Cuttings

Close, but not quite close enough, to being my second New Order double-header, Hammersmith was only two nights after Hemel Hempstead. I'd ordered the tickets before the ULU gig, but two more mates decided later on that they would come along, and managed to get tickets from touts for £10. I noted that drinks were expensive at £1.40 (roughly £4.50 in 2022 prices, so it looks like I wasn't far off the mark). This was my only ever visit to the Hammersmith Palais, yet another venue that is no more. I seem to recall that in a rectangular space, the stage was on one of the longer sides, which is a bit unusual. A Certain Ratio were the support - the third time I saw them this year. Although they performed a very good set, the crowd were incredibly indifferent to them.  The bootleg I have (which, during the first song - Seems Like Something Dirty - features me telling one of my mates that the show was being taped ) has Jez Kerr after that song saying that New Order audiences d