New Order head to a new frontier this weekend at observatory

Gillian Gilbert speaks to the Lancashire Evening Post ahead of Transmission 005 at Cheshire’s Jodrell Bank on Sunday, when New order are supported by Johnny Marr + Public Service Broadcasting + The Whip + Jake Evans + Hot Vestry + Tom Middleton & Science Arena
New OrderNew Order
New Order

HAVE YOU BEEN TO ONE OF THE SHOWS AT JODRELL BANK 
BEFORE?

Yes, we all went to see The Flaming Lips there a few years ago, so when the chance came up to do it ourselves, we jumped at it. The stage is right next to the radio telescope, and while The Flaming Lips were on it moved around. It was quite a sight. We used to go when we were little, and there was nothing there but the telescope and a gift shop.

WHAT WILL YOU PLAY?

When we reformed and got Phil and Tom in, we did a basic set, 12 songs, some Joy Division songs, a lot of hits and one or two obscure ones. I hadn’t played with the band for 12 years at this point so it needed to be basic. We’ve toured America, so added some new songs to the set then. We’ve just built things up as we go.

ARE YOU WRITING NEW SONGS?

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What stage are we normally at? We’re waiting on Bernard! But it’s sunny this week, so he can’t possibly write when it’s sunny. Hopefully we’re going to get stuck in, when the kids go back to school in September. We also want to do things now. We don’t want to be like the old New Order and keep everyone waiting for years, we want to be the new New Order. We’re not doing an LP, we’re doing an EP. We’ve been writing in short bursts, so we’ll just work on four songs at a time instead of waiting another two years to finish an album.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE PLAYING YOUR FIRST SHOW WITH THE BAND AFTER 12 YEARS?

It was great. I’d really missed it. I used to go and see Stephen play (Stephen Morris and Gillian are married with two daughters) and it was very weird at the beginning not being there. But I only had to wait 12 years to get back in the band.

BERNARD AND JOHNNY MARR FORMED THE DUO ELECTRONIC. JOHNNY IS PLAYING AT JODRELL BANK ON THE SAME DAY NEW ORDER ARE. WILL THERE BE A REUNION?

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You never know, do you? It would be nice, but I’ll just say ‘you never know’.

YOUR DAUGHTER TILLY IS IN A BAND CALLED HOT VESTRY.

Yes, they were a trio before Tilly joined, and she plays keyboards now. They’re doing pretty well. I’m their roadie. They can’t drive, they’re only 17, so I ferry them everywhere. Tilly’s been in the band for just over a year now. They’ve got some gigs in London coming up. Our other daughter wants to be a singer as well.

ARE YOU NOT WARNING THEM OFF?

No, I couldn’t do that. They weren’t interested in music at all. They had piano lessons and got bored, and then they turned 17, I rejoined the band, and now they’re mad I didn’t make them stick at it. I don’t think they realised their mum was in a band or could be cool.

WHAT MADE YOU RELEASE THE CONCERT FROM LAST YEAR’S
BESTIVAL AS A NEW ALBUM?

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Well we really enjoyed it, for a start. There were costume changes and all sorts, we got really carried away at the festival. And all the money is going to charity, so it made even more sense.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR NEW ORDER?

Initially it was only going to be two festivals in Paris and Brussels, but we enjoyed it so much that we carried on. We did another year, then that year went, and now we’re doing this year and writing new songs.

WILL IT COME TO AN END?

You can never tell with New Order. We’ve got no shows in the UK this year after Jodrell Bank, and then we’ll see what happens next year.