Photo by Andy Willsher



I used to drink far too much.

I think it all happened because I was thrust into a position that I never dreamed of being thrust into in my life. I never dreamed of being a singer. It never crossed my mind. I always wanted to play guitar.

Because Ian Curtis died, I was put into his position. Obviously that would be challenging for anyone, even someone who'd sung before. And I'd never sung before so I used to drink too much to give me Dutch courage and get my head 'round what I was doing.

When we started being successful in America, we'd gone from playing 400-people-a-night clubs, to 1,000 people, to 5,000 and eventually up to 25,000 people a night every night in a relatively short space of time. Suddenly, we weren't semi pro any more. I think I found that quite difficult to handle, really, because I wasn't just a singer in a cult band, I was a singer in quite a large successful group. Suddenly the goalposts had been moved and I don't know if I liked it, because it was a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure. American audiences expect a lot from frontmen.

So I was drinking too much and that was half the reason, but the other half was that I did like it (drinking).

Being sober on a 30-date tour isn't as much fun as going for it every night, so I ended up drinking too much and one night I ended up in the hospital through it. Funnily enough, that night I hadn't drunk anything, but I was on my way to a party in Chicago and we had Steve "Silk" Hurley and all these DJs, all the Detroit crew as well, coming down and DJing at this party for us. I got halfway there and I just started coughing and couldn't stop. I got the car to turn 'round and take me back to the hotel and then just started vomiting. And I vomited from 1 in the morning to 4 the next afternoon, non-stop. I think what I'd done is I'd burned the lining off my stomach. We were due to play in Detroit the next night but I had to have an endoscopy. It really made me think about what I was doing with my life. I just think I'd reached burnout at that point, and it made me think that if we were to continue doing it, then I was going to be a victim of my own actions. I just wanted to take a break, really. A long, long break.

BARNEY SUMNER
New Order did indeed take a long break and were missing from Republic (1993) until Get Ready (2001). Their latest release is Waiting for the Sirens' Call, and is out now on London.



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Comments:

Subject: why he should die
Date: Mar 27 2007 10:32:23 AM
Author: bob the killer

i love you you love me should be more like
I fuk you you fuk me
come here all you hippies
with a great big bottle and a snort from me to you lets just say you fuk me to



Subject: ..one would need complex of belly-bombs
Date: Dec 24 2006 06:16:23 PM
Author: dr strangelove

What could be more delicious than your own personal 'Joy Division' I think the Nazis were on to something. There is a medium sized city in Norway where I swear they've got a new experiment running.



Subject: hey.........
Date: Mar 19 2006 03:02:31 PM
Author: rommel

.....isnt the new order a nazi thing? are zey realy nazi's?



Subject: Got milk?
Date: Sep 29 2005 10:06:21 AM
Author: sperm is nice

New orden són una banda de merda que només foten música fastigosa de collons.
Fot anys que ja no fan rés interesant, i quan ho feien era tope de mariquita.
A qui no li agradi que li donguin pel cul, i a qui li agradi que li donguin també.
Per cest, aquesta revisteta dels ous es mega fastigosa, em cago en la boca dels tius penjats que hi perden el temps.
Feu-vos fotres, buturuts!!



Subject: interpol dont suck
Date: Aug 30 2005 01:55:22 AM
Author: danielle

interpol are the greatest,FUCK YOU.new order sucked after blue monday



Subject: fuck yourselves
Date: Jul 01 2005 01:55:08 AM
Author: fuck everybody

joy division was great but love will tear us apart sucked. if i made that song i would of killed myself too. new order was only good when whats his name did his cutest ian impression on the first album. but if you want the real deal then go with the warsaw collection that came out
new order sucks



Subject: s
Date: Jun 20 2005 01:26:53 PM
Author: s

"Digital" is the killer cut. Try listening to that and not dancing.



