The career of Joy Division — the greatest band of the post-punk era of the late 1970s and early ‘80s — was tragically short, ended by the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis at the age of just 23: Not even a year passed between the June 1979 release of their iconic debut album, “Unknown Pleasures,” and his death. The band left behind just two studio albums and a dozen-odd singles and other stray tracks but their influence was vast, from the entire goth movement to Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead and Interpol (who were basically a Joy Division soundalike in their early years), to multiple samples in hip-hop songs.
The surviving members continued — and thrived — for decades as New Order, but that was a very different sound.
Joy Division’s studio albums — menacing, melancholy and melodic — were produced with eerie precision by the great and deranged Martin Hannett, but live, they were a different animal: raw, loud and aggressive, with Bernard Sumner’s roaring guitar, Peter Hook’s driving bass and Steven Morris’ supple drumming, all providing an angular backdrop for Curtis’ stentorian vocals. Although multiple live recordings have trickled out over the years, a full compendium of their concert material was missing, although they were one of the most bootlegged bands of their era.
All of that changes on Sept. 25, when — presumably as a precursor to Joy Division and New Order’s long-belated induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — Rhino will release “Eternal (Live),” a massive boxed set including audio recordings from 16 live performances across 14 CDs, “meticulously sourced from audience recorded cassettes, soundboard tapes and broadcast recordings,” including two previously unreleased shows, three previously uncirculated recordings, and two DVDs featuring over two and a half hours of live shows, including a previously uncirculated Brussels concert and two concerts and soundcheck from the Apollo Theatre, Manchester that have only been partially released on VHS (in 1982), along with a new edit of “Joy Division – A Malcolm Whitehead Film.”
The full tracklist appears below; the first track from the set, “Transmission” live in Paris, is available here.
The set spans just 14 months — March 1979 to May 1980 — but Joy Division had a wide repertoire and never played the same set two nights in a row, paying no heed to what was on an album or single or the audience had ever heard before; many deep cuts were played regularly.
It also includes the mother of all live Joy Division recordings, Amsterdam Paradiso in January of 1980, a radio broadcast of an unusually long set (because the opening band failed to turn up).
Much of the material has been previously released but is unavailable on streaming services, and it’s all been mastered at Abbey Road Studios and otherwise sonically tidied up in reliable Rhino fashion.
Housed in a 12″ x 12″ lift-off lid box with artwork by Warren Jackson, Peter Saville, Howard Wakefield and Brett Wickens, the cover photography is Sirius Through a Defocused Telescope, 2023 by Wolfgang Tillmans. The set is completed by a 16 page booklet, including notes by Simon Armitage and photography by, amongst others, Anton Corbijn and Kevin Cummins.
A special exhibit honoring the late Ian Curtis is opening at Voltz Clarke Gallery in NYC today, June 25, and is open through July 22. “Ian Curtis: Insight” presents an intimate and revealing selection of handwritten lyrics, photographs, personal letters, ephemera and artifacts drawn from the Ian Curtis archive, held by The John Rylands Library at The University of Manchester as part of the British Pop Archive.
TRACKLIST
CD1: Hope And Anchor, London **Previously unreleased**
1 Exercise One
2 She’s Lost Control
3 Shadowplay
4 Leaders Of Men
5 Insight
6 The Only Mistake
7 Disorder
8 Glass
9 Digital
10 Warsaw
11 Transmission
12 I Remember Nothing
13 Interzone
14 Ice Age
Recording date: 1st March, 1979
Audio source: Mixing an audience recording by Jonathan Crabb, with a second audience recording (taper unknown). Both recordings previously unheard.
CD2: Bowdon Vale Youth Club, Altrincham
1 Exercise One
2 She’s Lost Control
3 Shadowplay
4 Leaders Of Men
5 Insight
6 Disorder
7 Glass
8 Digital
9 Ice Age
10 Warsaw
11 Transmission
12 I Remember Nothing
13 No Love Lost
Recording date: 14th March, 1979
Audio source:”Exercise One” from a sound desk recording, the rest of the show is a matrix of the sound desk recording and an audience recording by Malcolm Whitehead.
