In 1976, just as the fire of Britain's first wave of Punk was burning at its brightest in the south of the country, in the north, a band of four men were developing a sound that would take the genre into new directions. They were, and will be always remembered, as Joy Division. Theirs was a noise borne of a youth spent listening to forward-thinking US influences such as The Stooges and Iggy Pop, of a classicism borrowed from great literature, and, more importantly, of the mental turmoil inherent in their lead singer and master lyricist, Ian Curtis. In this young voice the group had a performer who, once witnessed, could never be forgotten. His songs spoke of a deep confusion, but never once dipped down into self pity. Joy Division provided the world with just two albums of taught, fraught post punk, played with a swiftly-developed musicianship more befitting of a group twice their age. Moreover, the band had a lyricist seemingly operating out of time writing poetry that retains its beauty fantastically even now. The significance of Joy Division, neatly encapsulated in their mere three-year lifespan - tragically cut short by the suicide of their one true spokesperson, remains as strong today as it ever was also. Today, as fans come on pilgrimages from around the globe to visit Curtis graveside in lowly Macclesfield, or trek to long-closed punk venues the band played in the nearby city of Manchester, we take a look, at their visual and critical history. Joy Division Under Review features long-thought lost live performances from the band, originally shot for both for promotional purposes and other, more spontaneous live outings. Their recorded work is assessed and dissected by Manchester luminaries as lofty as Factory label manager Anthony Wilson, band members Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner, and music critics writing at the time, Mick Middles and John Robb, among numerous others.
We use cookies to help you navigate our website and to keep track of our promotional efforts. Some cookies are necessary for the site to operate normally while others are optional. To find out what cookies we are using please visit Cookies Policy.