Cuttings

ALL ABOARD THE BROTHERSHIP Not baited and not bearlike, NEW ORDER emerge from the shadow of past misunderstandings and smile benificently upon ROY WILKINSON. They manage to convey their new sense of adjustment and quite a bit besides while remaining evasive, but RUSSELL YOUNG still pictures bared souls  THREE QUARTERS of New Order are sitting in their extremely nice, extremely comfortable Manchester rehearsal rooms, autographing album covers and waiting. They're waiting to do an interview (something they never used to do), waiting to set out on tour (another thing they never used to do), waiting to release a single, ‘State Of The Nation' (any moment now) and waiting to release their fourth album, ‘Brotherhood’ (for the end of September). The album makes me quite willing to cash in all my superlatives in one fell swoop and wish l could afford a compact disc player (my poor old hi-fi can't handle it at all ), but right now I’m just watching Bernard/Barney Albrecht/

SHOCK OF THE NEW "You don't have to watch Dynasty to have an attitude" - Prince "I have no attitude without a cigarette " - Lou Reed "I wouldn't mind being a thief" - Bernard Albrecht Temptation, confusion, disillusion. Experience, true colours, and the meaning of life, before and after drinks. NEW ORDER answer, CHRIS ROBERTS questions, PETER ANDERSON sees music as art IN A Newcastle hotel bar with an attractive chandelier the Grace Kelly of pop ventures a “Hullo” better late than never. Hook volleys a “Hullo” back and Albrecht goes “Wheeeuuurrr”. He tries again, and manages “Aaaarrrhhh”. A publicist with a brain to match his legs buys us Scotch. Grace is nicely confused. Two men carry six television sets out of the lift and stack them neatly on the stairs. A hunchback lopes past. The two men reappear with three more television sets. We go to The Tube . Kelly’s eye fixes on a door which all the children can go in through. GILLIA

OUT OF ORDER MICK MIDDLES carries on his Stateside binge with NEW ORDER THE 737 FROM New York to Washington fills with groans from the rear as Hookey completes his third sick bag. Rob Gretton, New Order manager, and Steve Morris are unconcerned about this and the fact that they are three hours late — the effect of eight Melonball Cocktails carries them away on a separate, astral plane. In Washington, the local promoters are apprehensive and tour manager Ruth Polsky is panicking as Barney and Gillian complete the band's soundcheck alone. There has been no phone call from Rob. Outside the venue (a large Spanish cinema, the only seated venue on the tour) the queue is already 100 yards long — people are becoming increasingly angry at the delay. Ossie (soundman and fifth member) is struggling with a PA half the size of the previous evening's and a venue twice as big. Onstage, an attempted run through of 'Your Silent Face' breaks down for the fourth time.

NEW ORDER  a new ordeal in low~life It’s a dark day in downtown Manchester and New Order, on the eve of their US tour, are insisting show business is a lie. Incensed at this blasphemy and heedless of the danger, MAURICE LOMAS  puts up his dukes and argues. Referee: KEVIN CUMMINS IT WAS a blue Friday. I was in a grey mood. If a black cat had crossed my path, I’d probably have kicked it. I’d had a bad day and I felt like staying home and cheering myself up with a few chapters of Franz Kafka. Instead, I had to content myself with the ready wit and razor sharp repartee of a band called New Order. After three attempts to secure an interview with these crazy swingers, their manager, Rob Gretton, finally arranged a meeting in a downtown watering hole called Hoyts. After ten minutes Barney, the guitarist, appeared, explaining that his comrades would soon come merrily skipping into my life. Barney’s a friendly chap so I tried the direct approach. Why had it been so hard to g

LOW RIDERS - Sounds NEW ORDER 'Low Life' (Factory FACT 100) **** Perhaps the new dawn really is upon us. New Order, if not yet allowing the full glare of daylight to fall upon their faded carpets, have at least allowed a half-light to penetrate the black bedroom curtains. It may even be that our dour friends have had a discreet boot up the bum. Because guess what? Opener 'Love Vigilantes' grabs you by the throat and yells 'Dream Syndicate!'. A slab of American pie among mushy peas, and the direction suits New Order as naturally as a baggy suit. The Beatles play ‘Blue Monday' - you‘d better believe it! Though the rest of the package doesn't quite match up to this spectacular and unexpected promise, it does give a less bittersweet, more palatable slice of listening. Grey industralist disco fans won't, though, cast it aside with a snarl of the upper lip and a flick of the flat top. But they should approve of this new taste of variety which