There’s a certain connection between New Order and drugs. The Haçienda certainly did a lot for the band’s reputation, as well as being the soundtrack for ecstasy-fueled Ibiza nights in the late 80s with songs like Round and Round, True Faith or Bizarre Love Triangle.
In 1986, a VHS called Pumped Full Of Drugs was released on Factory Records that certainly fueled rumours as much as Noel Gallagher’s ego is fueled by cocaine. Prior to the release of their 1985 masterpiece Low-Life (maybe their best album), the band played one concert in Tokyo, on May 2, 1985, which was taped and released under the catalogue number FAC177, and…to my great pleasure the video features my favorite New Order song Sub-Culture. This one I always miss at their concerts.
Proving that they’re a damn good live band from the very beginning on, despite giving many singers the courage to pick up a microphone themselves as Bernard Sumner was certainly pumped full of… Adrenalin and missing a few notes (his voice is better than ever these days), this New Order concert is well worth the watch, in excellent audio and video quality. Spotting Tony Wilson on this tape earns you a warm handshake.
Tracklist:
- Intro (Japanese National Anthem)
- Confusion
- Love Vigilantes
- We All Stand
- As It Is When It Was
- Sub-Culture
- Face Up
- Sunrise
- This Time of Night
- Blue Monday
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