Biographic - Sunday April 2, 2006 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

Having created one of the most acclaimed and influential bands in rock legend. Tragedy forced them to reinvent themselves and from the ashes of Joy Division emerged the even more influential and successful New Order. Superstars from U2 frontman Bono to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain have cited Joy Division as a major influence. Formed in Manchester, England, in the late 1970s, the band resurfaced in the wake of punk to create music of such haunting beauty that, three decades later, it's echoes can still be heard in the work of bands such as Radiohead and Interpol. Tragically, the group was short-lived. In 1980, on the eve of a breakthrough U.S. tour 23-year-old lead singer Ian Curtis, depressed and under medication to combat epilepsy was found dead in his home. Although they felt unable to continue as Joy Division, remaining members of Barney Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris decided to continue to make music. Recruiting Gillian Gilbert, Stephen's girlfriend, on keyboards, they took the symbolic name New Order and began to explore a different musical direction. Inspired by the emergence of techno music, they fused their guitar-based sound with sequencers and synthesizers. And dragged new wave out onto the dance floor. Thanks to hits such as "Blue Monday" by the mid-'80s New Order was a major band in its own right. New Order's status as tastemakers was felt throughout the decade. Rater than sign with a major label, the band chose to reman the linchpin of the independent factory label emphasis was placed on stark, minimalist design and packaging. The group was part owners of the hacienda nightclub- at one point, the hippest and most famous dance club on the planet! Sourced by the demise of Factory in the early 1990s, New Order released the hit album "Republic" before putting the group on hold while band members explored other projects. But by the end of the decade, New Order was back in business, albeit minus Gillian. The rise and fall of the Factory empire was documented in the 2002 movie, "24 Hour Party People" which also introduced the music of Joy Division and New Order to an entirely new generation of fans. These days the band is still a major draw on the world concert circuit, showcasing new material side by side with the Joy Division and New Order classics of years gone by.

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