New Order deliver hits at LA's YouTube Theater

On a uncommon wet day in Los Angeles, English new-wave icons New Order took the stage at the YouTube Theater. Returning to California in a couple of yr’s time, singer Bernard Sumner and co. bought out the 6,000-capacity venue in anticipation of their headlining set at the primary annual Darker Waves Festival in Huntington Beach.

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Fans filtered into the theater, retreating from the rain and eradicating their jackets and coats, revealing Peter Saville “Mr. Disco” and Joy Division Unknown Pleasures shirts. After an opening set from U.K. darlings Blossoms, New Order performed for two hours, having to sacrifice a song to maintain the city curfew. The venue lights shut down slowly, illuminating the LED screen behind the stage, which showcased women jumping into a pool on a loop. Richard Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde: Prelude & Liebestod” welcomed the band in a shroud of thriller and fog. Then, New Order kicked off the set with opening tracks from 4 completely different albums: Get Ready’s “Crystal,” Republic’s “Regret,” Power, Corruption & Lies’ “Age of Consent,” and Substance 1987’s “Ceremony.” In the primary 20 minutes of taking part in, the band expressed why they’re some of the revered bands of all time. The quantity of nostalgia combined with evocative dance feelings had the viewers on their toes.

Founding members Sumner, drummer Stephen Morris, and keyboardist Gillian Gilbert had been noticeably of their component, however 2011 additions, together with guitarist Phil Cunningham and bassist Tom Chapman, blended into the set and held their very own. Two massive screens on all sides of the stage remained in black and white whereas the primary display backing the stage featured coloured graphics, uniting the darkness that embodied Joy Division that finally birthed the extra poppy and new-wave dance tracks of New Order. The viewers cheered when Sumner talked about Joy Division, performing “Isolation” earlier than bouncing between “newish” New Order songs and classics like “The Perfect Kiss” and “Your Silent Face.” Sumner even walked to the very finish of the stage, dispensing chords and changing into a full-on conductor to the followers within the first rows throughout “Sub-Culture.”

Just as they started with 4 hits, one after the opposite, New Order concluded their 16-song present with their largest tracks, “Truth Faith,” “Blue Monday,” and “Temptation.” Blue lights flickered and lasers roamed across the theater throughout “Blue Monday,” matching the darkish synthwave sound. At the top, followers harmonized alongside Sumner for “Temptation” in addition to clapped in unison.

Less than 5 minutes later, as a result of curfew, New Order walked again on to play two Joy Division cuts. Photos of the late Ian Curtis, taken by shut pal of the band Anton Corbijn, displayed on all screens, focusing in on his eyes throughout “Atmosphere” together with the music video for the observe directed by Corbijn. “Transmission” was deducted, and the band concluded quite shortly with Joy Division’s pivotal track, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” With practically 43 years below their belt, New Order proved how seminal and, extra importantly, why they dominated ’80s airwaves.

New Order’s November 15, 2023 setlist