Munster Express Online

Ian Curtis of Joy Division

Electric Avenue provides a real twist for music lovers on Valentine’s Night (Saturday 14 February) as the John Street venue will reverberate to the sound of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ as performed by Transmission, the amazing UK tribute act to Joy Division. The band play only 2 Irish dates on their 2009 ‘Eternal’ European Tour, the other being at The Village in Dublin. Admission is €10 payable at the door and Transmission take to the stage at 10pm for their incredibly realistic live tribute to the most influential band in the history of alternative rock.

Devoted to recreating the atmosphere of a live Joy Division gig, Transmission emulate the sound of one of the most inventive, evocative and influential groups of their era. Joy Division were formed in the late 1970s and dissolved in May 1980 after the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. The remaining members went on to form New Order and have achieved much critical and commercial success. The influence of Joy Division, however, was far reaching. They were considered the pioneering band of the post-punk movement and now more than 20 years on, you can relive the dark cavernous sound of Joy Division through Transmission, who play a 90 minute set including all the band’s key tracks like ‘Shadowplay’, ‘She’s Lost Control’, ‘New Dawn Fades’, ‘Isolation’, ‘Heart & Soul’, ‘24 Hours’, ‘Decades’ and ‘The Eternal’.

Joy Division formed after meeting at the legendary Sex Pistols gig at Manchester Free Trade Hall in 1976. Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Steven Morris were
nurtured by manager Rob Gretton and mentor Tony Wilson, who released their early material as the first record on his Factory label. Their debut album ‘Unknown Pleasures’ released in 1979 and produced by Martin Hannett, who had a big influence on their sound, is still regarded as one of the great debut albums. With their second (and even better) album ‘Closer’ recorded and a US Tour booked, Ian Curtis committed suicide on 18 May 1980 to bring a tragic end to Joy Division’s short but incendiary existence. ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ was released the following week in tribute to Ian, and has since been voted the greatest single of all time in an extensive music poll organised by the BBC.