's Zooropa tour was also quite effective.

Dave

I'm with you Old Blue on Doves and their footage - it meshed together superbly well

I don't like video screens, but Massive Attack can do what they want. It's my fave band after New Order. How was the concert?

Could you tell me the setlist?

New Order used some funky back projections at Reading '93 which I thought complemented their music really well. I like a bit of visual stimulus during a gig.

They had lasers at Glasto 87 I recall

I always thought Peter Saville would do a kickin video back drop for New Order. I thought 3 big screens would be perfect. Like Depeche Mode used in the Violator tour.

Some ideas could be: In Round & round they could have all 3 screens filled with girls from the video. And in true Faith use scrren shots from the video. In 60mph use 3 cars (one per screen) racing down the highway. In one song from Get Ready, they could use live shots of the girl from the cd cover. And peter could use some live art for some songs like Temptation. The video of Atmosphere would be perfect for a concert back drop. In Fine time have the pill floating around the back drop. They could use Substance art for some songs. There is so much they could do, because most of there stuff is art, and Art goes well as back drops.

And for the dvd concert they could have easter eggs, where you could watch the video screens, like Pet shop boys did for there montage dvd.

Well I'm dreaming, none of this will ever happen, so I will stop.

Why don't they have an intermission around half time? - they could play Bedknobs and Broomsticks (or similar) whilst the band recharge their batteries back stage and the audience could enjoy a really good film.

With so many trucks now selling junk food everybody could have a whale of a time.

Obviously there'll be a few rowdies in the audience that spoil it for everyone by throwing bottles of piss at the screen but you can't let that stop what seems a really good idea?

Originally posted by Al Jarvis > Originally posted by The Robot> New Order used some funky back projections at Reading '93 which I thought complemented their music really well. I like a bit of visual stimulus during a gig.

When you say 'projections', do you just mean the lights? They've had some wicked lights over the years, that's for sure. The huge field-length laser in the middle of Ceremony, Reading 89, really took the biscuit. It looks mental if you can get the bootleg vid of that gig.

The stage was decked out in white panels that enclosed the area the band played in and effects were projected onto that. For the most part it was just fancy lights, but during several songs they actually had computer generated blobs and little abstract bits of film playing in the background. A bit like the Bizarre Love Triangle video. It was a pretty cool little show.

Maybe I was enjoying myself so much that I started seeing things, but I remember it clearly enough (maybe the 'blobs' were hallucinations.:)) its one of the few times that a Reading headliner has brought their own light show. The screens were up all day and all the other bands had to play from inside this tent-like structure on the stage.

i'd love it if they showed the shots from the original Blue Monday video as they played the song live.

Originally posted by The Robot Maybe I was enjoying myself so much that I started seeing things, but I remember it clearly enough (maybe the 'blobs' were hallucinations.:)) its one of the few times that a Reading headliner has brought their own light show. The screens were up all day and all the other bands had to play from inside this tent-like structure on the stage.

there was definitely a "light show" & we thought it was pretty good too. subtle & not in yer face.