[76], Producer Martin Hannett "dedicated himself to capturing and intensifying Joy Division's eerie spatiality". A chronological account of the influential late 1970s English rock band. [100] The wall was repainted on 17 September 2009, and has been removed and repainted on and off. Critic Simon Reynolds observed how the band's originality only "really became apparent as the songs got slower", and their music took on a "sparse" quality. The late, lamented Ian Curtis: A 30th anniversary tribute. With the epilepsy, he just knew he couldn't carry on with the performances. "[67], Curtis's final live performance with Joy Division was on 2 May 1980 at the High Hall of Birmingham University and included Joy Division's first and only performance of "Ceremony", later recorded by New Order and released as their debut single. [39], Curtis' widow has claimed that, in October 1979, Curtis began conducting an affair with the Belgian journalist and music promoter Annik Honoré,[40] whom he had first met at a gig held in Brussels that month. Juli 1956 in Old Trafford, Manchester, als Sohn eines Polizeibeamten geboren und wuchs in Macclesfield auf. In 2005, Wilson said: "I think all of us made the mistake of not thinking his suicide was going to happen ... We all completely underestimated the danger. According to Deborah Curtis, "Sandwiched in between these two important landmarks was the realisation that Ian's illness was something we would have to learn to accommodate". He was awarded a scholarship at the age of 11 at Macclesfield's independent King's School. Deborah Curtis, Ian's wife, stated that Morris "fitted perfectly" with the band, and that with his addition Warsaw became a "complete 'family'". According to Reynolds, "Hook's bass carried the melody, Bernard Sumner's guitar left gaps rather than filling up the group's sound with dense riffage and Steve Morris' drums seemed to circle the rim of a crater. [46], Bernard Sumner, reflecting in November 2015 on many of the lyrics Curtis had written for Joy Division's second and final album, Closer[74], On the evening of 17 May 1980, Curtis asked Deborah to drop her impending divorce proceedings; she replied that it was likely that he would have changed his mind by the following morning and then—mindful of his previous suicide attempt and also concerned that his state of anxiety and frustration might drive Curtis into an epileptic fit—offered to spend the night in his company. [48], Joy Division toured Europe in January 1980. According to Sumner "the music was loud and heavy, and we felt that Martin had toned it down, especially with the guitars". [81][82] He had expressed to both Deborah and Honoré his deep concerns that his medical condition was likely to kill him,[83] in addition to causing him to receive mockery from audiences,[84] and that this mockery would only increase when performing before American audiences on the upcoming tour. [64] In June 1980, Joy Division's single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was released, which hit number thirteen on the UK Singles Chart. Stephen Morris (1978 – 1980) Joy Division was a post-punk band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. Their sound during their early inception as Warsaw was described as fairly generic and "undistinguished punk-inflected hard-rock". This biography takes a more intimate look at Curtis and includes photographs from personal family albums and excerpts from his letters to Honoré during their relationship. [72] He was having difficulty balancing his family obligations with his musical ambitions and his health was gradually worsening as a result of his epilepsy, thus increasing his dependency upon others. [42], Curtis began suffering epileptic seizures in late 1978; he was officially diagnosed with the condition on 23 January the following year,[49][n 4] with his particular case being described by doctors as so severe, his "life would [be] ruled to obsolescence by his severe epilepsy"[51] without the various strong dosages of medications he was prescribed. [80] Hook also claimed that, prior to the release of the 2007 documentary Joy Division, a specialist in epilepsy had viewed the combination of drugs that Curtis had been prescribed for his condition and expressed concerns about the drugs' safety. [4] He was the first of two children born to Kevin and Doreen Curtis. We didn't take it seriously. Hook said that when he heard the final mix of "Atrocity Exhibition" he was disappointed that the abrasiveness had been toned down. [73] The producer instead aimed to create a more expansive sound on the group's records. When Topping came back towards the end of the set, some audience members threw bottles at the stage. Morris said that "it was only after Ian died that we sat down and listened to the lyrics...you'd find yourself thinking, 'Oh my God, I missed this one'. [49] That March, the band recorded their second album, Closer, with Hannett at London's Britannia Row Studios. On one occasion when he was 16,[8] after consuming a large dosage of Largactil he and his friends had stolen, Curtis was discovered unconscious[9] in his bedroom by his father and was taken to hospital to have his stomach pumped. [25] Initially, the couple lived with Ian's grandparents, although shortly after their marriage the couple moved to a working-class neighbourhood in Chadderton,[26] where they paid a mortgage while working in jobs neither enjoyed. Deborah Curtis wrote in her 1995 biography, Due to union disputes, following Curtis's suicide the music video the band had recorded for ", "Unknown pleasures: why rappers like Danny Brown love Joy Division", Touching from a Distance. Rap artists such as Danny Brown and Vince Staples have cited the band as an influence. John Bush of AllMusic argues that Joy Division "became the first band in the post-punk movement by ... emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression, pointing ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the '80s. [93] His musical horizon went up a notch with Jimi Hendrix,[92] he realised "it wasn't about little catchy tunes ... it was what you could do sonically with a guitar. Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis took his own life in 1980. The definitive post-punk band, whose vocalist Ian Curtis sang of despair and isolation until his tragic suicide in 1980. [54] Curtis was too ill to perform, so at Gretton's insistence the band played a combined set with Alan Hempsall of Crispy Ambulance and Simon Topping of A Certain Ratio singing on the first few songs. Deborah Curtis and her daughter had moved into her parents' home in early 1980. Music journalist Paul Morley wrote Joy Division, Piece by Piece, writing about Joy Division 1977–2007; it was published in late 2007. A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23. He wrote; "I was like, head in hands, 'Oh fucking hell, it's happening again ... Martin had fucking melted the guitar with his Marshall Time Waster. Even without such Christ-like imaginings of their late singer, Joy Division’s songs – by turns doomy and angry, edgy and reflective – still resonate in these paranoid times. [60], When Curtis had recovered from this first seizure, he was adamant the band travel to West Hampstead to honour their commitment to perform their second gig of the evening at this location, although some 25 minutes into this second gig, Curtis's "dancing started to lose its rhythmic sense and change into something else entirely" before he collapsed to the floor and experienced the most violent seizure he had endured to date. [11] Among Curtis' earliest experiences with music was in a church choir as a young kid, in his hometown of Macclesfield. [18] Despite abandoning his studies at St. John's College, Curtis continued to focus on the pursuit of art, literature and music, and would gradually draw lyrical and conceptual inspiration from ever more insidious subjects.[19]. [63] To minimise any possibility of Curtis having epileptic seizures, flashing lights were prohibited at Joy Division gigs; despite these measures, Bernard Sumner later stated that certain percussion effects would cause Curtis to suffer a seizure. Erstklassige Nachrichtenbilder in hoher Auflösung bei Getty Images [6] While at King's School, he was awarded several scholastic awards in recognition of his abilities, particularly at the ages of 15 and 16. He later worked as a civil servant in Woodford, Greater Manchester although, at his request, approximately one year later[22] Curtis was posted to Macclesfield's Employment Exchange, where he worked as an Assistant Disablement Resettlement Officer. Deborah Curtis has written a biographical account of their marriage, Touching from a Distance, which was first published in 1995. Singer Ian Curtis , of English post-punk band Joy Division, in an art and furniture shop, Manchester, 6th January 1979. 24 Hour Party People (2002) is a fictionalised account of Factory Records in which members of the band appear as supporting characters. [7], As a teenager, Curtis chose to perform social service by visiting the elderly as part of a school programme. Originally named Warsaw, the band consisted of Ian Curtis (vocals and occasional guitar), Bernard Sumner (guitar and keyboards), Peter Hook (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Stephen Morris (drums and percussion). [12][13] Curtis could seldom afford to purchase records, leading him to frequently steal them from local shops. He'd sort of hit a pinnacle with, "Strange as it may sound, it wasn't until after his death that we really listened to Ian's lyrics and clearly heard the inner turmoil in them. [94] Shortly after Curtis's death, Bernard Sumner inherited the Vox Phantom VI Special guitar Ian Curtis had acquired in September 1979; he used this instrument in several early New Order songs, including the single "Everything's Gone Green".[39]. Initially, Mason became the band's drummer, but his rehearsal sessions were largely unproductive and he briefly became the band's manager. [2][3], Curtis was born on 15 July 1956, at the Memorial Hospital in Stretford, Lancashire, and grew up in a working-class household in Macclesfield, Cheshire. [102][103], In 2012, Curtis was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Peter Blake to appear in a new version of the Beatles' Sgt. [57] However, as with Unknown Pleasures, both Hook and Sumner were unhappy with the production. ", "Ian Curtis's Joy Division Vox Phantom VI Special guitar is up for auction". Curtis used the guitar on Joy Division's early 1980 European tour and in the video for "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Reviews. He became a vegetarian—likely at Honoré's behest—although he was