As the crowds spill out of Manchester Apollo on a cold, dreary, Friday night in Ardwick people look stunned. "I know I say it a lot but I genuinely think that's the best gig I've ever seen," a bloke says to his mate who nods in agreement and replies: "Absolutely blown away".
Naturally, the music of Joy Division is always going to resonate here on home turf, but the thousands of "wow" comments on the way out showed the strength of approval. This was serious goosebumps time as the Manchester Camerata reworked the music of the Manchester music trailblazers alongside founding band member Peter Hook and some standout guests vocalists with this "Joy Division Orchestrated" show.
This show debuted at London's Albert Hall in 2019 before heading off to Sydney Opera House - then the pandemic brought things to a halt. But the intention was always for it to return here to Manchester where perhaps, to the fans here, it matters more than most.
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It was a quiet, reverent start to the concert, with dedications to Joy Division's iconic frontman Ian Curtis made. Ian's best friend and former best man Kelvin Briggs delivers a speech to tell the masses: "43 years ago I was in this very hall watching the Buzzcocks and Joy Division.
"42 years ago Ian sadly passed away - and God rest his soul. But what a rich legacy Ian, and Joy Division left us all."
The familiar and haunting strains of Atmosphere begin and Kelvin remains on stage to play out the chimes - used on the original Joy Division recordings.
It was then on to the almost eerie arrival of Detachments frontman Bastien Marshal to stage, cutting as he does an incredible likeness to Curtis, in both his voice and performance style.
He performs a slowed down Love Will Tear Us Apart as the strings soar behind him, all masterfully conducted and arranged by the Camerata's Tim Crooks.
If that wasn't enough to prickle those goosebumps, then on walks to the stage 17-year-old Nancy Dinan, making the debut performance of her life (as we are later informed by Hooky to the delight of the crowds) on this special night.
She performs a version of New Dawn Fades so haunting, so special that it makes you wonder when exactly her debut album is going to come out.
Completing the magic is another Mancunian rising star in the form of Mica Millar. Her rich soulful voice filling the Apollo to dazzling effect on the likes of Means to an End, while she makes Heart and Soul sound as epic as a James Bond movie theme.
The vast, thrilling sound of the orchestra on stage gives that filmic edge to many of Joy Division's best-loved tracks during the show. There was also some really inventive lighting design across the show, at times almost caging in the performers with blue lights, at others like ripples of sunlight with red beams.
Nancy returns to stage to perform another absolutely stunning reworking of Transmission. It was her version of this song - sent on spec to Hooky - that led to her invite to perform at this show would you believe. It felt like a "we saw her first" moment for the crowds with phone cameras held aloft to capture the moment as a star is born.
But there was more joy to come for the die-hard fans who perhaps longed for more "original" versions of the Joy Division classics. Bastien returns to the stage for the full-tempo Transmission and his entrancing, dark vocals akin to Curtis' original - it feels like he's almost having to restrain himself from breaking into the frontman's infamous jerky dance moves.
Then there's the reprise of Love Will Tear Us Apart, this time with the chaotic crescendo of the strings building to match Hooky’s gruff vocals on the track.
Nancy and Mica bring an angelic backing chorus - as do the Manc crowd in fairness - who predictably go wild to belt out the chorus and hold the arms aloft to the anthem.
It's the climax of what has been a two-and-a-half hour epic celebrating the true majesty of Joy Division's work.
Setlist
Atmosphere
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Day of the Lords
New Dawn Fades
Means to an End
Isolation
Disorder
Heart and Soul
Twenty Four Hours
Interval
Rachel’s Song
Atrocity Exhibition
Insight
Dead Souls
She’s Lost Control
Shadowplay
The Eternal
Decades
Transmission (Nancy Dinan vocals)
Digital
Ceremony
Transmission (Bastien Marshal vocals)
Love Will Tear Us Apart
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