The Music and Legacy of Joy Division

I was mesmerised in my youth by footage of Joy Division performing ‘She’s Lost Control’ on BBC TV’s Something Else, an iconic piece of film that was resurrected as part of a collage of clips and interviews at the start of this talk hosted by Luke Bainbridge, and featuring writer/journalist Paul Morley and photographer Kevin Cummins, both at the epicenter of the Manchester scene back then. As both pointed out (and notwithstanding their heavy involvement with the band) the unique work of Joy Division was not just about the music they made but can also be attributed to many other hands – the sound palette of producer Martin Hannet, the managerial skills of Rob Gretton, the stunning album images of Peter Saville, and of course the input of impresario/record label owner Tony Wilson. Morley, as usual indulging in much journalistic wisecracking, was generally measured in his summations, and along with Cummins’ equally articulate observations/stories made for an enjoyable evening that went some way in explaining the unique ‘mood, atmosphere and ephemeral terror’ of Joy Division, and which heavily resonates to this day.

Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome, 17 May 2012

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