“I'm not sure that JD or Tony Wilson ever acknowledged or regretted the nazi imagery of JD. I'm sure Tony would have been smart enough to say it was "situationist" - and we'd have all gone ...."um... ok then."
Well, the Heavy Metal criticism is a bit rich coming from me as I like an awful lot of it - but nothing post-75 or 76 - I thought it had had its day and we had moved on - and a lot of it, the dirtier the better. I just found that JD at the time pounded and plodded away in a clumsy way with much old-fashioned posturing - listen to their tracks on Short Circuit and compare them to Unknown Pleasures - like a totally different band. That's due to Martin Hannett raising their game against their wishes, from what I've read - they hated what he'd done to their sound.
I saw all the bands at the Electric Circus on the last weekend - some of them for the first time (including Magazine's triumphant entrance) - JD didn't stand out as being very original. At their best JD were (gulp) delicate and angular and insightful and original. Pounding out sub-punk riffs with nazi imagery disappointed me. Do you think Mark E Smith would have (or still would) allow one of his bass players to wear their instrument round their knees and gurn?.
Regarding the Poster - no, I don't know who designed it - but it's a great poster, yes - very stylish - the whole style of Factory/Russell club was starting to come together - so my expectations were further dashed on the night. I "wrecked" mine by writing the Bidet Boys in large letters in tippex at the top (as if we were topping the bill! - ha ha). I guess I have it somewhere. No promises about digging it out and uploading it.”
“If I say yes am I going to receive a parcel of excrement through my letterbox?
The cover of their first record - the "ideal for living" EP set their stall out - it depicted a Hitler Youth Drummer. The name of the band - Joy Division is taken directly from the sex-slaves in the nazi concentration camps. This was very much against the spirit of the times
The Anti Nazi League was active at the timeand I think people had realised that Swastica-bearing bands like Siouxie and the Banshees and Sid Vicious were "just doing something to provoke". "Post punk" was seen as being above provoking for its own sake - and trying to say something meaningful - lots of Joy Division's material connected on lots of different levels - but the Nazi image detracted from that and (at the time, for me) negated much of it - the pseudo heavy metal stance struck me as uninformed and retro as well. These were very much enlightened and exciting times in music and Joy Division were, in my view, at the time, culpable of the very heinous crime of not living up to the standards that other bands were aspiring to and forging ahead with.
Of course Unknown Pleasures is a great record, the band were great live, I saw them a few times, and their influence is undeniable - they were an extraordinarily original band. All I'm saying is that they employed dodgy imagery and style early in their brief career. But I suppose we all do that.”
“yes - that's the Unicorn in Altrincham. The Enthusiast* supported them a few times there and we had a residency on Mondays for a while. Beau Leisure had a good light show and PA - for which we were grateful!”
“Saw and recorded some great gigs at this club - The Fall, Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, Scritti Politti.
Mr & Mrs Jefferson did the kids of Atrincham a great service by putting on such great bands and selling us some great records from their shop - Streets Ahead - the cornerstone of my vinyl collection came from that unassuming shop - the latest Manchester and Jamaican music.”
“John the Postman once said to me "do you mind?" when I over-enthusistically carried on playing the 3 bass-notes of Louie Louie long after our 20 minute jam with Martyn Bramah, Una Baines (I think) and Karl Burns at the Band on The Wall after a Teardrop Explodes gig in the late 70's had finished”
“Magazine playing live for the first time in public at the last night of the Electric Circus was a very special event. The Prefects, Slits, Subway Sect, The Clash on the White Riot Tour also very special.”
“Gammer and his Familiars were a very fine and original band. My band, Treasure House, had the pleasure of supporting them twice in Altrincham (The Navigation and Check Inn) in the early/mid 80s”
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Well, the Heavy Metal criticism is a bit rich coming from me as I like an awful lot of it - but nothing post-75 or 76 - I thought it had had its day and we had moved on - and a lot of it, the dirtier the better. I just found that JD at the time pounded and plodded away in a clumsy way with much old-fashioned posturing - listen to their tracks on Short Circuit and compare them to Unknown Pleasures - like a totally different band. That's due to Martin Hannett raising their game against their wishes, from what I've read - they hated what he'd done to their sound.
I saw all the bands at the Electric Circus on the last weekend - some of them for the first time (including Magazine's triumphant entrance) - JD didn't stand out as being very original. At their best JD were (gulp) delicate and angular and insightful and original. Pounding out sub-punk riffs with nazi imagery disappointed me. Do you think Mark E Smith would have (or still would) allow one of his bass players to wear their instrument round their knees and gurn?.
Regarding the Poster - no, I don't know who designed it - but it's a great poster, yes - very stylish - the whole style of Factory/Russell club was starting to come together - so my expectations were further dashed on the night. I "wrecked" mine by writing the Bidet Boys in large letters in tippex at the top (as if we were topping the bill! - ha ha). I guess I have it somewhere. No promises about digging it out and uploading it.”