Transmission

I was four when Ian Curtis died. I was about 16 when I discovered his music. I knew I was never going to see Joy Division live. And I have peace with that, but when I had an opportunity to go to a tribute concert I wanted to take it. ‘Transmission: the sound of Joy Division’ would play in Neuadd Ogwen. 

I went with Jenny and we went in a few minutes before it was supposed to start. It was very empty! That's not very nice for the band. But they didn't start at the time listed on the website, and by the time they did appear on the podium, the hall had filled up a bit.

The audience was a bit mixed. I saw plenty of people I figured might have been fans when the actual band was still active. And it looked like there was a fair number of people like me; not the youngest anymore, but too young to have been aware of the music when it came out. And then there were some youngsters. Some teenage goths, and also a young boy with a ‘Curtis’ top on.

They started playing. I loved it from the very start! I have played these albums again and again in my formative years, and the music now resonates very strongly with me. Quite often, it is the bass player who starts the song, and feeling these deep notes rumble through my body was quite special.

The band doesn't try to look like Joy Division, but they do sound quite like it. The biggest difference, in my experience, was that the singer takes a bit more time. For instance; Ian Curtis got through the short sentence "she's lost control" considerably quicker, as far as I can tell.

I don't like all the songs equally, of course. But the ones that are not my favourites were still amazing because it is just different if it's done live. And I laughed at the fact that the bass player fairly regularly only needed to use one hand. The other hand would make the tones less deep. You can't have that! This is Joy Division.

I was really glad that they played the Day of the Lords, and even more glad they played New Dawn Fades. I did expect them to; after all, the back category is not huge. And I thought they would end with Love Will Tear Us Apart. They didn't!

The lead singer was not a talker. Nor were the others. The singer would sometimes mention what a song had been called, after he had sung it. I think most of the audience didn't need that information. And he regularly stuck up both his thumbs and thanked us for being there. I don't think anyone minded, though. They were well received!

At some point they left the stage. They probably were going to come back for an encore. But Jenny is not a late sleeper, and she still had to drive half an hour back. And I wanted to get to bed to be rested for my race the next day. So we left. I'm sure the encore was also good, but I figured we had different priorities now. So we both went home!

I'm really glad we went! I will probably never get closer (pun not intended) to a real Joy Division gig. Hearing some of your favourite music live is special! And it was even next door…