Brixton Academy Nov 2005 was pretty bloody raucous in the moshpit. That's why it is one of my favourite ever New Order gigs. It was just mad down at the front that night. Probably the last time i had the energy for sustaining it the whole gig, i was mid 30s then.

Speaking of raucous
Finsbury Park 2002 was pretty violent in the mosh pit, and Manchester Apollo 2005 was the best I’ve ever seen them. Band and audience properly in sync and had the place absolutely rocking!!

Cool story. Might give that gig a listen later.

1. 1987-9-18 Berkeley (Greek Theatre) Went with my girlfriend Katherine (who's eyes did the green/blue/gray changing), and her friend Michele, who I had a crush on. They used to joke about looking like sisters, but unfortunately I thought Michele was prettier. It was about a 3 hour drive from where we lived in Central California. Awkward.

I had speculated what they would play for months before the gig. New Order opened with "Touched by the Hand of God", which did my head in. In those pre-internet times, I had no idea that song existed. I tried to use mnemonic devices to try and remember the setlist (no smart phones, obviously, and didn't think to bring a notepad). At first they made it easy with a string of songs that could be linked with religion: TbtHoG, Ceremony, Angel Dust, Paradise...but then Your Silent Face commenced. It is still the most impactful experience i've ever had at a gig. The swelling synths, emotive bass and melodica and the gorgeous atmosphere provided by the elegant lighting and beautiful weather at a lovely venue shot through me. It felt more emotional than mere goosebumps. Having never been religious (my mother tried to raise us as Catholic, but told me I was kicked out of Catechism for being disruptive/calling bullshit as a child), I realized that, if anything, music was my religion. The next song was True Faith, which fit with my theme, but having been shaken by Your Silent Face, I stopped trying to memorise everything and just reveled in the rest of the gig.

Gene Loves Jezebel opened and they were alright, but the crowd weren't having it and wanted New Order and Echo & the Bunnymen far more. The Bunnymen were excellent, but wouldn't make as strong of an impression as New Order. I do treasure seeing the classic lineup with Pete de Freitas on drums, though. BerkeleySetlist

2. 1989-4-30 Santa Barbara (County Bowl) I was still with Katherine, but she was planning on moving to L.A. soon so it was a weird time for us (never did hook up with Michele) on another 3+ hour drive. My friend Darrell was there. He had turned me on to New Order (and later, Joy Division) back in 1984 with a compilation tape he made for me. He knew I had fallen hard for synthpop, listening to Yazoo, Depeche Mode, Alphaville, Ultavox, etc but told me "You should be listening to New Order". Thanks, Darrell. My mother hadn't let me go with him to his first New Order gig in L.A. back in 1985 (she called him Shithead), and starting my new (dream) job at record store Licorice Pizza had nixed my chance at going to New Order's previous gig in Santa Barbara in 1986. He had gone with a couple of friends and bootlegged it for me in sympathy. But one of them said he could EQ the horrible sounding tape, but ended deciding to rearrange the songs in a better order, complete with fade-ins & outs. Not cool, Charles. Darrell and I saw Hooky hanging around the mixing desk before the show, and walked over while trying to think what we could say to him. While he probably appreciated our request for "Dreams Never End", I'm sure he was more interested in chatting to the lovely girls that had congregated around him.

Throwing Muses opened, but I wasn't really into them. I was living and breathing Technique, believing it to be one of the best albums by anyone, ever. A tape or even a setlist has never emerged of this gig. Pretty sure they opened with "Touched by the Hand of God" again, as I seem to remember the sound being off. Bernard's vocals were very loud and off key (more than usual). Things improved for second track "True Faith". At that point I was gagging to hear something from the new album (or anything I'd not heard live at my first gig), and I believe they played "Dream Attack" and "Ceremony" next (but I'm not certain which order), with Gillian strapping on her guitar. They definitely play a stomping version of "Mr. Disco" (great dancing from Stephen) and also "Round & Round", but the only other Technique track I remember was final song "Fine Time". It sounded amazing live, but was a bit of an anticlimax. The two track encore had begun with Bernard sitting at Stephen's drum kit as they returned to the stage. Hooky intoned into the microphone, "As you can see, Bernard plays the drums on this track". Stephen then kicked off "Blue Monday" and the crowd went apeshit. Bernard just sat at the drums until it was time to sing, a silly grin on his face. Fantastic. NotSantaBarbaraSetlist

3. 1989-6-16 Irvine (Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre) The last time I'll mention Katherine. She had moved to Sherman Oaks, and I stayed at her place before we drove in heavy traffic to the venue. It was the second U.S. leg of the Technique tour, and much of this traffic was for this higher profile outing featuing Sugarcubes and Public Image LTD as support. We missed most of the Sugarcubes set but heard it from the parking lot on the way in. P.I.L. did a great set, but I was still putting New Order far above any other act, seeking out every track I could find on CD from them and Joy Division, and buying vinyl when a digital release wasn't available.

