32 years ago
New Wave rockers across America were excitedly anticipating Joy Division’s May 1980. The Manchester band was scheduled to appear at Hurrah in New York for three nights. None of us were expecting to hear the news of the singer’s suicide on the eve of his departure.
Ian Curtis was dead.
He had hung himself at the house that he shared with his estranged wife.
Band members later said, “I think all of us made the mistake of not thinking his suicide was going to happen … We all completely underestimated the danger. We didn’t take it seriously. That’s how stupid we were.”
Here’s the itinerary of USA tour
21st – 23rd May 1980 / Hurrah
25th May 1980 The Edge nightclub, Toronto
26th May 1980 Bookies, Detroit
27th May 1980: Tuts – W.Belmont, Chicago
28th May 1980 Merlyn’s Madison, Wisconsin
29th May 1980 Duffy’s, Minneapolis
1st June 1980 Tier 3 – New York
3rd and 4th June American Indian Centre, San Francisco
6th (or 9th) June 1980 The Starwood Los Angeles
7th June 1980 Madame Wong’s, Los Angeles
Ian Curtis gone. The band honored his death by never appearing as Joy Division, but their music lives on.
To hear SHE’S LOST CONTROL, please go to the following URL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVc29bYIvCM