http://www.manchestereve...pecial-new-order-4873464When he was a child, New Order’s drummer Stephen Morris used to look out of his back garden across the hills to the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank – and imagine.
“They built it in the year I was born,” says Stephen. “It was always a bit mysterious – what does a radio telescope do? It was communicating with space and it was just down the road.”
As is the case for all gigs at Live From Jodrell Bank, New Order will get to do something special with the iconic landmark – weather permitting. A bit of wind could spoil their fun, says frontman Bernard Sumner, but they remain optimistic that a fine day awaits them.
It should; since the band came back from hiatus in 2011 – surrounded by a storm over the absence of founder member and bassist Peter Hook – there has been a special drive and energy in the ranks. Original keyboardist Gillian Gilbert remains on board, while Tom Chapman takes on bass duties and Phil Cunningham completes the live set up on synths.
They form a friendly circle in the Lovell’s shadow on the day we meet, a tight unit laughing about global travel and reflecting on the dramas they’ve seen during their 37 year creative friendship. They know how lucky they are to still be here, to watch generation after generation stand on their front row, introduced to New Order and Joy Division by an older sibling or parent, and to have played on every continent in the world except Africa.
They’ve overcome grief, debt and addiction to get here (“When something major has happened,” says Gillian, “we’ve just got on with our own thing, then picked the band back up.”) and Bernard, too, recognises 2013 is a fine time for New Order.
“All the other tours have been pretty semi comatosed really,” he laughs. “So maybe I’ve noticed how fresh things are this time because of that?
“Having new people helps; a key factor for me is we’re all pushing in the same direction. Imagine you’ve got Manchester United and one of the strikers doesn’t want the other one to score because he thinks he’s the only striker that should be allowed to score. It’s not going to work out very well, is it?
“We’re not in that situation any more, I hope – we all play for the same team and all wish each well and success.”
It’s about all Bernard has to say about Hookygate. But then, he always was focused on going forward; next on the giant to do list is a new album, one that Bernard says is back in love with the synth sound that was a signature of the band’s early singles: True Faith, Blue Monday, Temptation and Ceremony.
“The last few albums have been very guitar based, and the reason for that was to take a holiday from electronic music,” Bernard explains.
“I personally didn’t like the way it had split off and you had to be in one of these genres – music’s not about that, it’s about freedom. We just felt a bit over familiar with electronics, so I think on this album we’re purposely trying to embrace electronics again.”
If that’s a surprise, just wait to see what they’ve got in store for Jodrell. “We’ve talked about Johnny Marr joining us,” says Bernard about his former Electronic band mate, who performs on Sunday before New Order.
“He played with us in Las Vegas in a hotel called The Cosmopolitan in front of a pool, and from the stage we could see the Eiffel Tower, to the left Ancient Rome... Steve wants to live there, there’s a hotel he wants to buy that looks a bit like an old people’s home.”
Stephen laughs. “It’s going to be a David Lynch like hotel, with rooms dedicated to dead celebrities and with tellys you’re allowed to throw out of the room,” he deadpans.
“Janis Joplin room, Jim Morrison, the Gram Parsons suite - that’s my own personal favourite.”
