New Order had promised that its performances with a 12-member synthesizer ensemble at the Manchester International Festival would not bear much resemblance to the band’s normal live set, and, with tonight’s opening of the 5-concert run, the legendary act delivered on its pledge.
See video of tonight’s performance below.
The group played a 15-song set, augmented by two rows of six synth players stacked on top of eachother behind the stage, and managed to deliver surprise after surprise, offering up six songs not played live since the 1980s and early ’90s, performing Joy Division’s “Disorder” for the first time ever as New Order, and giving the 2001 song “Behind Closed Doors” its live debut.
The setlist included the first performance of Power, Corruption & Lies’ “Ultraviolence” since 1984, the first airing of “Shellshock” since 1987, the first performances of “Sub-culture,” “All Day Long” and “Vanishing Point” since the Technique tour in 1989, and the first rendition of “Dream Attack” since 1993.
The concerts — which continue July 1, 6, 13 and 15 — are taking place in the old Granada television studios in Manchester, and are billed as featuring New Order “deconstructing, rethinking and rebuilding a wealth of material from throughout their career: familiar and obscure, old and new.” The group’s current lineup (Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman) is being joined onstage by the synth ensemble from the Royal College of Northern Music.
Below, see the full setlist and selections of video from tonight’s performance.
Setlist: New Order, Old Granada Studios, Manchester, UK, 6/29/17
1. “Elegia”
2. “Who’s Joe?”
3. “Dream Attack” (First time since 1993)
4. “Disorder” (First time since 1980, first ever as New Order)
5. “Ultraviolence” (First time since 1984)
6. “Behind Closed Doors” (First time ever)
7. “All Day Long” (First time since 1989)
8. “Shellshock” (First time since 1987)
9. “Guilt Is a Useless Emotion”
10. “Sub-culture” (First time since 1989)
11. “Bizarre Love Triangle”
12. “Vanishing Point” (First time since 1989)
13. “Plastic”
14. “Your Silent Face”
15. “Decades”
“Sub-culture”
“Shellshock”
“All Day Long”
“Bizarre Love Triangle”
“Vanishing Point”
“Elegia”
“Your Silent Face”
“Disorder”
“Hey Joe”
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Jeez those clips are great. Disorder ? Wow. Would have loved to have heard Ultraviolence. Hope they release this on DVD, CD, Mp3, whatever.
Dream attack wasn’t out in 83 and was played at least on the technique tour, but I think in 93 as well….
I wish they had planned to release a live album of this instead of that pointless “NOMC15” live album that recently came out.
Cheers. A few of my videos there. A superb night.