known to have consumed meat when not in her presence. Curtis's death culminates a lengthy struggle with depression. [85] Hook has also related that Curtis was particularly influenced by Iggy Pop's stage persona. Control was debuted at the Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2007 and took three awards at the Directors' Fortnight. He argued that accusations of neo-Nazi sympathies merely provoked the band "to keep on doing it, because that's the kind of people we are". [56] Following the birth of his daughter in April 1979, because of the severity of his medical condition, Ian was seldom able to hold his baby daughter in case he compromised the child's safety. [n 8][31] Deborah found his body soon after. He also claimed that he could not be so cruel to Annik as to inform her he did not wish to see her again even if his marriage depended upon it. [17][18] In July 1977, Warsaw recorded five demo tracks at Pennine Sound Studios, Oldham. But everyone's got their own opinion. [7] Gretton, whose "dogged determination" was later credited for much of the band's public success, contributed the business skills to provide Joy Division with a better foundation for creativity. Ian Curtis, who knew them from earlier gigs, responded and was hired without audition. "[93], Despite their short career, Joy Division have exerted a wide-reaching influence. Joy Division Singer Ian Curtis Remembered On The 40th Anniversary Of His Death. [30] The group then unsuccessfully attempted to recruit several drummers before selecting Stephen Morris in August 1977. [108] The campaign only raised £2,000 out of the intended final goal £150,000. [109], Upon hearing of the failure of this project, an entrepreneur and musician named Hadar Goldman purchased the property, offering to pay a £75,000 compensation fee on top of the requested house price of £125,000 in order to secure the purchase of 77 Barton Street and thus reverse the transacted sale from a private purchaser, which at the time was already in progress. [42][n 6], By early 1980, Curtis's marriage to Deborah was foundering, as she had commenced divorce proceedings after he had failed to cease all contact with Honoré. The words "Ian Curtis Lives" are written on a wall in Wallace Street, Wellington, New Zealand. [8][55] This change in personality was also observed by Curtis's wife, family and in-laws, who noted how taciturn he had become in his wife's company. [40][71][n 7] Curtis enjoyed solitude, but had never been mentally equipped for living alone. [102] Standard musical fixtures of early gothic rock bands included "high-pitched post-Joy Division basslines usurp[ing] the melodic role" and "vocals that were either near operatic and Teutonic or deep, droning alloys of Jim Morrison and Ian Curtis. [n 5], Following Curtis's first definite suicide attempt on 6 April 1980, Tony Wilson and his partner, Lindsay—expressing deep concerns as to Joy Division's intense touring schedule being detrimental to Curtis's physical and mental well-being[69]—invited him to recuperate at their cottage in Charlesworth in Derbyshire. [86] Sumner mentioned "the raw, nasty, unpolished edge" in the guitars of the Rolling Stones, the simple riff of "Vicious" on Lou Reed's Transformer,[92] and Neil Young. The band spent late March and April 1978 writing and rehearsing material. [34] While Hook and Sumner later said they were intrigued by fascism at the time, Morris believed that the group's dalliance with Nazi imagery came from a desire to keep memories of the sacrifices of their parents and grandparents during World War II alive. [12] Tony Tabac played drums that night after joining the band two days earlier. [28], At a July 1976 Sex Pistols gig at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall, Curtis encountered three childhood school friends named Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Terry Mason. The grave of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division, has been vandalised, according to photos posted by Joy Division Central. If we liked someone, they were in. A nearby wall on the same street on 4 January 2005 was originally emblazoned "Ian Curtis RIP", later modified to read "Ian Curtis RIP Walk in Silence" along with the incorrect dates "1960–1980". The book documents all of his writings and reviews about Joy Division, from their formation until Tony Wilson's death. [74] In a 1987 interview with Option, Morris said that they "just thought the songs were sort of sympathetic and more uplifting than depressing. [81] Deborah Curtis also remembered Curtis reading works by writers such as Fyodor Dostoevsky, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Franz Kafka, and Hermann Hesse. "[82] Deborah Curtis recalled that only with the release of Closer did many who were close to the singer realise "[h]is intentions and feelings were all there within the lyrics". Wilson said the success turned the indie label into a true business and a "revolutionary force" that operated outside of the major record label system. [58] The band's bassist, Peter Hook, discovered Curtis unconscious on the floor of the studio's toilets, having hit his head on a sink following a seizure. U2 singer speaking about the band on RTE. Despite their short career, Joy Division have exerted a wide-reaching influence. 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