Joy Division - Live, Birmingham, 2/15/80 (bootleg)

Many years ago I lived in an apartment building filled with hipsters. One of my neighbors, Tom, promoted shows in Denver. Although he wasn't a big fan of the band, he got New Order booked for their first show in Denver - quite a coup. The big promoter in town (one of the biggest in the country) wanted the show and threatened him with a counter program the same night that assured he would lose his shirt if he didn't give them the contract. He caved - it wasn't a big deal to him. His only request was that they arrange to let him interview New Order for a zine he published. The big promoter said sure.

So the night of the show Tom ends up backstage totally shit-faced drunk. He sits down with the band in the green room, gets introductions out of the way, takes out his notebook, leans back in his chair, looks at the band and, with a wry smile, asks his first question: "What's blue and swings?"

There is a long silence, and then Bernard Sumner throws his hands in the air and storms out shouting, "Fuck off! Interview's over!!" His bandmates follow (though Peter Hook threatens to kick the shit out of Tom.) Tom just sits there laughing.

The big concert promoter's people are baffled and ask Tom what the hell was that about. Tom stops laughing and, packing up his notebook, says, "Well, what's blue and swings? Ian Curtis, of course."

Ian Curtis hung himself 30 years ago yesterday.

00 Ceremony (Soundcheck)
00 Decades (Soundcheck)
01 Ceremony
02 Shadowplay
03 A means to an end
04 Passover
05 New dawn fades
06 Twenty four hours
07 Transmission
08 Disorder
09 Isolation
10 Decades
11 Digital

Hear