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Arriving a little
late, I catch only the end of special guest TEAR DROP EXPLODE's
set. Notably Crazy and Bouncing babies. They have a new keyboard
player, as good as the last. Dance rhythms, crazy keyboards,
strange and fun. A fine band. Incidentally, admirers of Echo
And The Bunnymen will be interested to know that they have a
drummer now. He should help to broaden and improve their music
Next
on are Foreign Press. Starting impressively, exiting even, they
fail to sustain interest, although technically more than proficient.
They produce a formless wall of noise, melody and rhythm are
absent, no tune
Over recent months, Joy Division have at
last attracted deserved attention. They have been playing great
gigs for a long time. Tonight was no exception
The Factory
is full. Joy Division begin subversively, Curtis on guitar,
Albrecht
[= Bernard Sumner] on organ,
a new song, eerie and atmospheric. Reverting to their usual
formation they move through gems from the LP
[= Unknown Pleasures]. Wilderness and Insight are particularly
memorable, new songs, too, each as compelling and original.
This band amaze me how they never stand still, moving forward,
smoothly incorporating new songs into their set
Curtis requests for no
white spotlight. There are no starts in this band, each is equally
vital to the whole sound
During She's lost control, "She turned
around....... said I'd lost control again"..... As if on
cue a fight breaks out. The band stare, appear to hesitate,
seem unmoved. The crowd restless, quieten down. Faces almost
grim with concentration, shirts drenched in sweat, Joy Division
continue. Albrecht
[= Bernard Sumner] guitar cutting
precisely, Morris's drums more than
just a beat and Hook's strong bass twisting
through their sound. All is perfected by Curtis's earnest vocals
and superb, listenable lyrics
One more song. Curtis cries "They
keep calling me" [= Dead souls], and Joy Division
finish. The ecstatic crowd call for an encore. The band soon
return. They seem to have lost some of their old reluctance
to encore. Transmission is the song,
but they falter and stop. "Sorry, that was the 45-version
[= Transmission]".
Beginning again, a fight breaks out at the front, more vicious
this time. The band stop. Events are confused. Pete Hook and Ian Curtis bravely jump
into the crowd to intervene. One of the culprits is pursued.
Returning to the stage, Hook is furious
and leaves not to return
Curtis stays and without
Hook they play their
final song Welcome to the atrocity exhibition [= Atrocity exhibition]. Appropriate
Violence
once again raises its ugly head at the Russell. An otherwise
excellent set from Joy Division is marred and interrupted. The
tragedy is that the Russell is closing down temporarily, permanently
if the court case goes against them. Incidents such as this
hardly add to its reputation
Another contributory factor,
I feel, has been the less than ideal way in which the Russell
has been managed. So, Manchester is once more in danger of losing
a great live music club. It seems that the Despicable Disco
Dive, Rafters, might be opening again for bands. A more unsuitable
live venue is hard to imagine. How could the large crowd that
attended Joy Division possibly squeeze in and still see? The
Russell is ideal for bands in that you can see from almost anywhere,
so please don't close the Factory
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