Lyceum
[Duncan] ' Ian's dancing had changed somewhat from 1979. It was perhaps more wild than ever and included spinning, it was more like revolving while maintaining the same style, dancing round and round in circles. I can't say for sure but over the months he did get more and more wild. His dancing use to speed up and slow down with the music - sometimes just moving his arms.
This was mainly, but not only, during Atrocity Exhibition. I think the encore here was the best ten minutes of Joy Division live I ever saw with the spinning, the clear sound, Ian's performance in Atrocity Exhibition was so close to the edge. He was hanging on to he mic when he was singing as if it was a life line beckoning the crowd in as he sang "you want to see some more., step inside", "go in all the way" he was again helped off the stage by the roadie leaving the band to play out. These Days has always been Joy Division's hidden masterpiece. I'm 99% certain Barney and Hooky swapped on Atrocity Exhibition. Barney told me a story about the Lyceum once. About ten mins before they were due on stage they were in the changing room having a "joke" bottle fight which resulted in Barney getting some serious lacerations to his hands which were so bad it was touch and go as to whether he'd be able to play. It kind of puts pay to the notion that they were a sombre bunch. When I knew them they never stopped pissing about.'
High Wycombe
[Duncan] "During the soundcheck I asked Ian what was the name of the first track Joy Division played at ULU, as it was unreleased at the time. At first Ian couldn't remember but after a while, and some prompting (along the lines of it's got the lyrics 'Keep calling me'), Ian remembered it was called Dead Souls. When asked if they'd play it that night he said "We may well do".
Bournemouth
[Duncan] "Ian behaved a little differently during Atrocity Exhibition. Usually he would dance really wildly during the guitar/drums climax of this song. But this time he walked to the front of the stage and stared out at the audience completely still for about 15 seconds until a roadie came onstage and helped him offstage to hospital suffering dehydration and exhaustion. Joy Division were pulling in fans at these gigs even though they were support to the headlining Buzzcocks".
Futurama
[Duncan]' A month or so after Ian's death when I first meet Rob Gretton at Rough Trade in London, with six of my Joy Division master tapes, it was the Futurama tape that he wanterd to hear first. He put on I Remember Nothing and I said he should fast forward to Wilderness as he'd be able to assess the tape better. He just smiled and said "I can tell fine with this track". He handed me a copy of Licht Und Blindheit -Sordide Sentimental and about 6 of those flexi freebies. Rob was a really nice bloke.'
ULU
[Duncan] "At the start of the gig Ian was about to intro the band when Steve cut in and started the drumming on Dead Souls so Ian just started dancing. The second chorus is sung by Hooky because the lead to Ian's microphone fell out. "It fell out twice I can't remember if Hooky picked up the vocals on the other time. Ian just dropped the mic to the floor and walked away when it happened on the chorus". There may be some more photos of ths gig".
Electric Ballroom
[Duncan]' They had all had short haircuts since the last gig I'd seen. Storming rendition of Interzone for the encore If you listen to the tape Ian's microphone isn't up for the first verse or two but comes back in with "but I had no time too lose" half way. Possibly the first time they played Love Will Tear Us Apart. This gig was one of the few times that Ian made it back on after his exertions during Atrocity Exhibition'
