For the veterans...best New Order tour

I haven't seen NO live yet, so i want some comments on this. The best setlists, for me, are from Substance and Technique tours.

It wasn't so much a question of tours as clusters of dates here and there.

I think you were fortunate enough to see them before they became as clinical and professional as they are now (not a criticism, I have to say).

I followed them around a lot of the UK during 1985 and 1986 (the biggest tour in those days was about three days spread over five, at most !), and I still have many happy memories of changing setlists, cock-ups, breaking down kit, amateurish demo versions debuted live and so on and so forth (I'm sure there are many here who can regale similar stories).

To me the Lowlife "tour" (er...there wasn't one, just lots of broken up dates everywhere in the UK) was still the best.

I'm much too old, Shug! In fact, I haven't even seen NO since 1985 and so I only have the PC&L and Low-Life tours to choose from (but I am determined to see them this year or next before they get too old to stand up).

Both tours were memorable because you had absolutely no idea what you were going to hear on any given evening, nor how long they would play for, and even if Barney could remember the words. Also, there was still a great deal of the JD mystique up until the gigs where they played LWTUA and Decades in 1984. I'll go for the PC&L tour because it was just that bit more random!

This is a real tough one !

My days only really start from 1982, so a brief overview.....

82 - a new song every night, or so it seemed at the time. Some great work in progress versions, a really exciting time.

83 - more polished, some good new songs, longer gigs.

84 - similar to 82 but longer sets - some of the best bootlegs are from 84.

85 - brilliant - substantial back catalogue that was used regularly and interspersed with a lot of new songs.

86 - IMHO the peak of their live sets - loads of new stuff, well-played old stuff, encores galore, simply wonderful.

87 - started to get a bit samey in set choice.

88 - introduction of a few Technique songs.

89 - didn't really work - great album but never worked in a live setting.

Can't comment personally until 01 - same set every night, mistakes galore, good to have 'em back.

02 - more of the same, with a few surprises thrown in (Brutal/SLC/Digital).

Mesmerising till '86. Progressively duller since.

Sub-Culture days ('84, '85, '86) the highlights live; synths and guitars still unknown and the band were almost impossible to get info. on.

As the Beast, from True Fat, towards the Republican demise the live sets went from exciting to disappointing. Although me 'fave gig (have I mentioned this) was G-Mex '88 ... possibly because of the sound.

The Getting Things Ready Tour (well, the last 3 years) - I'm not sure what sounded more unprofessional, back then or now!?

I know back then the synths and synth programming was better.

84,85,86..fantastic,different,exciting,great venues,good crowds...

Did the most gigs on this Brotherhood tour and loved the album esp Paradise:D

PC&L tour. it's the only time i've seen them and that was 20 years ago.

I didn't see Norder until early '86 but '86/7 were the best years, the most memorable gigs were GMex '86, Glastonbury'87 but the best for many reasons was Brixton Academy '87

Low Life started it all for me including the backward journey into Joy Division, PC&Lies, Movement and the like. I'd have to say that Republic was the best tour and couple that with the fact I attended an aftershow with Hooky...what else can I say!

i must say as a live show collector i really regret not having the opportunity to see them in '82 or '84 when they were really taking chances every night with half-finished songs, dodgy equipment, etc. but i was young and live in the states so that wasn't really an option. but here's my pedigree: saw 'em twice in 85 once in 86 seven each in 87 and 89 and just the once in 93 and though the 85 new orleans gig is maybe the best show i've ever been to the 87 shows were great for the fact that they were finding themselves as a stadium act perhaps in the same way that they were finding their sound in the early 80s. on the substance tour they really only had about 5 or 6 songs that could get 8 to 10 thousand people together as one so they were trying to do it with excess energy on the songs that had heretofore been show stoppers. i mean sunrise, face up, age of consent may have had the kool-aid drinkers mesmerized in oxford or bradford-st. georges, but in a stadium full of drugged out americans you gotta bring the shit. so there they were armed with the sub-cultures, true faiths and weirdos of the world and put so much into those songs. i mean it obviously didn't turn them into the second coming of the stones here, but as a fan it was great to see them trying to bluff a good time out of everyone. plus i think the bunnymen were in the same boat and a little friendly professional competition spurred them that much more. by 89 i think it was obvious that they had better jettison the dreams never ends of the world and get 15-20 songs down pat (hell john lydon was so far over his head on that tour that he not only played the same set every night, but said the exact same things between songs) or else they were going to just bomb.
except of course for the night in LA when they played all day long as the first encore song in the slot normally reserved for blue monday on that tour. i mean the crowd went MILD.