New Order's set kicked off with "Ceremony", dedicated to the Bunnymen's Pete de Freitas, who had just been killed in a motorcycle accident. The show had a somber tone, despite the crowd being totally up and loud as fuck. I later learned that this was the first gig they'd played after a group meeting where Bernard had demanded they take a break from each other. It's been said Barnard later complained about the traffic on the way to the gig and someone had to explain it was due to so many fans on their way to see them. I can understand Hooky's disappointment and frustration over this situation. The gig definitely wasn't a total downer, thanks to a rousing setlist. Although they did try to add some gravitas with the first encore track "All Day Long", which hadn't been played in a while. The second, and final song of the encore was again "Fine Time", but its party vibe felt strange after ADL. IrvineSetlist

4. 1993-7-24 Mountain View (Shoreline Amphitheatre) After a long wait, New Order finally were returning to the States! But the excitement was short-lived as I was pretty disappointed (!), by the lukewarm Republic, much preferring Electronic's output. I went with my friend/bandmate Vince and girlfriend Margaret, who wasn't a big fan but loved dancing. Keeping an eye out for anyone at the mixing desk, I noticed Rob Gretton there, chomping on a cigar. No doubt pleased he had secured the band's services for another lucrative tour, I got his attention by calling his name and letting him know he was doing a great job. He gave me a smile back, teeth still clenched around that cigar, but didn't reply. 808 State supported, but the seats were relatively empty for their set. It seemed half the venue were standing around socialising or waiting in lines for beer, food and merch.

The gig started off after the group walked on to the P.A. playing Elektric Music's "TV". "Ruined in a Day" set the tone for the show. While they only played four tracks from their latest, lackluster LP, its troubled production wasn't the only indication that the group's relationships were strained. It was difficult to understand how a gig featuring some of their best tunes was so downbeat, even compared to my previous gig that had been dedicated to a lost friend of theirs. But they really just seemed to be soldiering through it. I can appreciate that fans coming into loving the band at the time of Republic hold it in greater esteem (I have a special feeling for Low-Life for the same reason), but it's a good thing the group stopped again after that short 13 date tour. It was clear that no one was particularly happy. Except for Rob, of course.

By the way, Margaret loved the gig, and was baffled by the critical discussions between Vince and I on the way home. MountainViewSetlist

5. 1993-7-26 Hollywood (Hollywood Bowl) Two days later, Margaret and I were down in southern California for the next gig. Thanks to a phone call from the owner of the independent record store I was now working at, New Order's stateside manager, Tom Atencio had offered up two choice boxseat tickets to me! I was really hoping the Mountain View gig was a blip on the radar of gigs over the years that I'd heard could be hit or miss from the band. 808 State and local heroes X were the support, and both were received enthusiastically. New Order returned to the stage (I don't recall any walk-on music) and proceeded to do the exact same set in the exact same order as their previous gig. Margaret began to understand my disappointment after having heard me rave about previous gig I'd attended. But we still enjoyed the dancing and she pointed out the lighting was tremendously impressive compared to other gigs she'd seen (Andrew Liddle saves the day). Literally the only things I can think of that made this gig distinctive to the previous one were the lovely atmosphere of the Hollywood Bowl and the fact that Hooky had imbibed so much that by the end of the set he was slurring his words. I did notice Rob Gretton out and about again, but this time after the gig had finished. He was walking up the steps towards the top of the venue, no doubt pleased that he'd orchestrated another tour against all odds. I wanted to approached him, but unfortunately couldn't think of anything positive to say. Sadly, I'd never get another chance. HollywoodSetlist

tbc...

Edited by user 01 September 2024 11:50:45(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

That’s one hell of memoirs, Andy! Epic post.

