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Odeon, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (1979)
06.10.79
I was at this gig. Having seen a picture of Joy Division on the cover of NME the previous week (Ian and Bernard sitting ona wall in Stockport)or so I hadn't heard them yet but fashioned the opinion that they had looked quite mod'ish.
They had just taken to the stage as I arrived and I remember how sparse the stage set up was - just constant deep blue lighting which never seemed to change and the stag, which was huge, seemed quite empty of the band's set up.
The sound itself was really deep and booming with Hooky's bass and Ian's vocal was quite loud too compared to the guitar.
Supporting Buzzcocks Joy Division were quite a culture shock compared to the poppy speed sound of the Buzzcocks but it was obviously a sign of things to come. You could sense it at the time with Public Image Ltd. becoming the light at the end of the Pistols' dark tunnel. The Public Image single was played in between the bands over the PA and the place went apeshit.
But Joy Division were really exciting because they were so dark and apparantly devoid of any gimmicks (at the time everything had a gimmick hence the John Cooper Clarke single ). It just seemed very honest and that alone made you wonder what the band was all about and curious to find out more.
They left the stage at which point I went out to check out the merchandise in the foyer only to hear them come back on again and play an encore of probably the most "commercial" song they had played in the main set.
It all went really well and I remember think Ian was attempting to stamp his way through the stage.
A few days later I saw the single "Transmission" appear in Stirling's then only record shop and bought it on the strength of the live set.
When I got home I listened to it for the first time and realised that was the song they played twice at Edinburgh.
I don't remember much about the Buzzcocks set at all to be honest.
Source: NewOrderOnline.com (Grave Maurice) |
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