I was shopping for records in Prahran one Saturday morning in the mid-eighties when I heard this amazing sound coming out of the shop speakers. I couldn't believe how good it sounded. I couldn't believe it was New Order. I hadn't been paying much attention since Temptation other than thinking Blue Monday was a blinder and Confusion was rubbish but the track they were playing had me spellbound. The track was Perfect Kiss. When I asked the name of the track the girl at the counter also put on Subculture. I was sold. But I decided to buy the normal album instead. Loved the albums, got all of them but it was those 12 inches that grabbed me so when Substance came out I went for it.
The sound of New Order was made for the nightclub and though I played a few at Beehive and Kaos it was the Lizard lounge where I really pounded them out. Bizzare Love Triangle was the top one but I had to be careful since Dan might play the shortened version before I got a chance.
But it was also an album I could play at home. The only trouble was girlfriends of mine didn't really get into it. (and don't even mention my liking for the Pet Shop Boys) So most the time it was in the car especially later when I picked it up on CD. For a while there I had a convertible. And what a blast it was to travel around with New Order blasting out. Driving down Acland Street. Of course, when I see people do that now I gather they must be wankers. But then they don't play New Order do they?
The used tickets to New Order at the Myer Music Bowl from earlier this year turned up the other day. What an amazing gig that was. The version of Temptation at the end was spellbinding. The crowd knew the world was about to change and came for one last hurrah before everything went into lockdown.
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