Brian Eno once said of the Velvet Underground that their first album only sold 30,000 copies, but everyone who bought the album started the band. Joy Division’s debut unknown pleasure Initially selling only 20,000 copies, the T-shirt featured cover art featuring an image of radio waves emitted by a pulsar taken from an astronomical encyclopedia. — has long since constituted a commercial semiotic empire in its own right. This shows that even though they were only active between 1976 and 1980, the band had a huge influence on the subculture. When we talk about the post-punk genre, we mainly talk about Joy Division and the artists they influenced.
Less than a year after its release in 1979; unknown pleasureJoy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis has committed suicide. the band had already finished recording nearbytheir second and final album (at least before their later, more successful reunion as New Order). Although it may be small, their studio discography has garnered increasing critical acclaim over the decades.
Still, fans who weren’t able to witness Joy Division’s rise firsthand will wonder if they missed something important. “Live, Joy Division was heavy.” recalls band historian John Savage. “Performers know exactly what to give and what to withhold, David Bowie being a good example, but Ian Curtis didn’t have that stagecraft. He just showed up and gave it his all.”
This kind of intensity “can’t be replicated infinitely,” Savage added. Even back then, those who witnessed Joy Division in concert seemed to understand that their uniquely compelling energy was moving toward some kind of final combustion. You can taste it at A collection of all the group’s TV performancesoriginally broadcast on BBC2 and Granada TV in 1978 and 1979. Top of post. just abovethere are 70 minutes A compilation of all recorded live shows. Most of it consists of footage shot over two nights. Apollo Theater in 1979. The uploader says the quality was poor, but “according to people who were there, the live quality was also poor in my opinion.” As much as generations of fans have tried to mythologize the band’s brief existence over the past 45 years, here’s evidence that even Joy Division had an off night every once in a while.
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Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter. @Colinbemust.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
