New Order formed close to thirty years ago after the demise of their previous band Joy Division. Early in their career the Manchester, England based band shadowed Joy Division’s style. The band quickly incorporated dance rhythms and channeled electronic beats into repertoire.
These Godfathers of electronic dance music performed at The Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii to a crowd of young and old fans. The band commenced their set with “Singularity” off their 2015 album Music Complete. It was immediately followed by “Love Vigilantes.” Released in 1985, the lyrics describe a fallen soldier from World War II. The songs message can easily be interpreted to today’s modern wars and their casualties.
With an array of lights and five video screens featuring nature, urban, and avant-garde projections overhead, the band, Bernard Sumner (vocals and guitar), Stephen Morris (drums), Gillian Gilbert (keyboards), Phil Cunningham (guitar and keyboards) Tom Chapman (bass), performed over ninety minutes of the best post disco electro synthesizer music this side of the Pacific. Favorites such as ”Bizarre Love Triangle,” “Blue Monday,” and the MTV favorite “True Faith.”
The band concluded their act with a triage of Joy Division songs. The second song “Decades” featured the droning lyrics coupled with footage of Joy Division’s late singer Ian Curtis. The use of war as a metaphor to describe an unfulfilled life was heart wrenching considering suicide ended Ian Curtis’s life. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” sent the fans into the balmy night.
New Order will be returning to London for a sold out show at Alexandra Palace and then will be performing in Mexico and South America until the end of November.
Das Rheingold: Vorspiel / Singularity / Regret / Love Vigilantes / Crystal / Restless / Your Silent Face / Tutti Frutti / Subculture / Bizarre Love Triangle / Vanishing Point / Waiting for the Sirens' Call / Plastic / The Perfect Kiss / True Faith / Blue Monday / Temptation / (E) She’s Lost Control / (E) Decades / (E) Love Will Tear Us Apart