Acklam Hall, London **Previously unreleased**
14 Disorder
15 She’s Lost Control
16 Shadowplay
17 Wilderness
18 Insight
19 Candidate
20 Digital
Recording date: 17th May, 1979
Audio source: An audience recording by Jonathan Crabb
CD3: The Factory, Manchester **Previously unheard recording**
1 Dead Souls
2 The Only Mistake
3 Insight
4 Candidate
5 Wilderness
6 She’s Lost Control
7 Shadowplay
8 Disorder
9 Interzone
10 Atrocity Exhibition
11 Novelty
12 Transmission
Recording date: 13th July, 1979
Audio source: A previously unheard sound desk recording.
CD4: YMCA, London
1 Dead Souls
2 Disorder
3 Wilderness
4 Autosuggestion
5 Transmission
6 Day Of The Lords
7 She’s Lost Control
8 Shadowplay
9 Atrocity Exhibition
10 Insight
Recording date: 2nd August, 1979
Audio source: Sound desk recording.
CD5: Futurama One Festival, Leeds
1 I Remember Nothing
2 Wilderness
3 Transmission
4 Colony
5 Disorder
6 Insight
7 Shadowplay
8 She’s Lost Control
9 Atrocity Exhibition
10 Dead Souls
Recording date: 8th September, 1979
Audio source: An audience recording by Duncan Haysom.
CD6: Les Bains Douches, Paris
1 Passover
2 Wilderness
3 Disorder
4 Love Will Tear Us Apart
5 Insight
6 Shadowplay
7 Transmission
8 Day Of The Lords
9 Twenty Four Hours
10 Colony
11 These Days
12 A Means To An End
13 She’s Lost Control
14 Atrocity Exhibition
15 Interzone
16 Warsaw
Recording date: 18th December, 1979
Audio source: Radio broadcast recording, France Inter.
CD7: Paradiso, Amsterdam
1 Passover
2 Wilderness
3 Digital
4 Day Of The Lords
5 Insight
6 New Dawn Fades
7 Disorder
8 Transmission
9 Love Will Tear Us Apart
10 These Days
11 A Means To An End
12 Twenty Four Hours
13 Shadowplay
14 She’s Lost Control
15 Atrocity Exhibition
16 Atmosphere
17 Interzone
Recording date: 11th January, 1980
Audio source: Radio broadcast recording, VARA.
CD8: Effenaar, Eindhoven
1 Love Will Tear Us Apart
2 Digital
3 New Dawn Fades
4 Colony
5 These Days
6 Ice Age
7 Dead Souls
8 Disorder
9 Day Of The Lords
10 Autosuggestion
11 Shadowplay
12 She’s Lost Control
13 Transmission
14 Interzone
15 Atmosphere
16 Warsaw
Recording date: 18th January, 1980
Audio source: An audience recording.
CD9: The Warehouse, Preston
1 Incubation
2 Wilderness
3 Twenty Four Hours
4 The Eternal
5 Heart And Soul
6 Shadowplay
7 Transmission
8 Disorder
9 Warsaw
10 Colony
11 Interzone
12 She’s Lost Control
Recording date: 28th February, 1980
Audio source: Sound desk recording.
CD10: The Lyceum, London
1 Incubation **Previously unheard recording**
2 Wilderness **Previously unheard recording**
3 Twenty Four Hours **Previously unheard recording**
4 The Eternal **Previously unheard recording**
5 Heart And Soul **Previously unheard recording**
6 Love Will Tear Us Apart **Previously unheard recording**
7 Isolation **Previously unheard recording**
8 Komakino **Previously unheard recording**
9 She’s Lost Control **Previously unheard recording**
10 These Days
11 Atrocity Exhibition
12 Heart And Soul Soundcheck
13 Incubation Soundcheck
14 Komakino Soundcheck
15 Isolation (Instrumental) Soundcheck
16 Isolation Soundcheck
Recording date: 29th February, 1980
Audio source: Sound desk recording (tracks 1-10), matrix sound desk / audience recording by Duncan Haysom (track 11), audience recording (tracks 12-16).
