I first started following this forum in 2005. Being a New Order fan since 1985, the neworderonline site was a magnificent way to keep up with latest from the band and the forum provided a great way to read about the stories of similar devotion to the greatest band of our lifetime. Up to a couple of days ago, my participation had always been vicarious; I read the stories with much joy and interest, and told myself one day I would love to meet up with some of the members.
Well yesterday became the day that goal game to fruition. Who’s Joe kindly and ably set up a pre-show meet up at Union Jack’s – a perfect place to grab food and libations before the show and quick walk to the MPP. I got to meet WJ’s brother and JG. JG was a fount of knowledge about all things New Order and I heard so many cool stories just from the pub chat alone.
Finally, show time arrived. The forecast for rain had thankfully held off and so it was just muggy – normal for a mid-Atlantic summer evening. Holy Ghost took the stage and demonstrated, among many other things, that the influence of New Order will be felt for years to come. It was great to hear such polished craft emanating from a stateside band. DJ Whitney Fierce then returned to the decks and showed why anyone linked to Hercules the Love Affair is magically talented. Her set kept the vibe going. Reading her bio, it seems like her talent is almost effortless, and I am glad to hear she may be doing some work with New Order in the future.
New Order entered the stage around 8:20 just a few feet ahead from our positions in the pit. I will not bother with the set list; have set lists ever mattered with New Order? The quality of the parts are so high that change will never bring a mis-step. Such was the case tonight, as they ignited the night with Crystal and never let us hit the ground until Temptation. I remember the days when a New Order set was 9-10 songs; today the sets are 20 songs. Of course, back then TPK, Blue Monday and Temptation each clocked in at the 9-10 minute range. Back in the day, New Order blazed the trail with their light shows. Now with the infusion of video, their multimedia show creates another dimension, including a mini-film for YSF.
But at the end of the day, it is always about the performance, and once again New Order reached for the skies. Bernard had a broken leg, but you could not tell, as he still did his Barney dancing, and ably steered the band. SM continued to show why Drum Magazine named him one of the top ten drummers in the world. Gillian demonstrated why her return was one of the most joyful events of recent history. Phil seemed liked he had been in the band forever. And Tom more than fully filled the sound void of you know who.
The crowd was ace. A bit older than last year’s shows, but also more energetic and frenetic. The dancing was wild and robust – sometimes too much as when the couple behind me thought it was time to re-enact “Strictly Ballroom” behind me during Temptation. There was no greater sight, however, than turning around and seeing a sea of hands dancing in unison to Temptation and singing about eye color.
This was my 11th New Order show DC area (Warner Theater, Constitution Hall, MPP – 3 or 4); NYC area (Roseland, Meadowlands), Chicago (Aragaon), Toronto (Sony), and I have probably forgotten one. And unlike the Stones, who I saw in June, there was no sense that this may be the last time. They seemed very happy and desirous to keep touring.
Most concerts, my evening would end at this point, and I would drive home. But this night would only grow more special thanks to JG who is very well-connected to New Order management and the band. He got a bunch of us invited back stage and we got to meet the entire band. Often when you meet your idols, they tend of disappoint. Not in this case, however. New Order are as approachable and down-to-earth as you could ask for, especially given the fact that they are the seminal band of their generation, our generation, and hopefully the future generation. Their manager, Andy Robinson, was super fan-accommodating. New Order lived up to my lofty expectations and more. This is why I have bought every singled vinyl/CD/DVD/MP3 release of theirs, seen 10-11 concerts, and anxiously await the arrival of new music from them.
My sincere thanks to Who’s Joe for organizing the pre-show, to JG for facilitating the post-show experience of a lifetime, to New Order management, and to the band itself. Dreams never end, and they certainly did not last night.
