Johnny Marr surprised fans in San Francisco on Saturday night by pulling an old friend on stage: Billy Duffy of The Cult, who joined Marr and his band to rip through “I Fought the Law,” the 1958 classic by The Crickets’ Sonny Curtis popularized first by the Bobby Fuller Four and then The Clash.
The 1991 self-titled debut from indie supergroup Electronic — featuring New Order frontman Bernard Sumner and guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths, with the occasional assist from Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant — will be reissued in the U.K. next week in a 2CD expanded edition.
On March 7, 1983 — exactly 30 years ago today — New Order released its monumental single “Blue Monday,” cementing its full transition from the moody post-punk of Joy Division to club-ready synthpop. And, in the process, the band delivered the best-selling 12-inch single of all time.
For this week’s “120 Minutes” Rewind,we revisit the tail end of the April 15, 1990, episode, which featured a 5-minute Kurt Loder-hosted MTV News report about the so-called Madchester scene, featuring interviews with Manchester acts such as Happy Mondays, 808 State and New Order’s Bernard Sumner.
The Killers famously took their name from the faux band performing in New Order’s video for the 2001 single “Crystal,” so it was fitting that Bernard Sumner joined the American band onstage Monday night in his hometown of Manchester to perform the track. Check out the performance right here.
Johnny Marr will follow his previously announced U.K. solo tour with an 18-date North American run in April and May that’s built around his appearances at the two-weekend Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival — and which includes dates with New Order in Las Vegas and Santa Barbara, Calif.
The 1991 self-titled debut from indie supergroup Electronic — featuring New Order frontman Bernard Sumner and guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths, with the occasional assist from Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant — will be reissued this spring in a 2CD special edition featuring eight previously unreleased bonus tracks.
Q&A: Daniel Ash on Love and Rockets’ reunion, his new band — and figuring out how to play “So Alive” 
Q&A: Chris Frantz talks Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and new book ‘Remain in Love’ 
Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years 
Q&A: Bauhaus’ David J on his ‘accidental’ concept album ‘Not Long For This World’ 
Q&A: Peter Murphy on ‘Ninth,’ Bauhaus’ break-up, reuniting Dalis Car 
Q&A: Joey Santiago on Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour, possible ‘Surfer Rosa’ shows, new album talk 
Q&A: Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon on new album, changing the world with music 
Q&A: Peter Hook talks ‘Unknown Pleasures’ tour, re-recording Joy Division 