FORMED: 1980, Manchester, England
     
      New Order arose from the ashes of Joy Division, one of the most influencial bands in the alternative music scene in the late 70 s and early 80 s. Joy Division were Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris, four young men from Manchester, England. Joy Division drew attention to themselves with the release of their first full-length album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979. The music they played was a sign of the times: angst-ridden, moody, enchanting, haunting.
     
      And the style was unique: drum machines and wailing synthesizers behind a churning leading bass guitar. It became a trademark playing style that other bands adopted, such as The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, and U2, and a style that New Order continued to use. Just before Joy Division was to embark on their first North American tour, Ian Curtis, the band s singer and lyricist, hung himself in his home on Sunday the 18th of May 1980.
     
      The remanining members continued on as New Order, adding a new female member, Gillian Gilbert. After several... (More NEW ORDER Biography)