New Order - Poole 29 March 1986

NME

NEW ORDER
Poole Arts Centre

NEW ORDER appear on stage swathed in blue light alter a heavy classical introduction on record. The new single ‘Shellshock‘ takes us into livedom. The sound is terrible for the first three numbers. In Poole, loud is good.

By the third number the sound engineer had decided to compromise. It actually gets more palatable as the night goes on. ‘Ceremony' causes mass orgasms. Overblown, crashing, aching guitar hacks its way into your fuzzbox and back. Then it‘s onto fresher pastures. A lot of the newer songs don't grip, only the older ones have the clout to cross the dreaded sound barrier.

New Order have bared chests on stage tonight. The band don‘t seem too bothered about the audience. They play what they want to and if you don't like it ... well ... go back home to your 12" of 'Blue Monday' . . But hang on . . here is ‘Blue Monday’ alive and kicking. It wafts off the stage to climax an hour set, like Europop in a sweaty Benidorm disco. And then that‘s it ...

It‘s easy to shock, especially if you make a living out of it. A daring shade of pink tights can do it. ‘Blue Monday’ live can do it, even an ENCORE. New Order came back on stage with more chest and something from ’Low Life’ slowed to indifference. Then it's the big one. ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart‘. Then that's it. . . Brecht on 45 or depression is back in style. . . l'm not quite sure which.

Deborah Sippitts