Originally posted by robin i must say as a live show collector i really regret not having the opportunity to see them in '82 or '84 when they were really taking chances every night with half-finished songs, dodgy equipment, etc. but i was young and live in the states so that wasn't really an option. but here's my pedigree: saw 'em twice in 85 once in 86 seven each in 87 and 89 and just the once in 93 and though the 85 new orleans gig is maybe the best show i've ever been to the 87 shows were great for the fact that they were finding themselves as a stadium act perhaps in the same way that they were finding their sound in the early 80s. on the substance tour they really only had about 5 or 6 songs that could get 8 to 10 thousand people together as one so they were trying to do it with excess energy on the songs that had heretofore been show stoppers. i mean sunrise, face up, age of consent may have had the kool-aid drinkers mesmerized in oxford or bradford-st. georges, but in a stadium full of drugged out americans you gotta bring the shit. so there they were armed with the sub-cultures, true faiths and weirdos of the world and put so much into those songs. i mean it obviously didn't turn them into the second coming of the stones here, but as a fan it was great to see them trying to bluff a good time out of everyone. plus i think the bunnymen were in the same boat and a little friendly professional competition spurred them that much more. by 89 i think it was obvious that they had better jettison the dreams never ends of the world and get 15-20 songs down pat (hell john lydon was so far over his head on that tour that he not only played the same set every night, but said the exact same things between songs) or else they were going to just bomb. except of course for the night in LA when they played all day long as the first encore song in the slot normally reserved for blue monday on that tour. i mean the crowd went MILD.

"except of course for the night in LA when they played all day long as the first encore song in the slot normally reserved for blue monday on that tour."

I must have missed this one !

Will mail you off-list Robin re.CDs.

Originally posted by Benny and the Cobwebs > Originally posted by robin> i must say as a live show collector i really regret not having the opportunity to see them in '82 or '84 when they were really taking chances every night with half-finished songs, dodgy equipment, etc. but i was young and live in the states so that wasn't really an option. but here's my pedigree: saw 'em twice in 85 once in 86 seven each in 87 and 89 and just the once in 93 and though the 85 new orleans gig is maybe the best show i've ever been to the 87 shows were great for the fact that they were finding themselves as a stadium act perhaps in the same way that they were finding their sound in the early 80s. on the substance tour they really only had about 5 or 6 songs that could get 8 to 10 thousand people together as one so they were trying to do it with excess energy on the songs that had heretofore been show stoppers. i mean sunrise, face up, age of consent may have had the kool-aid drinkers mesmerized in oxford or bradford-st. georges, but in a stadium full of drugged out americans you gotta bring the shit. so there they were armed with the sub-cultures, true faiths and weirdos of the world and put so much into those songs. i mean it obviously didn't turn them into the second coming of the stones here, but as a fan it was great to see them trying to bluff a good time out of everyone. plus i think the bunnymen were in the same boat and a little friendly professional competition spurred them that much more. by 89 i think it was obvious that they had better jettison the dreams never ends of the world and get 15-20 songs down pat (hell john lydon was so far over his head on that tour that he not only played the same set every night, but said the exact same things between songs) or else they were going to just bomb. > except of course for the night in LA when they played all day long as the first encore song in the slot normally reserved for blue monday on that tour. i mean the crowd went MILD.

"except of course for the night in LA when they played all day long as the first encore song in the slot normally reserved for blue monday on that tour."

I must have missed this one !

Will mail you off-list Robin re.CDs.

I was at that show. June 16th at Irvine Meadows. I don't recall the whole setlist but what I do remember can be found in the Tours & Concerts section of this site.

... has anyone got the '87 USA promo pack: NO, Jene Loves Gezebel, Echo and the Bunny Rabbits etc. ... also contains True Faith (I think). A nice big glossy thing with about 3 records inside.

Picked it up a while ago and not seen it since.

Is it worth 'awt?

Originally posted by Huntsman ... has anyone got the '87 USA promo pack: NO, Jene Loves Gezebel, Echo and the Bunny Rabbits etc. ... also contains True Faith (I think). A nice big glossy thing with about 3 records inside.Picked it up a while ago and not seen it since.Is it worth 'awt?

I have it but it must have been harder to come by overseas.

I also have a related 9" 1-sided flexi disc promoting the same 3 band tour. 1 track from each group with New Orders' contribution being an edit of Shame of the Nation.

Both promo items fail to list the final Berkeley show (added on Sept. 19th) although it appears on my NO Summer 1987 t-shirt.

I must have missed this one !

yeah it was kind of unique as far as 89 shows went. bernard cam on and said the show was dedicated to pete de frietas of echo and the bunnymen who had died earlier in that day in a motorcycle accident. and he was somber and serious not like the various "this one's for someone who can't be here tonight...cause they're dead" comments that have popped up at various shows. in addition to all day long they also played age of consent which this show to my knowledge the last time either of those was aired live.