http://www.torontosun.co...rder-fans-at-sony-centreTORONTO - It may have been a “Hooky”-less New Order that played the Sony Centre on Tuesday night for the first of two sold-out shows but it was better than no New Order at all.
Toronto fans have waited almost two decades to see the beloved British New Wave electronic-pop-rock act, who are currently touring without original bassist Peter “Hooky” Hook since an acromonious 2007 split, and they weren’t disappointed.
Or if they were missing the trademark low-slung bass stylings of Hook, they certainly weren’t showing it as the audience stood the entire time, dancing, singing and occasionally clapping along, often at the encouragement of unusually animated singer-guitarist Bernard Sumner.
The Sony Centre shows were the only Canadian dates of New Order’s first North American tour in seven years and the last time they were in Canada was actually in Vancouver in 2001. (They last played Kingswood in the Toronto-area in 1993.)
Sumner began the evening claiming the latest incarnation of the group — original drummer Stephen Morris and his wife and keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, along with younger recruits, guitarist Phil Cunningham, and new bassist Tom Chapman (Hook’s replacement) — were “a bit tired” given they were wrapping up their latest trek in T.O.
So what followed, a lively hour and 40-minute set of hits, some Joy Division material and lesser known songs with slick lighting and videos and major audience participation, was a bit of a surprise.
Sure, Sumner’s voice sometimes faltered in the higher registers and he was better behind his guitar than just him dancing and his microphone, but there was no lack of effort on anyone’s part (even if Gilbert was mannequin-like at her keyboards, making glorious synth sounds all the same).
Her husband, Morris, was a one-man wrecking band as he went full out behind his kit — particularly during Here To Stay — and Chapman didn’t disappoint either as the other half of the rhythm section.
His and Cunningham’s youth gave the group — now all in their ‘50s and never known for their wild performing style even back in the day — some movement and dynamics on stage.
Arriving to the strains of a spaghetti western theme, New Order began the evening in low key and lovely style with the instrumental Elegia before moving into full on dance mode with the winning quartet of Crystal, Regret, Ceremony and Age Of Consent.
They also payed homage to Joy Division, the band fronted by Ian Curtis and rounded out by Sumner, Hooky and Morris, before his 1980 suicide, with such songs as Isolation, and more poignantly during the encore with Transmission and Love Will Tear Us Apart as a big picture of Curtis was shown on the video screen behind the group along with the words “Forever Joy Division.”
Other New Order highlights were varied: Your Silent Face with an exquisite film of land, city and people scapes shown behind the band; their classic Bizarre Love Triangle featuring one of the all-time great lovelorn lyrics, “Everytime I think of you, I feel shot right through like a bolt of blue;” 586 with cool lights and notable for prompting the night’s first clapalong; remixed versions of True Faith featuring the iconic video and Temptation with a disco ball descending from above; and delicious renderings of such gems as The Perfect Kiss, and Blue Monday.
“Thanks for supporting us all these years,” said Sumner as he wrapped up.
SET LIST:
Elegia
Crystal
Regret
Ceremony
Age of Consent
Isolation
Here to Stay
Your Silent Face
Waiting for the Sirens’ Call
Bizarre Love Triangle
586
True Faith
The Perfect Kiss
Blue Monday
Temptation
ENCORE:
Transmission
Love Will Tear Us Apart