Subject: new order, a fraction of joy division
Date: Jun 01 2005 08:58:37 AM
Author: matt day

I think the best way to end up liking Joy Division is to buy one of their albums without having ever heard them before. This way you plunge into it with great enthousiasm expecting more than what you're about to experience. It seems really fucking mediocre at first. You'll find out the only songs you like from them are the obvious "Love will tear us apart" & "Shadowplay". But I guess Ian Curtis' crazy antics make things a little less boring. You start to think "hey, man, this guy was epileptic...and then he killed himself...fuck!" Later on, you'll probably still just be listening to the same two songs 'cuz that's about as appealing as they get.



Subject: new odor
Date: May 29 2005 08:19:23 AM
Author: the never ending shit of burn-out bunny

new order saved music from what? the warm, sweet sound of analog instruments played by competent musicians and singers who can actually sing? fug dat shit.



Subject: Interpol? What the fuck?
Date: May 03 2005 11:36:13 PM
Author: Michael

Interpol sucks much cock. Morrissey would be jealous of them.



Subject: stuff
Date: May 03 2005 03:16:56 PM
Author: jojo

Hey I like this article



Subject: Blabc Blac
Date: May 01 2005 05:22:06 PM
Author: Eduardo

Come on,,,,,How many bands have songs with the level of Blue Monday and Bizarre Love Triangle? A band that have done at least one classic dont need nothing more,,,,so,,thres a band that made lots of those classics....and more,,,,they where Joy Division ...who compose Love will tear us apart.....so,,,can i say something more?



Subject: your stupid ass
Date: Apr 30 2005 04:01:13 AM
Author: me

pffft...shut the fuck up. Who needs a new New Order album? I do. Got their new album and it's triple-platinum dope. I think Ian Curtis is overrated just cause he killed himself doesn't mean joy division are super meaningful or anything...



Subject: bad words
Date: Apr 29 2005 02:57:50 PM
Author: roosterocker

good band with the worst lyrics ever!



Subject: obvious
Date: Apr 27 2005 06:38:18 AM
Author: nigel

People, it is possible for good bands to start to suck. New Order is a classic band, but after '86 they fell the fuck off. The post by "uh" is ridiculous. Do I have to be able to write, sing, play an instrument, shoot movies, dance, and everything else to be qualified to comment on our culture? If I am tone-deaf or the next incarnation of Jaco, current New Order sucks.



Subject: well
Date: Apr 27 2005 05:45:16 AM
Author: uh

New Order and Joy Division AND Interpol are all fantastic. What ISN'T is you people who can't play an instrument, sing or write a song, condemning those who do. Jealous?



Subject: Fook off!
Date: Apr 25 2005 10:17:29 AM
Author: Tits McGee

Hot weasel stains on your mother's neck!



Subject: JWWN
Date: Apr 25 2005 07:45:27 AM
Author: Voiceover Artist

A new order re-release/ tour / best of / greates hits/ new 7/12" / t-shirt / arse cake, just what we need.



Subject: .
Date: Apr 23 2005 02:39:23 PM
Author: .

parts of new order are really good.
joy division is great.
interpol, is also great. long live the revival spirit.



Subject: are they back?
Date: Apr 23 2005 01:49:28 PM
Author: lat

we dont need them back.
let it die.



Subject: Brave?
Date: Apr 23 2005 07:31:52 AM
Author: Bonjour

Wow! you have the Joy Division box set that's impressive. I have the Ian Curtis mug and when it heats up his eyes goes blank in a epileptic rampage and frenzy.



Subject: Love,love will tear us from the Aple agn
Date: Apr 22 2005 08:28:57 PM
Author: Eduardo The Great

New Order is for sure betwen the 3 best bands EVER,,,,,Power corruption and lies is a fucking inovative albun,,,,and it from 1983!!! The most of these suckers that placed their ignorant opinions about New Order were just a sperm project in that time,where their fathers were fucking in the back of a car listening to Twisted Sisters,,,fuck,,,,New Order deserve respect,,,they realy changed the music way,,,,BY the way,,,THANX NEW ORDER



Subject: Fuck wit it?
Date: Apr 22 2005 05:30:42 PM
Author: Allah Cadabrah

New Order=Brutal
Joy Division=Brutal
New Order+Joy Division=Suicide



Subject: Perspective?
Date: Apr 22 2005 04:10:48 PM
Author: |+|

I just doesn't make sense to be so negative about New Order. They have produced amazing shit that changed popular music; And Joy Division were even better. 2 for 2 ain't bad.

