I can't talk about New Order without first talking about Joy Division. Bernard, Steve, and Peter were all members of the band Joy Division. Joy Division was lead by the troubled and tortured Ian Curtis. Forming in 1976, Joy Division had a solid cult following by 1978. Their fans consisted largely of lookalikes of the band, young men in their late teens or early 20s with short hair and long coats. Joy Division's fans really related to Ian Curtis' lyrics which reflected the band's obsessions with deprivation, isolation, and claustrophobia. It was almost certain that Joy Division would soon break through into the mainstream. Plans for a US tour were even set into motion. But Joy Division would never tour the US. On May 18th, 1980, Ian Curtis killed himself. His death had nothing to do with drugs or alcohol. The simple fact is that with a marriage going to hell, and being diagnosed as an epileptic, Ian Curis could no longer bare to go on living.
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