Joy Division

There are not many bands who enjoy a short life and make such a influence on the music industry. One of those bands are a band from Manchester called Joy Division who formed during the punk period and a 3 year period which saw two albums released, a classic song and the early death of lead singer Ian Curtis.

The band formed after Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner saw a Sex Pistols concert in Manchester. They decided to form a band despite no musical experience. Further additions saw Ian Curtis on vocals and Stephen Morris on drums.

They set to work learning to play and write and they released an EP in 1978 called An ideal for living which caught the attention of Television presenter Tony Wilson who he kept on his radar and would later star on his music programmes 'So it Goes'. They were making strides not just musically but also with the press earning rave reviews for there concerts and this lead to being on the front cover of NME via Paul Morley and also there recordings for John Peel show on Radio One.

In 1979 they released there first album Unknown Pleasures and producer Martin Hannett produced a unique atmospheric sound for the group which at first the band were not keen on but eventually grown into. The album captured the mood with songs like Digital, Disorder which captured the bass playing of Peter Hook and hypnotic drumming of Stephen Morris and the poetic lyrics of Ian Curtis all seemed a perfect match. The band worked tirelessly and toured UK and Europe and starred on more Tony Wilson programmes such as 'Something Else'. However, other issues were not helping particularly Ian's Health was fading due to his epilepsy and was prone to the odd attack or outburst.

The band carried on and were protective of him. With the growing success, the band got together to work on the next album which was to be named Closer. A lot of things in hindsight suggested this was going to be there last album. The album cover featured an austere cover of a tomb and the title suggesting Closure. The album contained songs such as Isolation, A means to an end, The eternal and passover which all possibly told a story but was still a commercial success. Prior to the release of the album, the band were to embark on a tour of America and Ian Curtis had committed suicide a combination of his illness, an ongoing affair with another women and guilt caught up with him.

The album was posthumously released and also a single released that was not on the album but was the signature anthem of the group 'Love will tear us apart'. A tortured love song that became the symbol of the group and Ian Curtis tombstone. After that shock, the remaining members of the band decided to carry on and enlisted the help of Stephen Morris wife Gillian to carry on the spirit. They renamed the band New Order and there first release was Ian Curtis last song Ceremony.

A lot has been written about the band and they have influenced generations of musicians, they embraced the sound of punk with a modern sound using technology and laced with the poetic lyrics of love and despair there music still holds relevance today and for many years to come. recommended listening