New Order - Sunderland 15 August 1984
NME - BLUE WEDNESDAY IN SUNDERLAND NEW ORDER Sunderland Mayfair Suite THE FOYER of the Mayfair Suite - a large grey box on concrete stilts just a few hundred yards away from two massive half-finished oil tankers on the banks of the Wear - could be that at a Mecca ballroom almost anywhere in Britain. The decor is the ultimate in sophisticated tack, bouncers roam the deep red carpets and the clientele are offered the opportunity to alternate pints of 'heavy' with hamburger suppers at the food bar upstairs. But tonight’s crowd are not the kind that would usually frequent such a place. Tonight is the opening night of Nre (sic) Order's most extensive British 'tour' to date: eight concerts already announced with others being added as the Smiths Of Sheffield transit hurtles south towards such rock kernels as Margate, Chippenham and Gloucester. With over 1,000 tickets sold in advance and a couple of hundred on the door the venue is comfortably full if not e...