Brilliant!

American Saga continues…

Here’s my list of gigs, 51 might seem a lot, probably a good number to stop on, only just realised that! but it’s nothing compared to Alex, Kev, John and Rog, the guys I used to go with, theirs will be well over 100, I’d have thought!

Wythenshawe would have been gig 52, but my wife had already got tickets for Peter Kay at the AO arena in Manchester, never mind!

It’s New Order by numbers nowadays, I miss the gigs where the equipment failed and Barney made up different lyrics!

I taped most of the gigs from Blackburn 85 up to 89 with some successful results and some mediocre!

1. Manchester Haçienda July 20, 1983
2. Bradford Caesar’s Palace March 19, 1984
3. Cornwall Coliseum, St Austell August 23, 1984
4. Blackburn King George’s Hall, January 26, 1985
5. Leeds Tiffany’s January 27, 1985
6. Salford University April 17, 1985
7. Doncaster Rotters April 18, 1985
8. Macclesfield Leisure Centre April 19, 1985
9. Manchester Haçienda July 16, 1985
10. Preston Guild Hall, October 22, 1985
11. Sheffield Octagon Centre, October 26, 1985
12.Manchester Haçienda 1st, December 3, 1985
13. Manchester Haçienda 2nd, December 3, 1985
14. Liverpool Royal Court Theatre, February 8, 1986
15. Manchester Festival of the 10th Summer July 19, 1986
16. Newcastle Mayfair September 10, 1986
17. Edinburgh Playhouse, September 11, 1986
18. Glasgow Barrowland, September 12, 1986
19. Dundee Caird Hall, September 13, 1986
20. Birmingham Tower Ballroom, October 2, 1986
21. Malvern Winter Gardens, October 3, 1986
22. Manchester Haçienda, October 13, 1986
23. London Finsbury Park, June 6, 1987
24. Sheffield Roxy, June 8, 1987
25. Glasgow Barrowland, June 9, 1987
26. Manchester Haçienda, June 10, 1987
27. Reading University June 30, 1987
28. London Wembley Arena, December 10, 1987
29. Manchester G-MEX, December 17, 1988
30. Montpellier Zénith, January 20, 1989
31. Lyon Le Transbordeur, January 21, 1989
32. Brixton Academy, London February 26, 1989 (Big World Cafe recording)
33. Glasgow SECC March 25, 1989
34. Birmingham NEC, March 26, 1989
35. Reading Festival August 25, 1989
36. Manchester Apollo, July 16, 1998
37. Liverpool Olympia, July 18, 2001
38. Manchester Apollo, October 4, 2001
39. Manchester Apollo, October 5, 2001
40. Glasgow Barrowland, October 7, 2001
41. Glasgow Barrowland, October 8, 2001
42. Paris Olympia, November 11, 2001
43. Paris Olympia, November 12, 2001
44. Manchester Apollo, November 14, 2005
45. Liverpool Big Top Arena, July 8, 2006
46. Blackpool Empress Ballroom, October 16, 2006
47. Manchester Apollo, April 26, 2012
48. Liverpool Olympia, November 21, 2015
49. Manchester Warehouse Project, December 6, 2015
50. Manchester Castlefield Bowl, July 9, 2016
51. Manchester International Festival 2017 June 29, 2017

Edited by user 09 September 2024 15:08:36(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I’m glad you caught New Order live even just for once, chronovisor.

And lazlo 2, that’s a whopping great list, so impressive.

That being said…

The difference between 0 and 1 is bigger than between 1 and 51.

An excellent idea for a thread. Here are mine (UK date format):

