Now in its third year, the Live From Jodrell Bank concert series has previously experienced mixed fortunes, mainly due to the weather - not so this year. A heatwave descended on Cheshire a day or so before the weekend's second concert, ensuring that several thousand punters were fired up for this one-off concert with a mixture of sunstroke, thirst, fisherman's hats and memories of happy times experienced a couple of decades ago.
New Order's audience hasn't really changed much in the past thirty years - keen is an understatement, partisan is the word. Turns out that Jodrell Bank, an internationally-renowned centre of scientific discovery and excellence, is the perfect venue to gather such a loyal cluster of devotees and, ultimately, a superb location for some of the biggest tunes this side of 1979. With accompanying vocals from Bernard Sumner, the crowd had already been treated to an impromptu (well, rehearsed) rendition of the Electronic classic Getting Away With It during Johnny Marr's support slot, which only served to fire up the crowd's anticipation for what was to follow.
Kicking off with a short extract of Elegia, minus the trademark bassline (circa Hook), New Order proceeded to follow-up with Crystal, a song seemingly created to kick-start a New Order gig and one of their greatest songs. Crikey moses - the entire grassy knoll began to bounce so hard, I swear the local worms and moles were packing their bags within half a minute at hearing such a gorgeous racket. And then came Regret. And Ceremony. And, oh you know what New Order can do - they excite, they pummel, they control and they do what they do, even minus their remarkable bassist who's doing the same thing on tour, minus the obvious hits.
And then came World. I absolutely unashamedly fucking love The Price of Love. I love the melody. I love the chorus. I love the superb ground-breaking sub-seedy video and I love the fact that they played this much-forgotten tune on their own doorstep, with Bernard proclaiming that we 'haven't played this locally for too long'. Even the nearby sheep were in agreement. Maybe Hook is right after all - the understated New Order songs are the most revered and the most wanted when it comes to one-off gigs.
The well-known songs reigned down on the crowd with reassuring familiarity - Bizarre Love Triangle, the hit that should have been, Perfect Kiss, the other hit that should have been, 586 (the hit that never was) - plus a swathe of Joy Division songs that should have reminded onlookers just how important they were in 1979 and remain in 2013. Sadly though, by Love Will Tear Us Apart, muddle-headed baggies and tired families from yesteryear were thronging to the car-parks in their droves. That's no reflection on the music but rather the reality of growing up and the harsh prospect of driving home in a flurry of toxic-confusion and unexplored country lanes. What a shame that Shadowplay and Atmosphere were ultimately relegated to the ears of the sleepy, frazzled diminishing crowds, a few of whom were seeking solace in the arms of illegal shirt traders and incumbent piss-filled ditches.
Regardless of a few wayward executions of key New Order basslines (Your Silent Face - now why don't you tune up?), this superb headlining show, peppered with eye-tingling lazer effects, ranks as one of New Order's tightest and most memorable performances since records began. Here To Stay indeed.
A special mention must go to The Whip who successfully hyped up the crowd, Public Service Broadcasting who battled against an understated PA system (turn it up!) and Johnny Marr who drove crowds to the arena with a crucially important set of solo tunes and Smiths memory-joggers - How Soon Is Now positively bristled with heartfelt angst.
9/10
Kicking off with a short extract of Elegia, minus the trademark bassline (circa Hook), New Order proceeded to follow-up with Crystal, a song seemingly created to kick-start a New Order gig and one of their greatest songs. Crikey moses - the entire grassy knoll began to bounce so hard, I swear the local worms and moles were packing their bags within half a minute at hearing such a gorgeous racket. And then came Regret. And Ceremony. And, oh you know what New Order can do - they excite, they pummel, they control and they do what they do, even minus their remarkable bassist who's doing the same thing on tour, minus the obvious hits.
And then came World. I absolutely unashamedly fucking love The Price of Love. I love the melody. I love the chorus. I love the superb ground-breaking sub-seedy video and I love the fact that they played this much-forgotten tune on their own doorstep, with Bernard proclaiming that we 'haven't played this locally for too long'. Even the nearby sheep were in agreement. Maybe Hook is right after all - the understated New Order songs are the most revered and the most wanted when it comes to one-off gigs.
Regardless of a few wayward executions of key New Order basslines (Your Silent Face - now why don't you tune up?), this superb headlining show, peppered with eye-tingling lazer effects, ranks as one of New Order's tightest and most memorable performances since records began. Here To Stay indeed.
A special mention must go to The Whip who successfully hyped up the crowd, Public Service Broadcasting who battled against an understated PA system (turn it up!) and Johnny Marr who drove crowds to the arena with a crucially important set of solo tunes and Smiths memory-joggers - How Soon Is Now positively bristled with heartfelt angst.
9/10