Ian Curtis question!

I need to know:

I read that Ian had a seizure onstage during the song Atrocity Exhibition at the Rainbow show on April 4, 1980 which sent him back into the drumset. Then they went and played a show at the Moonlight the same night and Ian had to be helped offstage after the 5th song (Insight).

Barney confirms this in a quote in "Touching from a Distance" (opening of Chp. 11): 'He had a fit and we went on and we did the Moonlight and he was really ill and he did the gig.' He had to be helped off after the 5th number at the Moonlight. Paul Morley says Ian collapsed at the Moonlight gig, but doesn't say whether that was from a seizure or the strain after having a seizure at the earlier gig that night. Then Debbie Curtis writes that 'The fit at the Moonlgiht was particularly violent, but even so the kids in the audience thought it was an integral part of the set.' And Terry Mason refers to a seizure at the Moonlight.

So my question is: did Ian have a seizure at both gigs that night, or was it just one at the first gig and then he collapsed and couldn't go on at the second gig, or is someone (such as Terry Mason or Debbie Curtis) getting the two gigs confused?

ooh, i would have banked before being asked that question. Sounds a bit tricky.

I work in a nursing home and look after three people with epilepsy. It is highly unusual for an epileptic to "fit" twice in such a short time. After an epileptic seizure the patient suffers severe exhaustion that can last for up to 12 hours. From my experience i believe this is what happened to Ian Curtis at the second gig; pure exhaustion. The poor guy, the medication he was taking at the time (which has long since been fazed out, or "improved" as i've been told) wouldn't have helped him either.

Originally posted by His Holiness, The Pope I need to know:I read that Ian had a seizure onstage during the song Atrocity Exhibition at the Rainbow show on April 4, 1980 which sent him back into the drumset. Then they went and played a show at the Moonlight the same night and Ian had to be helped offstage after the 5th song (Insight). Barney confirms this in a quote in "Touching from a Distance" (opening of Chp. 11): 'He had a fit and we went on and we did the Moonlight and he was really ill and he did the gig.' He had to be helped off after the 5th number at the Moonlight. Paul Morley says Ian collapsed at the Moonlight gig, but doesn't say whether that was from a seizure or the strain after having a seizure at the earlier gig that night. Then Debbie Curtis writes that 'The fit at the Moonlgiht was particularly violent, but even so the kids in the audience thought it was an integral part of the set.' And Terry Mason refers to a seizure at the Moonlight. So my question is: did Ian have a seizure at both gigs that night, or was it just one at the first gig and then he collapsed and couldn't go on at the second gig, or is someone (such as Terry Mason or Debbie Curtis) getting the two gigs confused?

The seizure was during Atrocity Exhibition at the Rainbow (not an uncommon occurrence apparently), and he had to be helped off-stage towards the end of the Moonlight gig (about 90 mins after the seizure at the Rainbow). Debbie's got quite a few things not quite right in that book !

Which is not surprising since Ian seemed to exclude Debbie from everything to do with Joy Division.