New Order:
07/10/2001 Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
08/10/2001 Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
24/06/2005 O2 Wireless, Hyde Park, London
14/11/2005 Manchester Apollo, Manchester
28/01/2006 Versus Cancer, Manchester Arena
08/07/2006 Summer Pops, Liverpool
15/07/2006 Summercase, Barcelona
18/10/2006 Academy, Glasgow
19/10/2006 Academy, Glasgow
17/10/2011 L'Ancienne Belgique, Brussels
18/10/2011 Le Bataclan, Paris
10/12/2011 The Troxy, London
26/04/2012 Brixton Academy, London
27/04/2012 Brixton Academy, London
10/08/2012 Lokeren Festival, Belgium
12/08/2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony Concert, Hyde Park, London
07/07/2013 Transmission_005, Jodrell Bank, Cheshire
12/07/2014 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco
06/11/2015 L'Ancienne Belgique, Brussels
23/11/2015 Brixton Academy, London
24/11/2015 Brixton Academy, London
06/12/2015 The Warehouse Project, Manchester
23/04/2016 Teenage Cancer Trust, Royal Albert Hall, London
18/06/2016 Sonar By Night, Barcelona
09/07/2016 Castlefield, Manchester
01/07/2017 New Order + Liam Gillick: So It Goes... (Mcr)
15/07/2017 New Order + Liam Gillick: So It Goes... (Mcr)
12/05/2018 New Order + Liam Gillick: So It Goes... (Vienna)
09/11/2018 Alexandra Palace, London
16/06/2019 Release Festival, Athens
07/07/2019 Trinity College Dublin
21/07/2019 Bluedot, Jodrell Bank, Cheshire
17/10/2019 AFAS Live, Amsterdam
06/11/2021 The O2 Arena, London
21/09/2023 Royal Arena, Copenhagen
23/09/2023 Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
29/09/2023 The O2 Arena, London

Monaco:
31/08/2000 Scala, London (the last gig of the "original" incarnation)
21/03/2007 Hard Rock Cafe, Manchester (+ Pottsy solo support)
28/10/2007 The Ritz, Manchester

Bad Lieutenant
21/10/2009 Heaven, London
04/11/2009 FNAC In-store Acoustic
04/11/2009 L'Olympia Bruno Coquatrix, Paris
18/03/2010 Electric Ballroom, London

Hooky & The Light
25/07/2010 1234 Festival, South London

Over the decades I've bought tickets for at least 4 or 5 New Order shows which got binned for various reasons, all of which seemed very important at the time but those reasons have since faded into the mists of time. Of them all, I really wish I'd done Reading '98 in the end, which would've been my first proper gig. I made tape copies of the Radio 1 FM feed when it was being transmitted, which was the closest I got. I had tickets for Wythenshawe 2 weeks ago but to be honest, aside from the monetary loss, I wasn't too fussed as the live show looked to be identical to what I saw in 2023 (bar Nothing But A Fool).

Difficult to pick a favourite as all of them have such memories attached. Conversely, I really didn't enjoy Summer Pops in Liverpool because the venue was shit and some members security staff policing it (a seated gig) were arseholes. Least favourite for sure, but not the band's fault. From memory, Hooky valiantly told the security to get their act together.

Obviously, my list is a mere fraction of some of the battle hardened Vikings. Any regrets? Absolutely, I wish I'd made more of an effort to see them abroad but I'll take what I've got.

Edited by user 03 September 2024 12:34:51(UTC)  | Reason: Date correction.

Ah, the Hyde Park 2012 Olympics Closing Concert, i did attend that but had forgotten when i posted my list. Knew there'd be one or two i forgot to list. I actually left before the headliners Blur. Wasn't fussed about seeing them and wanted to catch last train home without any panic.

The Liverpool Summer Pops gig, July 2006. Can't remember if i really enjoyed that one. Obviously not if i can't remember. Only thing i really recall was Hooky raging at security because they wouldn't let people get out of their seats and dance. Think Rocket Mick even got ejected for dancing.


I guess a couple of my regrets are , as i mentioned in previous post, my friend and i being refused entry because underage for the Birmingham Powerhouse gig June 1984. I was only 15 and it was over 18s only. Was devastated as had been looking forward to what would have been my first ever New Order gig. There was nothing on the tickets about age restrictions.

Another regret was not getting a ticket for the Hammersmith Palais gig Nov 1985. Sent off a cheque in the post for 2 tickets but got a letter and the cheque back telling me it had sold out. I guess i could have still gone along and got a ticket from a tout or something but i was a bit too young still maybe in those days to take the gamble of going all the way down to Hammersmith without.

Also regret having to leave the Birmingham Tower Ballroom Oct 86 gig halfway through. Missed all the fun later on!

Ah well, you win some you lose some.

Yes, that’ll be one of mine!

Alex probably is a member, if there are any Vikings members here, I would have thought that they would know him, I doubt that the other 3 are members though. They still go to gigs, I know Kev went to Wythenshawe last week, not seen the other 2 in quite a while.