CD11: The Moonlight Club, London
2nd April, 1980
1 Sound Of Music
2 Wilderness **Previously unheard**
3 Colony **Previously unheard**
4 Love Will Tear Us Apart **Previously unheard**
5 A Means To An End **Previously unheard**
6 Transmission **Previously unheard**
7 Dead Souls **Previously unheard**
8 Sister Ray
Recording date: 2nd April, 1980
Audio source: Track 1 audience recording by Andy Hooper, tracks 2-8 (mostly) unheard desk recording (except Sister Ray, which was on Still).
3rd April, 1980
9 Love Will Tear Us Apart
10 Glass
11 Digital
12 Heart And Soul
13 Isolation
14 Disorder
15 Atrocity Exhibition
16 Atmosphere
Recording date: 3rd April, 1980
Audio source: Audience recording by Andy Hooper.
CD12: Winter Gardens, Malvern
1 Disorder
2 Wilderness
3 Twenty Four Hours
4 Heart And Soul
5 Atmosphere
6 Love Will Tear Us Apart
7 Isolation
8 Interzone
9 She’s Lost Control
10 Girls Don’t Count (with Section 25)
Recording date: 5th April, 1980
Audio source: An audience recording by Tim Bayes.
CD13: Ajanta Theatre, Derby
1 Dead Souls
2 Wilderness
3 Digital
4 Insight
5 Passover
6 Heart And Soul
7 Isolation
8 These Days
9 Transmission
10 She’s Lost Control
11 Colony
12 Girls Don’t Count (with Section 25)
Recording date: 19th April, 1980
Audio source: An audience recording by Tim Bayes.
CD14: High Hall, Birmingham
1 Ceremony
2 Shadowplay
3 A Means To An End
4 Passover
5 New Dawn Fades
6 Twenty Four Hours
7 Transmission
8 Disorder
9 Isolation
10 Decades
11 Digital
Recording date: 2nd May, 1980
Audio source: Sound desk recording. Track 1, first minute taken from audience recording (recordist unknown).
DVD1
1 Joy Division – A Malcolm Whitehead Film (2026 edit)
2 She’s Lost Control – Bowdon Vale Youth Club, Altrincham, Recording date: 14th March, 1979
3 Shadowplay – Bowdon Vale Youth Club, Altrincham, Recording date: 14th March, 1979
4 Leaders Of Men – Bowdon Vale Youth Club, Altrincham, Recording date: 14th March, 1979
5 Transmission – Something Else, BBC TV, Recording date: 15th September, 1979
6 She’s Lost Control – Something Else, BBC TV, Recording date: 15th September, 1979
Plan K, Brussels
Recording date: 16th October, 1979
7 Love Will Tear Us Apart [Original 1979 Audio Version]
8 Wilderness [Original 1979 Audio Version]
9 Disorder [Original 1979 Audio Version]
10 Colony [Original 1979 Audio Version]
11 Insight [Original 1979 Audio Version]
12 Twenty Four Hours [Original 1979 Audio Version]
13 New Dawn Fades [Original 1979 Audio Version]
14 Transmission [Original 1979 Audio Version]
15 Shadowplay [Original 1979 Audio Version]
16 She’s Lost Control [Original 1979 Audio Version]
17 Atrocity Exhibition [Original 1979 Audio Version]
18 Interzone [Original 1979 Audio Version]
19 Wilderness [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
20 Disorder [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
21 Colony [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
22 Insight [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
23 Twenty Four Hours [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
24 New Dawn Fades [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
25 Transmission [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
26 Shadowplay [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
27 She’s Lost Control [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
28 Atrocity Exhibition [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
29 Interzone [2026 Reconstructed Audio Version]
DVD2
Apollo Theatre, Manchester
Recording date: 27th October, 1979
1 Dead Souls
2 Wilderness
3 Colony
4 Autosuggestion
5 Love Will Tear Us Apart
6 Shadowplay
7 She’s Lost Control
8 Transmission
Apollo Theatre, Manchester
Recording date: 28th October, 1979
9 Sound Of Music
10 Shadowplay
11 Colony
12 Day Of The Lords
13 Twenty Four Hours
14 Disorder
15 Walked In Line
16 I Remember Nothing
17 Transmission
- Soundcheck, Apollo Theatre, Manchester, October 1979
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