Guess what? New Order isn't new - they are fucking classic.





Subject: DAMN RIGHT!
Date: Apr 22 2005 02:34:06 PM
Author: the depressed should hang themselves

it died with curtis!



Subject: barney
Date: Apr 22 2005 12:54:45 PM
Author: Uncle Beef

Jesus christ man, have some self respect. Lose that gut!



Subject: musik
Date: Apr 22 2005 11:27:37 AM
Author: pornoterror

i would like a place i can call my own.....

what i great musik they do.
you think they suck ?
may be you do

they're no joy division.



Subject: fun fun fun
Date: Apr 22 2005 10:43:23 AM
Author: noew odered

actually liked this article. not a huge new order fan but i dont hate them.



Subject: Brave?
Date: Apr 22 2005 12:37:37 AM
Author: ?

He was just stating his opinion douche. No milestone but the person shouldn't get some shit about it. Yeah and fuck, New Order does suck. This is from somebody with a Joy Division box set and the Warsaw cd.



Subject: done that
Date: Apr 21 2005 11:44:23 PM
Author: been there

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz



Subject: Boring,Bitter,assholes
Date: Apr 21 2005 10:22:16 PM
Author: Bonjour

Wow dissing a band on the internet... how brave, i think that's the most amazing thing i've seen in 20 years.



Subject: Snotty
Date: Apr 21 2005 09:21:36 PM
Author: Jetpack

New Order hasn't sucked ever. You're thinking of Interpol.



Subject: .
Date: Apr 21 2005 06:45:28 PM
Author: youngandviced@hotmail.com

Fuck you
New Order
Rules



Subject: s
Date: Apr 21 2005 03:26:19 PM
Author: s

new order has sucked for almost twenty years now



ong'>Subject:
Perspective?
Date: Apr 22 2005 04:10:48 PM
Author: |+|

I just doesn't make sense to be so negative about New Order. They have produced amazing shit that changed popular music; And Joy Division were even better. 2 for 2 ain't bad.

Guess what? New Order isn't new - they are fucking classic.





Subject: DAMN RIGHT!
Date: Apr 22 2005 02:34:06 PM
Author: the depressed should hang themselves

it died with curtis!



Subject: barney
Date: Apr 22 2005 12:54:45 PM
Author: Uncle Beef

Jesus christ man, have some self respect. Lose that gut!



Subject: musik
Date: Apr 22 2005 11:27:37 AM
Author: pornoterror

i would like a place i can call my own.....

what i great musik they do.
you think they suck ?
may be you do

they're no joy division.



Subject: fun fun fun
Date: Apr 22 2005 10:43:23 AM
Author: noew odered

actually liked this article. not a huge new order fan but i dont hate them.



Subject: Brave?
Date: Apr 22 2005 12:37:37 AM
Author: ?

He was just stating his opinion douche. No milestone but the person shouldn't get some shit about it. Yeah and fuck, New Order does suck. This is from somebody with a Joy Division box set and the Warsaw cd.



Subject: done that
Date: Apr 21 2005 11:44:23 PM
Author: been there

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz



Subject: Boring,Bitter,assholes
Date: Apr 21 2005 10:22:16 PM
Author: Bonjour

Wow dissing a band on the internet... how brave, i think that's the most amazing thing i've seen in 20 years.



Subject: Snotty
Date: Apr 21 2005 09:21:36 PM
Author: Jetpack

New Order hasn't sucked ever. You're thinking of Interpol.



Subject: .
Date: Apr 21 2005 06:45:28 PM
Author: youngandviced@hotmail.com

Fuck you
New Order
Rules



Subject: s
Date: Apr 21 2005 03:26:19 PM
Author: s

new order has sucked for almost twenty years now



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