JOY DIVISION: Altringham Check Inn Club
A NEW gig in town and right on me own doorstep! And not only that, but promotions are taking place courtesy of mankind's first punk chiropodist.
It was unfortunate, then, that for openers we had to be subjected to disposable local group the Bidet Boys, a drumerless trio with a drummer, and the slightly better Surgical Supports, who apparently go down a storm on the grammar school circuit.
Still, Joy Division were OK and could well prove to be to next year what the Fall have been to Manchester and what Buzzcocks were to last year, etc, etc.
Over the last 12 months they have dropped their (denied) affinity to Nazism and are instead concentrating on producing some tight dynamic music with above-average lyrics.
Fronting the band is pallid, hyperactive Ian Curtis, whose weird, wired meckanik dance routines are reminiscent of Lou Reed circa '74. The Velvets connection is a maybe a little superficial, but certainly the downer rhythms of Peter Hook (bass) and Stephen Morris (drums) are very like Sister Ray which as it happens, is also the band's encore.
Nevertheless the overall sound is well grounded in the late seventies, mainly due to the Banshee-esque metallic chord-chopping of guitarist Bernard Dickin, who interestingly has dropped his erstwhile stage monicker, 'Albrecht'. The Teutonic influence extends to the subject matter of most of their songs including 'Leaders of Men', the only number I recognised from their home-made 'An Ideal for Living' EP. None of the titles were introduced and indeed there was no stage-talk whatsoever which obviously suits their austere and abrasive image.
Altogether, a band to definitely watch out for. If you caught them on the Rezillos tour you'll know what I mean. MIKE NICHOLLS
Mike deWit Victoria BC Mike deWit Victoria B.C. Mike deWit Victoria B.C. Canada Mike deWit Victoria BC Canada Mike deWit Victoria Canada